Jacques Antonie is the creator of shoes and boots for the prestigious Comedie Francaise Theater in Paris and belongs to a dying breed. This master craftsman who creates shoes for some of the unnamed choosen few from around the world and has worked in the shoemaking trade for the last 58 years. He has no young assistants to whom he wants to entrust his skills so his knowledge will die with him.
“I am too impatient” he says, “I am unable to teach anyone”.
But he still does have the patience to exercise his craft : to carefully draw the foot, carve out a wooden last, produce a prototype and after a careful fitting create the perfect shoe or boot.
He welcomes the idiosyncratic client with special wishes, but “I am very independent” he says, I only work with clients that I like.”
Jaques makes shoes for both men and women in the fine leathers and exotic skins chosen from a small range of tanneries. If you’re willing to pay the extra expense Jacques will travel to your home to take you’re measurements and deliver the shoes. The manufacture of a shoe entirely made by hand and requires approximately 150 steps.