When he started his company, Sam Edelman Shoes, in 2004, it shouldn't have been a big deal for him to get back into the business. He should have been welcomed with open arms -- er, feet? -- because this was his second company in the industry. Instead, he soon realized that he had to prove himself all over again.

It was quite a contrast from 1987, when he and his wife, Libby, launched Sam & Libby and were soon mentioned in the same company as clothing lines like Calvin Klein. In 1991, the trade magazineFootwear News described this situation: "The scene: an Atlanta department store. Libby Edelman shovels through a crowd of young women wanting to meet her. The shoppers suddenly get a bit out of hand as if they had encountered a pop star. The store's security is called. Edelman gets out of the crowd alive, managing to sell a truckload of shoes before she leaves."But Edelman sold Sam & Libby to Maxwell Shoe Company in 1996, and when he came back in 2004, few people in the industry seem to remember his fancy footwork from earlier days. "The average fashion magazine editor and buyer are about 26 years old. They're interested in today," says Edelman, who is based out of New York City. "They're interested in Sex and the City, the Kardashians, the new iPhone and not yesterday's shoes. They didn't really care about our history."