Maison Corthay

BESPOKE MEN SHOES HANDMADE PARISIAN CRAFTSMANSHIP

Bespoke Men Shoes Handmade Parisian Craftsmanship

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The vision for this bespoke men’s shoe brand began in 1979 when Pierre Corthay began his apprenticeship with the Compagnon du Devoir, a medieval guild of craftsmen who only accept the most talented apprentices around France to learn their trade. In 1990 at the young age of 27, Pierre opened his own atelier – opening the Maison Corthay Bespoke Workshop, Rue Volney in Paris – Booming business and accolades soon to follow marking Pierre as one of (or potentially the) best bootmaker in the world. In 2003, he was awarded the distinction Talents du Luxe et de l’élégance and then in 2009 praised with the distinction Maitre d’Art from the French Ministre de la Culture. This distinction

granted by the French Culture Ministry only for the best of French craftsmen, becoming the only men’s boot-maker to have received this award.

From the bespoke atelier at No. 1 Rue Volney, Paris, Maison Corthay ventured on a new development thanks to CEO Xavier de Royere in 2010 and a few years later expanded their international presence to London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing. Playing with materials, techniques, colors and shapes, these shoes mold around the foot, by adjusting to the various pressure points and the muscular density of each individual client.

Each Bespoke shoe is 100% handmade in Paris, Place Vendôme fand takes 200 steps which are inclusive of 50 hours of skilled handwork go into producing these masterpieces. While the shoes are handmade in Paris, each store has its own craftsmen, hand finishing the shoes. Core to the company’s ethos are shoes that assume a real French identity, “The French chic” throw character and personality in its style, lines and colors. Corthay fulfills that need of quality and style, always with liability using time-honed techniques with a touch of innovation and creativity.

Corthay is Relaxed Parisian style; which means chic and elegant when required producing an exceptional quality product, with attention to detail and listening to the customer. The interaction between the bootmaker and his client gave birth to a unique fit with the perfect balance between classical elegance, style and creativity. This bespoke process is unique to Maison Corthay and it starts with the traditional tools which are used in all stages of design and finishing of the shoes.

The bespoke process starts with the craftsman speaking to the client to decipher his desires for the shoe they want. The measurement process is the first step in creating bespoke shoes as the client is requested to place their feet on sketch book, a pen is held at ninety degrees, an outline of the foot is drawn. The pen is angled at forty- five degrees and the arch is traced. A measuring tape is produced, and three or four traditional measurements are taken: around the ball of the foot, around the waist, around the instep and a measurement from around the heel and ending at the instep. Ensuring the perfect fit, the foot is analyzed during multiple appointments taking into account a number of factors including: flat or is there a high arch, fleshy, etc.

Next comes the sole, which ensures that the shoes will be totally fitted to the feet of each customer. Sculpted by hand in Charm wood by their craftsmen in the Parisian workshop, a pair of wooden lasts are created, specific to each individual client. Simple tools are used to create these sculptures: rasps, files, knives and sandpaper to create are an abstract representation of the client’s feet.

The process of turning two dimensional materials into a three-dimensional product starts with the pattern which is made by designing the model directly on the wooden forms. The design is then replicated on craft paper and cut out to represent all the intricate details that go into a shoe pattern and then laid on leather and cut (by hand) with a knife from select second-choice hides. This pattern is a prototype which will soon be used to create the first trial fitting validated by the customer and then drafted and cut from only the best leather in the world, supplied by traditional French tanneries in the Limousin area produced in France. Even with perfectly cut patterns, the assembly process is delicate and is interrupted intermittently by the stitching of the various parts on a sewing machine, often referred to as closing.

Often regarded as the most difficult process to master in the bespoke craft, the proper making of a shoe can take a craftsman years and years to achieve. Before the final pair of shoes are made, a trial pair - an extremely simplified version of the final shoes, made with a leather upper and internals, but typically finished with a cork sole and heel – are created. Checking the fit one last time before creating the final pair are essential for a true fit as it takes an incredible amount of skills a precision to make the final product. Using their cutting, skiving, lasting, sewing, and finishing skills – along with almost entirely natural materials: leather, yeast paste, and linen thread – their shoes strong where it must be, in the heel and toe, but flexible where required, in the area of the joint. The finishing of the shoe is done with the use of antique irons heated over alcohol lamps, a bit of dye and wax for the edges. After drying for at least two weeks on the lasts, the shoes are taken off the lasts and ready to be fitted for bespoke shoe trees.

Experimentation is at the heart of the maison from Lie deVin, Vieux Bois or Aubergine, each patina is unique because of the brush strokes made by our craftsmen while the base leather of the shoe upper will be colored with a unique mix of alcohol dyes and waxes. A glacage is the final step, giving the shoe the final touch, revealing a glossy shine, bringing a true piece of art to life.