Stuart Weitzman is well on his way to becoming Oscar’s unofficial shoe designer. Nine stars stunned in his supersexy stilettos at last month’s Academy Awards, including leggy Jennifer Aniston, Chrissy Teigen and Jenna Dewan-Tatum.

Weitzman’s red carpet dominance is perhaps the clearest indicator that the 73-year-old self-described “shoe guy” is enjoying a career high almost as steep as his 5-inch “Wrapup” wooden wedges. On the business front, Coach announced in January that it would buy Stuart Weitzman from the private equity firm Sycamore Partners. (The deal is expected to close
by May and Weitzman will stay on as creative director and executive chairman of Stuart Weitzman Holdings LLC.)

In the fashion arena, Weitzman is attracting young, hip customers with seductive new styles and sultry ads featuring half-dressed supermodels like Gisele Bündchen and Kate Moss. In the last two years, his greatest hits have included the barely there “Nudist” sandal, a Hollywood staple; the “Lowland,” the over-the-knee flat boot that Bündchen wore with jeans to the Super Bowl; and the “Highland,” a thigh-hugging heeled boot that’s a fashion editor fave.

“From trendy to redefined silhouettes, the brand offers footwear for every personality,” says Betty Wang, vice president and divisional merchandise manager for women’s shoes at Saks Fifth Avenue. “It’s synonymous with fashion and comfort, and Stuart Weitzman has steadily built his reputation with our customers.”

Weitzman is one of the few shoe designers who not only owns his own factories in Spain but can draw and cut a pattern and sew a ballet slipper from start to finish. “I think that my best asset is the fact that I’m such a good shoe engineer,” says Weitzman, who studied pattern making and worked in a footwear factory for seven years in addition to earning an MBA at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “I know that’s why my shoes are so comfortable.”

He focuses first on fit and feel.

“If that works, then we’ll design something gorgeous to go with it,” he explains. Take the “Nudist,” which has a 4 3/4-inch heel. “[It] gets shaped to hug the pressure points underneath your foot,” says Weitzman. “There’s no need to suffer from painful shoes anymore.”

Over the past seven years, Weitzman has created a number of custom designs for Beyoncé’s performances. “I’ve made a special heel shape,” he explains. “She needs a nonslip sole that looks like a leather sole. She’s an all-around athlete.”

Weitzman has loved heels practically since birth. His glamorous mother had a closet full — she was a model, and Weitzman’s father owned a footwear company — and he and his sister toyed around with her impressive collection of shoes as kids. A photo of little Stuart playing in a red patent-leather pair is a family favorite.

“Someday,” he exclaims, “I’m going to run an ad with that picture!”