Paraboot

Paraboot is a French shoemaker headquartered in Saint-Jean-de-Moirans in the Isère department. Rémy-Alexis Richard started the business in 1908 in Izeaux, a village at the foot of the Alps, and registered the name Paraboot in 1927. The company is still run by the Richard family, now in its fourth generation.

Shoes and construction

Paraboot makes sewn (welted) leather shoes. Since 2017 all production has been in one factory in Saint-Jean-de-Moirans, after the older sites in Izeaux and Fures closed. The best-known model is the Michael derby, on sale since 1945. The name combines Para, an Amazon port from which rubber latex was exported, and boot.

Range

The range for men and women includes ankle boots, boat shoes, derbies, loafers, sandals and sneakers, plus Oxford shoes for men. The brand sells through its own boutiques, which began opening in 1988, and through its online shop. Positioning is high-end, so these are not budget shoes. Sewn construction is meant to allow resoling, so ask a shoe repairer whether a specific model can be resoled.