We know the essentials strappy flat sandals created in the 1930s in Saint-Tropez. This summer, barefoot enthusiasts will be able to expand their collection of made-to-measure shoes with a new pair made in the Pink City: Toulouse. Creator of the “Space Jordan 1” sneakers in space materials for Thomas Pesquet, Jean-Emmanuel Pialoux, artisan bootmaker, has thus set himself a new challenge: to manufacture a top-of-the-range, eco-responsible sandal, while having an inclusive approach.
While the made in France is making a strong comeback in dressing rooms, he imagined with Pascale, a creation enthusiast, being able to develop sandals that respond to this trend for local consumption, while creating shoes that are both original and timeless. For this, he decided to use quality materials, in particular bovine and fish leathers from vegetable tanning, or from the recycling of animal materials destined for waste.
A dozen people with disabilities worked on the project
But the originality is also to involve in this process the members of l’Arche in Toulouse, a work assistance establishment and service (ESAT) which supports around fifty people with disabilities in Blagnac. A dozen of them worked on the project.
“I was a volunteer there and I was keen to collaborate with them. What interested me was not just to make them work, but to involve them from the beginning to the end of the project. They thus imagined the engravings which are on the straps and the leather sole of the Arch’ibelles, from which they found the name. They also do tracing and cutting. We then manage the assembly and stitching in our workshop, then the Arche is once again called upon for the finishing operations,” explains the craftsman.
“Very rewarding”
These sandals made entirely by hand, to the dimensions of the customer’s foot, thus carry human values and inclusion. “Usually, the members of the ESAT perform invoice entry, cardboard or labeling, repetitive tasks of which they only see a small end of the chain because we are subcontractors. There, they were able to participate in the creation, they felt listened to, were integrated from start to finish. And it’s also very rewarding because we’re working on a luxury product,” assures Cyril Castel, the manager of L’Arche. Especially since a large part of the profits that will be made will be donated to these workers with disabilities.
To see this project succeed, and move up a gear in terms of manufacturing capacities, a crowdfunding campaign was launched on the Ulule platform. It will be used to equip L’Arche with small tools, but also to work on the collection of future summer collections. It is also a way to place a pre-order of its handmade “Toulousaines” at a special launch price, ranging from 140 to 170 euros for delivery on July 1, their price after this campaign being set at 220 euros.
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