Best French Shoemakers: Top 10 Made In France Shoe Brands & Their History

French Shoe-Making History

While England’s shoe-making history is relatively simple to explore, France’s heritage is considerably less structured and quite complex. Unlike England’s relationship with Northampton, the there were a number of regions throughout France that were reputed to craft their own unique styles and identities.

Interestingly, the distinction between someone who repairs and someone who makes shoes is historically blurred in France. In England, these are respectively referred to as a cobbler and cordwainer, which were two individual crafts with their own regulatory guilds.

Meanwhile, the French term “cordonnier” has the same Spanish etymology as “cordwainer” but tends to refer to both trades. Furthermore, Charles IX released an edict during the 16th Century that permitted all master cordonniers the right to make and sell types of shoe that corresponded with their physical state.

This complicated the market and made it difficult to specialise outside of what was expected of them. As it was believed that shoe-making was dirty work, a general shoemaker wouldn’t be approached for making delicate and clean shoes for women.

Meanwhile, a “bottier” was considered to have strong and bulky hands as he would work with tougher and thicker leather. While he was respected for creating robust and reliable footwear, it was unlikely that he would make complex shoes.

Finally, the “soulier” would be associated with more refined and supple leathers as well as elegant quality.

However, this attempt at enforcing the definition of different shoemaker classes only succeeded within Paris itself. In the rest of the country, shoemakers were expected to be able to make any type of shoe according to the needs of their local clientele.

Men In Heels

Before the French Revolution, footwear enjoyed a privileged relationship with both royalty and the aristocracy. In Paris and Versailles, the regulations detailed above were in full force. As a result, elegant footwear was embraced by the nobility following the Renaissance’s Persian influence during the 17th Century.

Just a few select shoemakers would become favoured among the court. As a result, shoes became an ostentatious fashion statement as well as an expression of the wearer’s political status. For instance, Louis XIV was a renowned shoe collector. He was particularly fond of red heels that were 10 cm tall.

Because of his relatively short stature, he even issued an edict that only court members could wear red heels and limited their height below his.

Meanwhile, other regions such as the Pays de la Loire were well-known for producing more utilitarian footwear for the working classes. However, this radical albeit international contrast of shoe style faded at the dawn of the 18th Century.

The Enlightenment period placed a greater emphasis on educational values as opposed to privilege and extravagance. Consequently, the fashion for both clothes and shoes began to lean towards more practical styles.

French Shoes In The 19th Century

Following the Revolution, French fashion changed radically in favour of more modest styling with imperial and military influences. Nevertheless, the shoemaker had garnered a reputation as a noble craftsman and was often revered as an artist.

Although the industry was still in its infancy, the Parisian shoe-making community was extremely structured with a network of masters and workers. As rent was expensive even in this period, workshops were usually situated on the upper floors in a single room.

At the centre, the master would perform the cutting of the leather and distribute the work to his employees. Meanwhile, the tanneries could be found in the Eastern parts of Paris along the St Martin canal and their hides were be sold in Les Halles.

During this period, the most common method of shoe construction was hand-stitched welting. Similarly, the craft was largely workshop focused and wouldn’t begin to experience any noticeable industrialisation until after the second half of the century.

The mechanisation developed in the USA and England began to significantly transition to France throughout the last quarter of the century. Naturally, the industry flourished, particularly in the provincial regions.

However, this caused the craft in Paris to shrink with many older workshops unable to keep up with the stiff competition.

French Shoe-Making In The 20th Century

Few of the older shoemakers endured the turn of the century. As you may have noticed in the list above, only one was actually founded then and it would adopt Goodyear welting by 1907.

Those that did continue to pursue handmade shoes had to focus on providing bespoke services of exceptional quality. Only a handful would prosper and it wouldn’t be until the latter-half of the 20th Century that they would be embraced again.

In the 1930s, a number of manufacturers grouped together in order to establish the Fédération Française de la Chaussure, an organisation designed to support and promote the French craft.

Although France may occasionally be overlooked for its shoes, it is one of the most prestigious producers of leather in the world.

Similarly, the Conseil National du Cuir was founded in 1948. A confederacy that grouped together 20 other federations and unions, it brought together all those involved in crafting leather from the farmers to the distribution.

Today, the confederacy groups together nearly 10,000 businesses in France that represent both 25 billion euros and nearly 130,000 employees. After all, it includes distributors like Hermès as well as the Puy and Degermann tanneries.

Les Compagnons Du Devoir

In England, a strong guild system greatly helped to preserve the shoe-making craft. For instance, the Worshipful Company of Cordwainers prevented cobblers from working with new leather, which enabled shoemakers to specialise in making shoes.

Given that France didn’t quite have structured guild system, it instead adopted a unique organisation known as the Compagnons du Devoir. Dating back to the Middle Ages, the Compagnons is essentially a mentoring network for apprentices for a plethora of trades.

An apprentice would undertake what is known as a Tour de France (without the bicycle) in order to learn a trade. Over what could be a period of 7 years, and apprentice would spend between 6 months to a year with a craftsman before being required to change location and find a new master.

Craftmen’s guilds were banned in 1791 during the French Revolution’s Terror, which included the The Compagnons. However, this was repealed in 1864 and the guild continues to operate today.

Nowadays, the guild is considerably more structured with recognised mentors and certain qualifications required to apply. Indeed, a number of the shoemakers listed above even trained under a Compagnonnage.

Today’s French Shoe-Making Industry

Today, over 50% of France’s shoe-making industry is spread across the western side of the country in regions like the Pays de la Loire. Despite the challenges faced by the country’s industry, French production of footwear was recognised as an artistic craft in 2016.

According to the Fédération Française de la Chaussure, there are 99 shoe-making companies based in France, which produced a turnover of 828 million euros in 2017. Similarly, over 5,000 people are employed in the industry and craft 22 million pairs of shoes per year.

While the figure above is indeed enormous, France hosts a number of factory brands that produce a variety of footwear. For instance, 29% of footwear made in France are slippers. Meanwhile, 35% of footwear made in France are crafted with leather uppers.

Furthermore, the Fédération Française de la Chaussure continues to play a pivotal role in the country’s shoe-making industry. Open to manufacturers of all configurations, it acts as France’s shoe-making ambassador by supporting its interests through lobbying as well as legal, social, and marketing services.

Similarly, the Regional Union of Pays de la Loire Shoes is a union that consists of 24 shoe-making companies. It was founded to preserve over 3,000 jobs and 400 million euros worth of income to the region.

Why Buy French Shoes?

While France is still often regarded as the capital of fashion, its reputation for shoes didn’t quite survive the French revolution. Indeed, France tends to be overlooked by its English and Italian neighbours these day.

However, France hosts a rich and captivating shoe culture that shouldn’t be ignored. With a vibrant quality culture, France offers magnificent specimens of quality shoe-making.

France has also developed its unique shoe identity by drawing inspiration from its neighbours as well as its own heritage. Furthermore, it’s simultaneous appreciation of artisanal craftsmanship and regional history has given birth to an original artisanal shoe-making culture.

From Italian-style hand-painted patinas and shapes to the quintessentially robust construction of English shoes, France has succeeded in combining hallmarks of both to develop an interesting compromise.

As a result, France offers the perfect balance with stylish yet formal shoes that are both durable and timelessly elegant.

What Next?

Now that you have read about the best French shoe brands and their history, feel free to explore our other related guides:

• Best Italian Shoes To Buy Online
• Top 10 English Shoes To Buy Online
• Best Custom Shoes To Buy Online
• Most Comfortable Dress Shoes For Men
• Bespoke Unit Shoe Homepage