Paris update

[johnapril]

Bah.  Think of them as Baccarat Crystal you can wear on your feet.  Anyway, a good pair of shoes should get better with age and use.  I suppose that's a decent rule of thumb for a quality shoe.  A Kenneth Cole will look like **** after 6 months (or weeks).  My Paraboots look good after three years.

Agreed. And nothing to do with Paris. But I am having re-soled a pair of Ferragamo loafers that I bought for my wedding, 3.5 years ago. Short of the worn out spots on the sole, the rest of the shoe remains spectacular. The resoling job is going to run me just under $50. If it works out, I'll post pics of the thing.

 

[RJman]

Agreed. Â And nothing to do with Paris. Â But I am having re-soled a pair of Ferragamo loafers that I bought for my wedding, 3.5 years ago. Â Short of the worn out spots on the sole, the rest of the shoe remains spectacular. Â The resoling job is going to run me just under $50. Â If it works out, I'll post pics of the thing.

 

[rootless]

Damn. I've been spending more and more on clothing the last couple years. I own several pairs of decent shoes (mostly AE, some Magli, some Ferragammo). But I guess you guys are going to goad me into getting some made just for me

. The Vass sound great, but a bit pricey. It's not that I can't afford it, assuming that I put a bit (hah) more of my pay into clothing- it's just that I generally prefer to put my money into stocks and bonds, thank you very much. I think that love of shoes might be threatening my retirement

. Speaking of shoes, I was wearing a nice Zegna casual shirt (light blue, small black and white pattern, rumpled, sleeves rolled up later in the evening) and some nice Zanella off white linen trou (wrinkled, later in the evening, of course). I wound up on someone's porch, drinking cheap beer at 3 in the morning. I was informed (by a girl) that it was not permissible to wear anything other than slides with linen pants in Florida in the summer. This after the girl had felt both my shirt and my slacks, lovingly- I was by far the best dressed guy there (frightening, as I was seriously dressed down- a jacket would have been really out of place, and the untucked wrinkled thing was the only way to slip some decent clothes by the T-Shirt police). Anyway, is it really wrong to wear a cordovan penny with a light linen trouser and a rumpled shirt? Must one wear a slide with that in Florida? I don't like showing my feet, off the beach, and I had just tossed on the penny out of habit.

 

[Fabienne]

Corthay ready to wear (RTW) begins at 780 Euros (shoes trees, extra laces, cream, and polish included).  The RTW shoes are Goodyear welted, made in a factory just outside of Paris.  I estimate they have about 15 RTW models.  The people at the 1 rue Volnay workshop have in stock many pairs of these RTW shoes that have no finish yet applied to the skins.  You may choose the finish you would like based on the display models there, or a design of your own.

Grand measure begins somewhere in the neighborhood of 2800 Euros, escalating to 6500 for riding boots.  The first pair costs a bit more because they need to create a last for your foot. Grand measure also requires repeat visits.

I am sorry for the poor quality of the photos.  If I have time I will attempt again and post an update.

What impressed me most about Corthay was their patience and their kindness, their care in fitting me, and the experience of seeing the people make the shoes.  I made three visits during my time in Paris and was able to observe different processes each time: applying the color, skiving, cutting the leather, etc.  They use some fairly antique equipment in there.  I did not want to interrupt their work with all of my questions.  I was this close to giving up my job in the States and taking up an apprenticeship with them.  However, I think they would prefer me to remain a customer.

I left the shop with my new shoes in my daypack.  It was raining.  I rushed to a cafÃ

around the corner and had an espresso.  I could not help but feel the difference in this experience of purchasing shoes and experiences I usually have.  This experience felt like I learned something, not only about shoes, but about craftsmen.  It was also very nice to NOT have to deal with a salesperson.  Dealing directly with the craftsmen was a pure pleasure.  I would recommend a visit.

I wanted to add something that might help those who wish to visit Corthay. Once you are on the correct street, you will find there is no door, just a small window with a few shoes on display. You need to go through/under the porte cochere and into the interior courtyard, and to your immediate right, you will see a small door. Knock on that door, and the tiny workshop is right there, with the shoemakers working half a yard away from the threshold. You need to ask the shoemakers to show you the models, there are no salespersons, as johnapril mentioned. The room where models are displayed is past the workshop, in a small carpeted room.

Of the three shoemakers I saw, only two speak English. We had one who spoke only French, with a lovely southern accent. He got a big kick out of learning that "embauchoirs" were called Shoe Trees in English.

 

[miumoi]

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