FROM THE FRENCH ALPS TO THE STREETS OF TOKYO - THE STORY OF PARABOOT
You've most likely seen their shoe, the Michael: a mashup of what looks like a Clarks Wallabee and a Red Wing.
With a welted sole that is more suited to climbing the alps than pubs or runways on New Age Casuals, the pages of those Japanese fashion magazines you buy but can't read, the New Ivy Leaguers dressed in Aime Leon Dore and Beams or maybe even the king, Eric Cantona himself. However, Paraboot, the 111-year-old shoe brand has a history much richer than first seems apparent. It's even celebrating the 75th birthday of the aforementioned Michael shoe this year. What’s the story behind the shoes with the elusive green tag, and what makes them the head-turner that’s taking the world by storm?
For Paraboot, shoe creation revolves around three important principles: exceptional materials, inimitable detailing, and highest respect for the foot. This is why when you get your hands on any Paraboot, you’ll immediately notice an unparalleled degree of attentiveness towards every aspect of the shoe.
Whether it’s the lining, leather for the uppers, the insoles, or outsoles, it is obvious that each element is selected with the highest standard of care. In order to get a better understanding of what gives these shoes their timeless appeal and esteemed reputation, join us on a quick dive into Paraboot’s unique history and finish off with an overview of our favourite silhouettes.
A Brief History of Paraboot
The genius brain behind Paraboot, Rémy-Alexis Richard, spent his younger years growing up in the town of Izeaux at the foot of the French Alps in the late 1800s - we told you this brand has history!
Before World War 1 dragged him away from his blossoming career as a master shoemaker, he worked in shoe factories that produced footwear for Parisian designers before moving on to contract his designs out to the factories he once worked for.When WW1 ended, he returned to the French Alps after spending it repairing and building shoes for the French Army. He bought the factory that would soon be producing his famous footwear, in the town he grew up in.
Richard was a well-travelled man by this point and found himself in America while it was undergoing a bit of a rubber frenzy in 1926. Vulcanisation was becoming more and more widespread, so rubber was the hottest material on the market. He naturally brought it back to France and combined this with the iconic notched style soles which were popular for giving more traction and grip for the hikers on the mountains for the French Alps, creating a product that was so unique and could only have been produced as a product of the environment it was made in.
To this day, Paraboot still creates its soles in house, a huge distinction between them and its competitors. Even their name, Paraboot, was chosen because they bought their latex rubber from the Brazillian port of Para.
World War 2 came and went, and with it came another opportunity for Richard to show why his humble shoe brand at the foot of the French Alps is one of the most supreme footwear brands of all time. Other factories were starting to close down with the post-war economy taking effect or moving towards cheaper production methods such as using plastic, light wear materials and glue to produce their products.
However, Paraboot stuck to their guns and kept making footwear they always had done, constructing them with the far superior Goodwear and Norwegian welts. During this time, the famous and popular Michael was developed by Richard and his Paraboot factory. This was a Tyrolean style shoe, inspired by the Alpine region of Tyrol, a popular spot for hiking on the mountainous terrain.
Soon, however, this show that looks like a Clarks Wallabee made for some real serious street action found itself on the feet of Postmen, Farmhands and even the more stylish people of the day in the 1980s as fashion started to do away with the slim and sleek silhouettes and there was a call for a more chunky and robust shoe.
Paraboot’s Approach to Design
By always sticking to their beliefs that good and proper made shoes should always have a leather upper that the well-made soles deserve Paraboot have built themselves a reputation that they always have the very best quality leather, with a unique tanning process that gives their leather a special quality of resilience to handle whatever is thrown at them while trekking through the alps.
Because of this, when you buy a pair of Paraboots the leather might have started to bloom in the box, where the oils all come to the surface and give the outer a dusty or dry feel, but as soon as you run a shoe brush over them, they're back to being the very best quality you could ever wish for, whether that's hitting the hills or just off down the pub.
It's because of these great, well made and strongly stuck to morals that Paraboot started to find itself on shelves in shops all across the world, but especially in America. Completing a nearly 50-year-old circle for Richard and Paraboot. Once they reached the states they found themselves on the feet of preppy students at many of the countries esteemed Ivy League schools, as well as the ever-stylish Paniaros of Italy and even on the feet of very savvy Football Casuals who's eyes were probably caught by the beautiful leather and that perfect little green tag while on awayday trips on the continent as so many of England's most popular fashion items got their start.
Paraboot’s design philosophy emphasizes the important relationship between form and function. For Paraboot, the design of a shoe begins with a shape that respects the structure of the foot. As the primary support for the weight of our bodies, feet are under permanent tension.
This is why Paraboot says it is necessary for the design of a shoe to adapt to the foot and not the other way around. Shoes that are not adapted to compliment the anatomy of our feet can provoke a number of problems. For Paraboot, the essential lines that are characteristic of their designs are the by-product of working in harmony with the natural shape and needs of the human body.
The Global Expansion of Paraboot
In terms of Paraboot’s operations, the brand manufactures out of a new 11,000 square metre factory in Saint-Jean-de-Moirans, Isère, the ancestral birthplace of the label. This has become one of the last emblems of “Made in France” and “sewn shoes” in the world of footwear. Though Paraboot had operated in their two historic factories, all business activities have been united, under a brand-new roof, to efficiently circulate the manufacturing process in a singular factory.
Paraboot now operates all around the world, where it has opened its own stores in Antwerp, Tokyo, Osaka, and Brussels. Paraboot has become globally present and is selling over 120,000 pairs annually with over 800 points of sale worldwide. There have also been an array of successful collaborations with some of the biggest brands of the day, such as Arpenteur, Beams, Barbour, Aime Leon Dore, and YMC.
Notable Paraboot Silhouettes
Even though you can now find all the different styles of Paraboot all across the world, it holds a very special place in Japanese fashion circles, which cemented them as a cult classic. These are some of Sabukaru's favourite Paraboot silhouettes:
Chambord
The Paraboot Chambord is a combination of style, comfort and quality that only legends can achieve. The Chambord features a rich, waxy leather for a touch of rugged luxury. Sat atop a heavy-duty rubber sole with a two-tone Norwegian welt, the uppers utilize a classic apron-front styling that's easy to dress up or down for whatever the occasion calls for.
Michael
The Paraboot Michael is an all-time classic. It has held a special place in people’s hearts, with it influencing designs from some of your favourite footwear brands like Clarks, Klemen, Padmore & Barnes and Mephisto. Utilising a robust moccasin-style upper in full-grain leather, cushioned insole, leather lining, double stitched Norwegian welt construction and thick rubber sole for exceptional durability, the chunky styling and moccasin style-upper is ideal for dressing up or down for smart or casual occasions.
Reims
The Paraboot Reims make it clear why Paraboot excels at making world-class quality shoes. Coming in a chunky loafer style with the Norwegian-welt construction, the Reims features a fully lined leather inner, cushioned inner footbed, beef roll strap for increased durability along the seams that’s finished with a heavy hitting vulcanised rubber outsole.
Avoriaz
The Paraboot Avoriaz is based on the design and structure of traditional hiking boots but boasts a luxurious and robust waxy leather that features hiking eyelets, three ski hooks, leather lining, and a padded tongue with a split tongue construction for increased protection against the elements. The upper is complimented with a durable rubber commando sole for increased comfort and traction, with a double-stitched Norwegian welt for exceptional sturdiness in all weather conditions.
Conclusion
The strands of Paraboot’s DNA can be found in each of their shoes: durable enough for the outdoors and stylish enough for the city. Whether opting for a full outdoor-heritage aesthetic, or paired with more streamline styles, Paraboot makes for a distinctive alternative because they provide an array of unrivalled offerings compared to more mainstream shoe brands.
If there’s anything that can guarantee a quality product, Paraboot is the quintessential exemplar that harnesses several foundational philosophies under one brand: a universal design language, unabiding durability, and dynamic usability.
With all of these factors acting in concert, it’s no wonder that Paraboot has successfully weaved it’s timeless style and rich heritage throughout several subcultures over the years.
Paraboot can best be summed up via the name of a French subculture it has inspired over the years, Bon chic, bon genre (Good style, good class). So next time you want a pair of proper leather shoes that can live up to whatever lifestyle you live, from cutting about the city going pub to pub or hitting the hills in your local area you know you can turn to Paraboot while still looking like you’ve come from the pages of Take Ivy or Popeye Magazine.
About the author:
Raffi Aintablian is based in Toronto and received his master’s degree in philosophy. He is in the midst of applying to a postgraduate degree in clinical psychology, but whenever his head isn’t buried in books on the philosophy of mind, psychiatry, and the nature of consciousness, he’s always following up on various happenings in design, politics, and film.
Jake is a multi-disciplinary creative that represents the UK and especially the North inside the Sabukaru Network.
