2 days ago
Made in France: Paraboot's 117-year legacy of durable and repairable shoes
Saint-Jean-de-Moirans, France - A scent of leather and rubber hung in the air at the Paraboot factory, near Grenoble, where around one hundred workers cut, sewed, melted and polished the 'made in France' shoes that were highly sought after abroad.
Bucking the trend of decline in French footwear, the brand's turnover continued to increase: it was 24 million euros in 2023, 26.7 million in 2024 and was forecast to reach 28.2 million in 2025.
The company exported 67 percent of its production, 80 percent of which was carried out at its Saint-Jean-de-Moirans factory, below the Vercors and Chartreuse mountains in Isère.
Initially specialising in work shoes, Paraboot, founded in 1908, continued to equip police officers and electricians, but also became a fashion product, seen on the feet of stars such as George Clooney and Johnny Depp. Its secret? 'Robust, durable and repairable' products and a 'DNA' that had not changed in 117 years, touted Eric Forestier, chief executive officer of the company. 'The planets aligned, because the trend is returning to often quite simple products' such as the Paraboot shoe, 'recognisable from afar', he told AFP.
Sold between 230 and 500 euros a pair, the hand-stitched leather shoes with a rustic design, rubber soles and visible external stitching, retained these characteristics since the birth of the brand. However, it managed to broaden its audience by multiplying collaborations with niche brands such as Engineered Garments and Arpenteur. Expertise
Founded by Rémy Richard in Izeaux, a few kilometres from the current factory, Paraboot now employed some two hundred people, in Isère and in its 28 shops across France and Belgium.
Around 600 pairs of shoes left the Saint-Jean-de-Moirans factory every day, where 97 workers toiled. The remaining 20 percent of production was carried out in Spain, Italy and Portugal 'for reasons of expertise', justified Forestier, notably to take advantage of moccasin stitching, a Spanish speciality.
'In today's world, it's a bit of a race for technology, but for us it's the opposite: it's a race to preserve expertise', summarised marketing director Pierre Colin, wearing 'Michael' shoes, Paraboot's flagship model. Spread over an 11,000 square metre hangar, machines and employees carried out 150 operations to manufacture one pair.
Initially, large hides - mainly calfskin, as it was less damaged - were stored in a large room. These were then cut into various small pieces corresponding to the shapes of the uppers - the top of the shoe - required. Leather constituted one-third of the selling price of a shoe, according to Colin. Leading brand
Once assembled, the leather pieces were lined with stitching, not glued, a 'much longer and more tedious' process but one that allowed perspiration to escape, explained Colin. The upper was then connected to the sole with 'Norwegian stitching', the brand's emblematic large external stitching.
This manufacturing method allowed the shoe to be repaired by replacing the sole, a 'very important' aspect, insisted Colin. The factory also had a repair workshop, charging 200 euros to repair a pair. Paraboot had been a 'socially responsible company since 1908', quipped Forestier, for whom 'producing in France is obviously a choice', thus justifying the high price of the models.
This 'undeniably helped' homemade aspect, particularly in Asia, which accounted for 35 percent of their turnover, ahead of France (33 percent) and Europe (30 percent), and then North America. The brand, widely imitated, had even become the 'leading' leather shoe brand in Japan, according to its chief executive officer. In addition to being worn by celebrities, Paraboot equipped the French police, EDF and the gendarmerie, offering compliance with safety standards.
Faced with the violent crisis that had been hitting the French footwear sector for years, with the failures of San Marina and André, and the rescue of Minelli and Clergerie at the cost of job losses, Paraboot's management focused on 'prudence' and a 'long-term vision'. 'The objective is to continue this 117-year history', insisted Forestier. This article was translated to English using an AI tool.
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