For over 100 years, Paraboot has been crafting leather shoes in the brand’s workshops in Saint-Jean-de-Moirans.
Our commitment to the quality of our shoes begins with the selection of raw materials. That is why Paraboot sources its materials from the finest tanneries to offer leathers that combine durability, comfort, and style.
The Importance of Leather Quality
The quality and origin of the leather are essential factors in the manufacture of high-end shoes.
High-quality, well-tanned, and carefully selected leather ensures greater resistance to wear and tear, natural suppleness, and the ability to age gracefully.
Similarly, tanneries renowned for their craftsmanship use traditional—and sometimes innovative—methods that preserve the leather’s natural fibers, thereby ensuring greater durability and a unique finish.
At Paraboot, for example, we work with the HAAS tanneries in Alsace and Horween in the United States to offer our customers exceptional leathers.
Renowned tanneries that ensure the traceability of our hides and compliance with environmental standards.
A commitment to the quality of our raw materials that enhances not only the finished product but also our artisanal heritage.
Thanks to the quality of our leather, we aim to craft shoes that are beautiful, durable, and authentic.
Join us in discovering three exceptional leathers featured in the Paraboot collections:
Suportlo Leather
Suportlo leather is used in the iconic Paraboot, Michael, Chambord, and Avignon models, which are available in smooth or grained leather. It is a “full-grain” leather, meaning it comes from the most durable part of the hide.
The Qualities of Suportlo Leather
This unique leather, produced by HAAS tanneries, is renowned for its durability, suppleness, and ability to age gracefully. It offers excellent resistance to wear and tear, sunlight, salt, and water.
This unique leather, produced by HAAS tanneries, is renowned for its durability, suppleness, and ability to age gracefully. It offers excellent resistance to wear and tear, sunlight, salt, and water.
Originally designed for boat upholstery, it is tanned twice: first with minerals to ensure suppleness and durability, then with plant extracts to achieve an authentic finish and patina.
Its aniline finish preserves the natural, warm appearance, which may result in color variations.
In addition, a natural phenomenon known as “wax regrowth” may appear as white wax, which can be easily removed by rubbing.
Caring for Suportlo Leather
Suportlo leather also stands out for how easy it is to care for. In fact, simple, regular care helps maintain its suppleness while enhancing its natural patina, giving each pair of shoes a unique character over time.
Check out our care tips for maintaining your Suportlo leather shoes:
1) Use a polishing brush to remove dust from the leather.
2) Each week, using a soft cloth, apply a cleaning wax evenly to the shoe. To protect and enhance the leather, polish it by applying a small amount of shoe polish to a clean cloth and rubbing in a circular motion.
3) Each month, gently apply a moisturizing cream using a clean cloth to nourish the leather and keep it supple.
4) Brush the leather with a polishing brush
Chromexcel Leather
Chromexcel is a type of cowhide leather produced by the renowned American tannery Horween, known for its century-old expertise.
The Qualities of Chromexcel Leather
This oil-tanned leather, which is also full-grain, undergoes a complex tanning process that combines mineral and vegetable tanning with the application of special oils, waxes, and pigments. This process results in a dense, sturdy, supple, and rich leather.
This is a very interesting leather because it has a remarkable patina and is beautifully supple.
But most importantly, during the manufacturing process, a significant amount of grease and wax is incorporated, giving it a “pull-up” effect.
In other words, it will lighten when you apply oil to the underside and take on the tones of aged leather and a softer, rounder feel. This added oil will also make it water-resistant.
Produced using the same manufacturing process since 1910, it is considered by some to be the original “pull-up” leather.
Please note that Chromexcel is not a flawless leather; it tends to crease, show marks, or get scratched. But it is a sturdy and durable leather that, even without much maintenance, will develop a fabulous patina. That’s what makes it so exceptional.
Caring for Chromexcel Leather
Check out our care tips for maintaining your Chromexcel leather shoes:
Use a polishing brush to remove dust from the leather.
1) Each week, using a soft cloth, apply a cleaning wax evenly to the shoe. To protect and enhance the leather, polish it by applying a small amount of shoe polish to a clean cloth and rubbing in a circular motion.
2) Each month, gently apply a moisturizing cream using a clean cloth to nourish the leather and keep it supple.
3) Brush the leather with a polishing brush
Cordovan Leather
Cordovan leather is a rare full-grain leather, renowned for its timelessness and suppleness.
The Qualities of Cordovan Leather
It is produced exclusively from the skin on the horse’s hindquarters, where there is a small area of dense, fibrous skin called the “shell. “
This one-of-a-kind leather comes from the famous Horween Leather Company in Chicago, United States.
Each pair of shoes made from Cordovan leather requires the entire hide of an animal, making this leather particularly rare and prized by connoisseurs.
It is made from vegetable-tanned leather and has been specially treated on the inside. This gives it unmatched suppleness and durability.
Its luster, which develops an elegant patina over time, is achieved through a lengthy polishing process and reflects the nobility of this exceptional material.
Caring for Cordovan Leather
Check out our care tips for maintaining your Cordovan leather shoes:
1) Use a polishing brush to remove dust from the leather.
2) Regularly apply a moisturizing cream gently with a clean cloth to nourish the leather and keep it supple.
3) Brush the leather with a polishing brush.
Leather is much more than just a material; it embodies the soul of every pair of shoes. Suportlo, Chromexcel, and Cordovan are three examples of exceptional leathers, each with its own characteristics, history, and benefits.
They showcase the expertise of the tanneries and the brands that work with them, and perfectly illustrate the successful blend of craftsmanship and innovation.
At Paraboot, every pair of leather shoes reflects an unwavering commitment to quality, comfort, and authenticity.
To learn more, visit our website and our stores in France and Belgium, where our sales associates will be happy to help you choose your shoes.
Exceptional Leathers
