Made in Paris – DIY shoes from Ateliers Orme

Made in Paris – DIY shoes from Ateliers Orme

It is a product that is not only made in Paris, but by the little hands of each customer. “We have always wanted to make craftsmanship accessible. I saw more and more workshops to teach the general public how to handle leather, but nothing around shoes, ”explains Cécile, co-founder in 2018 of Atelier Orme – pronounced Ormé, imprint in Italian –, first prize at the artisanal innovation of the City of Paris. In this shop-workshop in the 11th arrondissement, people crowd around the large wooden table to learn how to make your choice of sandals, espadrilles or sneakers.Made in Paris – DIY shoes from Ateliers OrmeMade in Paris – DIY shoes from Ateliers Orme

From a leather or jute sole, we choose our model then our skins, ribbons, straps, rivets... We then set up to make the upper, the buckle, the strap, we assemble , we glue, we pass on a press, we make a detour by the sewing machine, we use an iron, pliers, shears, striking plate... "The idea is a workshop intended for neophytes in order to transmit their knowledge while having fun. The processes have been simplified as much as possible so that everyone can take ownership of them”, continues this engineer by training, trained in saddlery and leather goods.

Made in Paris – DIY shoes from Ateliers Orme

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Count three and a half hours for a pair of sandals and five hours for sneakers, a third of which is quite meditative of sewing by hand to achieve the square stitch. “Originally, our workshops were nomadic, which allowed us to invest in many places in Paris. It's been two years since we moved to the 11th arrondissement. I admit that I only looked here, in this district where craftsmen, ceramists, leatherworkers, gilders, knife makers still work... I like this energy and the concentration of these solidarity professions that make it possible to build bridges with other craftsmen. And to give ideas: after the shoes, Cécile optimizes the scraps of fabric from the shoes with workshops to make her own jewellery. So many unique pieces made in Paris.

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Between 50 euros for the jewelry workshop and 175 euros for the sneakers workshop.Ateliers Orme, 200, boulevard Voltaire, Paris 11e, www.ateliers-orme.fr

Consult our file: Desires of Paris