10 Famous French Shoe Brands That You Might Wait In Line To Buy

French have earned decades of a reputation for its unparalleled elegance, craftsmanship, and design in the fashion world, especially footwear. What’s more to say about French shoes beyond their appearance and designs?

Let’s delve into the fascinating world of some of the most well-known French shoe brands for fashion enthusiasts globally.

10 Famous French Shoe Brands To Collect

Bobbies

Bobbies is well-known for its stylish, colorful shoe collections for fashion-conscious individuals. This Paris-based shoe company was founded in 2010 by Antoine Bolze and Alexis Maugey.

Since then, it has delivered various shoe styles for the global market, including boots, sneakers, and loafers.

Bobbies shoes have gained popularity among fashion-forward customers for their effortless elegance. Every Bobbies shoe is a delicate reflection of the Parisian nonchalance – a great mix of contemporary appearance with minimal sophistication and vintage inspirations.

While outsourcing its production to a traditional workshop in Portugal, Spain,  Bobbies shoes are designed in an office in Paris, France.

Carel

Carel has been on the top list of every French woman since its early days in 1952. This family-owned footwear brand was founded when Georges Carel and his wife, Rosa, left Grenoble for Paris.

From its first store at 29 Boulevard Saint-Michel, Carel continuously enhanced its product quality to become among the leading French shoe brands for women.

Carel provides various shoe styles for women who prefer French elegance with a slight touch of contemporary design trends.

Some of the best-selling models of the brand are Kina, Estime, Alice, and Caren. The Kina, for example, has been a favorite choice of the famous fashion designer Alexa Chung.

Check more: 12 Famous British Shoe Brands

Christian Louboutin – Luxury French Shoe Brand

Christian Louboutin has been synonymous with luxury and style in the fashion world for decades. Nonetheless, this brand is among the most influential high-end French shoe brands, along with its rivals like Gucci or Chanel.

This brand was founded in 1991 in Paris by the famous fashion designer Christian Louboutin.

Their shoes are best known for their iconic bright red soles and sky-high 5-inch heels. While some might think these French shoes are impractical, luxury fashion enthusiasts admire their aspirational, unique designs.

The two best-selling red-sole shoes of the brand are Clare and Pigalle. You can also find some collab products of the brand with celebrities, like Kate and So Kate, by the supermodel Kate Moss.

Until now, there have been more than one million pairs of Christian Louboutin shoes sold annually. You can find these shoes in 150 department stores and the brand’s boutiques in over 35 countries.

Jonak – Affordable French shoe brand

Are you looking for a pair of French shoes but have a limited budget? Jonak is right here for you, without breaking your wallet!

Jonak (or Jonak Paris) has roots back in Paris in 1964 by Joseph Nakam. Since then, this family business has delivered hundreds of on-trend shoes for women with affordable price tags.

From sandals, boots, ballet flats, loafers, heels, and more, you can always find a suitable pair of shoes while browsing Jonak.

The affordable price tags of Jonak shoes aren’t synonymous with low quality.

Instead, the Nakam brand chooses its shoe production mainly in Europe, especially Italy, Portugal, and Spain.

These countries have been known for decades for their high craftsmanship in shoemaking, excellent availability of the finest raw materials (incredibly tanned leather), and skillful shoe artists. Jonak shoes reflect a natural look, yet are still elegant and comfortable for modern ladies.

K.Jacques

While in France or being a fan of French brands, you might have heard about K.Jacques – a famous family-owned business in footwear.

The long story of K.Jacques began in 1933 in Saint-Tropez by Jacques Keklikian. From its first strapped sandals, K.Jacques quickly became a phenomenon among French women during the 1950s and 1960s.

Epicure, a leather sandal, is among the timeless products of the brand.

It’s reasonable why K.Jacques stood the tough time test. All K.Jacques shoes are proudly “made in France” in its first and only workshop in Saint-Tropez.

The Keklikian family passes its shoemaking skills on to its younger generations. Every family member, from the founders to their son, Bernard, strives to maintain the original spirit of K.Jacques.

Repetto

Repetto, founded by Rose Repetto in 1947, is the favorite choice of ballerinas, dance enthusiasts, and women worldwide.

The brand opened its first workshop on Rue de la Paix in 1947, quickly becoming a stop for high-quality dance shoes. Repetto is an indispensable part of the French footwear industry.

Repetto is famous for its darling ballet flats inspired by Parisian fashion. Its timeless model, Cendrillon, was created for the French ballerina and actress Brigitte Bardot in the film “Et Dieu… Créa la femme” in 1956.

Thanks to its high standard of shoe craftsmanship, Repetto then became a reputable ballet shoe provider for the National Opera of Paris and other ballet companies globally.

Since Repetto shoes were born for ballerinas, they promise to deliver exceptional comfort with every step. If you prefer more height, you can opt for Camille, the low-heeled ballet shoes.

Roger Vivier

Roger Vivier by the French fashion designer Roger Vivier is a subsidiary of the Italian luxury fashion house Tod’s. This brand is mainly known for its expensive leather shoes.

Some guess that the main reason for its hefty pricing is that the brand maintained its leather sourcing from European tanneries since the 1930s. Yet, there is more to talk about the awesomeness of this brand beyond its price tag.

Roger Vivier makes shoes with a limitation on quantity and time. Every shoe from this prestigious brand often features intricate details like rare materials (exotic skins) or hand-beaded embellishments.

Owning a pair of Roger Vivier shoes is like winning the lottery. This scarcity makes the shoes unique and much more expensive than regular ones.

Roger Vivier is also among the favorite choices of many celebrities. This Paris-based brand has appeared on the red carpet with Kerry Washington, Reese Witherspoon, Margot Robbie, etc.

Thus, the brand has an influential position in the luxury footwear world.

Saint Laurent (YSL)

Saint Laurent is a leading French luxury brand specializing in various fashion products, especially footwear. The brand was founded in 1961 by the legendary designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé.

With the launch of the “Rive Gauche” collection, the brand has revolutionized the fashion world and society. Also, with this product launch, it has become the first haute-couture house to release ready-to-wear shoes.

Saint Laurent changed how women dress in shoes. This French brand boldly states that women can wear the same shoes as men. It gives women more freedom to express their fashion styles without gender boundaries.

Its founder, Yves Saint Laurent, was also the initiator for embracing women of all colors and regions on the world’s fashion stage.

Sézane

The vintage shoe brand Sézane was born in Paris in 2013 by Morgane Sézalory, inspired by a forgotten suitcase. Since then, the brand has quickly become the must-have brand of every French girl with various chic shoe styles.

The most noticeable thing about Sézane is that it greatly balances sustainability in fashion – a top polluting industry. More specifically, ¾ of its raw materials are eco-friendly.

All Sézane shoes comply with the industry’s environmental standards, including GOTS, Ecovero, Oeko-Tex, FSC, RWS, and RMS.

This brand became a B Corp Company in 2021 – a valuable recognition for its commitment to reducing carbon footprints and maintaining an ethical working environment for its shoemakers.

Veja

Paris is not only widely known for high heels, but also for sneakers. Veja is among the most fantastic brands in this city.

The brand has been known for eco-friendly sneakers for everyone since 2005 by Sébastien Kopp and François-Ghislain Morillion.

Material is the main reason these French sneakers are the go-to shoes for modern Parisians. They are crafted from high-quality raw materials like fish skin leather and natural rubber.

Thus, the shoes are durable over time and can maintain their good appearance for an extended period.

Veja has also gained popularity among fashion enthusiasts thanks to its sustainable shoemaking. This sustainability is reflected in its thoughtful material sourcing, ethical working conditions, and transparency in its supply chain.

Check more: Veja shoes size chart & fit guide

Final Words

In sum, French shoe brands have left a historic legacy on the global fashion world through their commitment to design, quality, and innovation.

From the red-soled Christian Louboutin heels to the affordable Jonak sneakers, every brand reflects a unique facet of French chic.

As French footwear giants continue to innovate, there are also newly created ones aiming to serve contemporary consumers better. But the unique French chic beauty is an impression that remains unchanged through generations.