Not long now until the Paris Games opening ceremony, and Paraboot is already in the starting blocks !
The brand’s connections with elite sport go back a long way, which is why we’re all looking forward to the start of the games
To mark the occasion, we would like to introduce a limited edition of our famous Michael. This iconic shoe now comes in blue, white and red to fly the flag for our country!
But before we tell you more about this model, how about we delve into some of our sporting memories?
Paraboot bringing French expertise to athletes
It all began in 1922, when Rémy-Alexis Richard created the Galibier brand and took on the bold challenge of designing footwear for the greatest mountaineers and explorers (Maurice Herzog, Lionel Terray, René Desmaison, Roy Robin, etc.). He worked alongside many seasoned mountaineers as they opened their first routes.
With a strong passion for sports and mountains, he took great pride in offering increasingly hardwearing shoes tailored to each sporting activity.
Over time, driven by research and development, the company ventured into the worlds of skiing, climbing, horse riding, cycling, motorcycling and ice skating.
As the 1968 Games were held just a few kilometres from the factory in Grenoble, this brought a new sporting dimension to the company. The games were televised in colour worldwide for the very first time.
When Alain Calmat lit the Olympic flame and General De Gaulle declared the games open, the entire region came alight, united through sport and the games spirit.
The Richard-Ponvert factories joined in by manufacturing shoes for some of our French athletes to make them stand out from the crowd. Shoes from the Galibier, Alviera and Paraboot brands were put through their paces.
Figure skating, speed skating, ice hockey, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh and more.
Even during the exhibitions held before the start of the games, our shoes were in the spotlight; they were worn by the parachutists who landed on the ski jump landing slope in Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte.
In particular, who can forget the incredible performance of the figure skater Patrick Pera whilst wearing Alviera ice skates, who took to the third step of the podium to be awarded the bronze medal in the individual event.
Later, Paraboot made its mark as an outfitter at the games by providing footwear for the French team for the official opening ceremonies at the Nagano Games in 1998, and in Sydney in 2000.
The Michael limited edition
Bolstered by its history and its dedication to values conveyed through sport, Paraboot could not let the games go by without being involved. This is why the brand is now extremely proud to unveil its limited edition of the classic Michael model.
Made in France since 1945, this Derby shoe symbolises French shoemaking.
This special edition features a unique finish :
– Midnight blue leather
– White lining
– A Blue, White and Red label
– An insole featuring the colours of the French three-tone flag, and a logo in the same colour as the winning medals : Gold
– Norwegian stitching and two-tone welt
Available in a men’s and women’s version, exclusively on our website and in selected Paraboot stores.