A visit to shoe maestro, Pierre Corthay
When you think of high-quality, high-end shoes for men, you think of shoes made in England or Italy, thanks in part to brands such as Alfred Sargent, Trickers, Loakes, Santoni and Bontoni. French brands don’t get that much mindshare, even though the French shoemakers hold their own against their European peers.
The venerable John Lobb brand is owned by Hermes, but there is more to French shoes than Lobb. J. M. Weston, for instance makes great loafers and is preferred shoe of choice for many French politicians. There is Berluti, the Bentley of shoes, that has its roots both in Italy and France. There is Marc Guyot, an artist among shoemakers. Other names Aubercy, another high-end bookmaker. However, I have been a big fan of the creations of Pierre Corthay, who along with his brother Christophe head up his Paris-based shoe company, Corthay.