It's safe to say that almost every woman knows Stuart Weitzman. If you don't recognize the name, you would recognize his shoes. Those iconic 5050 boots ? Those are Stuart's. The 5-inch strappy sandals that are worn by every major celebrity on just about every major red carpet -- also Stuart's.

The famous designer got his start working for his dad (who was also in the shoe biz), but then started his own company and turned quite a profit selling comfortable, stylish shoes for women. Just this year Coach acquired Stuart Weitzman for approximately $530 million and next year, the Stuart Weitzman brand will celebrate its 30th anniversary, which is no small feat in an industry as competitive as fashion. The luxury footwear brand counts Beyonc, Michelle Obama and Taylor Swift as fans and has inspired a legion of copy-cats.

Of course a man this successful has a wealth of knowledge about the fashion business, so we chatted with Weitzman to find out how going to Wharton business school helped him run his company, how the industry has changed over the years and the one pair of shoes every woman should own. Here's what we learned: