Luxury fashion isn’t short on a comeback story. Every season seems to resurrect another dormant brand, complete with a polished archive, a reverent mood board, and the promise of relevance for a new generation. But in the case of shoe label Herbert Levine, the brand’s return feels different. It’s not that the 20th century shoe label has been re-discovered per say—but rather, it’s come back from the dead altogether.

For nearly half a century, Herbert Levine existed more as fashion folklore than a functioning label. Founded in New York in 1948 by husband and wife Herbert and Beth Levine, the house became synonymous with inventive American footwear. Beth Levine, the creative force behind the brand, approached shoes with the curiosity of an industrial designer and the imagination of an artist, pioneering transparent footwear, sculptural heels, and fashion boots years before they were worn by the biggest stars: Cher, Liza Minelli, or Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Manolo Blahnik famously called her “the most influential American shoe designer of the 20th century.”