8 pairs, in 8 stores, in 23 copies: this is the challenge we set ourselves for the start of 2023. So we woke up dormant rolls of leather in our workshop in Portugal, before asking our advisors to have fun with them. The idea? For them to imagine unique and ultra-limited sneakers. Challenge accepted: they will be available this Saturday, January 21 from 10 a.m., only in our stores.
Here is the third and final chapter of our European tour of know-how . The first was Italy, with our Venetian coat. The second was France, with our backpack made in the heart of Aveyron. Benoît, co-founder of BonneGueule, and Julien, collection manager, tell us the story behind this sneaker project, which this time takes place in Portugal .
Our eight pairs of upcycled leather sneakers
1 - Create reasonably, using what already exists
These sneakers were created from scraps of leather waiting for a new life . They were patiently waiting in Felgueiras in Loïk's factory - " a super nice guy and big fan of sneakers ", sums up Benoît.
"When a sneaker workshop produces pieces, it always has leftover leather scraps. It's impossible to use up the entire roll ," explains the co-founder of BonneGueule. "Over the years and productions, these scraps accumulate and would allow for dozens of pairs at most. We wanted to use them to create a very small collection ."
"These are leftovers, waste, rolls lying in a corner of the warehouse that are of no use. We went looking for that, rather than reproducing material ," Julien adds. We then talk about upcycling: a more reasonable production method, which consists of recovering and reusing unused, damaged or abandoned materials , in order to transform them into something useful and/or beautiful.
"Loïk is a great enthusiast. We speak the same language . Some manufacturers produce for the sake of producing. He has a real sensitivity, a real attraction to the technical side and even a kind of artistic direction. We understood each other right away ," confides Benoît. "When we proposed the project to him, he was really keen."
For the design, we called on Nicolas, a stylist specializing in shoes who has worked for great brands and who had already designed our loafers. Based in Brussels, he is also a fan of sneakers.
"Designing sneakers is a profession that cannot be improvised : thinking about the shape, the proportions, the inserts, noticing every detail...", lists Benoît. "We loved working with someone who had this sensitivity. It was extremely enriching."
"I really wanted a pair of running shoes, because that's what I like to wear every day. They're super comfortable, super practical, all-terrain. And what's more, they go with everything. They're a contemporary, Swiss army knife sneaker ."
2 - Unique pairs for a unique style
From the beginning, Julien and Benoît wanted to involve as many people as possible in this project. "With BonneGueule, we try to develop a culture of sharing and collaboration. Involving the advisors in the creation, I knew that it would please them", says Benoît.
"That's when we thought about calling on the store teams," Julien recalls. "We then asked them to imagine, on a blank sketch, three combo proposals that would translate their desires for this sneaker. The advisors were immediately very excited by the project . They reacted very quickly and sent us their three combos." "We really gave them a blank canvas and asked them to have fun," adds Benoît.
Why three combos? Simply because when you choose to use existing leather scraps... you have to make do with what you have and what is available on site, in the workshop in Portugal . "So, if we couldn't find the necessary elements in terms of materials or colors for a proposed combo, we had alternatives available with the other two proposals," summarizes Julien.
Blank sketches of sneakers
When they discovered the proposals, Julien and Benoît immediately identified "some really cool stuff" . With Charlotte, a junior product manager, they then went to Portugal to Loïk's factory. In the warehouse where all the leathers are stored, like treasure hunters, they started looking for rolls that could match what the in-store advisors had imagined.
"We cut lots of little pieces and saw if they matched the designs, especially depending on the materials," explains Julien. "For example, the grays on suede materials are often very different from each other : they can be quite neutral but also green, blue or red... When you want to mix two grays, like a medium gray and a light gray, if they don't have the same color... it's just awful! "
An additional difficulty to take into account, when choosing to use already existing pieces and where there is, therefore, little quantity . Adapt, test, start again. "We did lots and lots of tests", recalls Julien.
The effort was worth it, however: each pair is one of a kind and reflects the universe of each boutique . And their very limited number will ensure a unique style for those who manage to get their hands on them.
Kelly and Mathieu, advisors in Lyon, tell us about their pair
"We were really given carte blanche," says Mathieu. "We were able to propose what we wanted based on our world and our tastes: I went for something very 'dad shoes' , with gray, taupe and slightly flashier touches. For her part, Kelly made a proposal with her favorite colors : terracotta and green, which she combined with a softer beige."
- Below, the Lyon sneaker, from sketches to the final version
It was this last combo that was chosen for the collection. But between the first drawing and the final version, not everything was easy . "The hardest part was imagining the materials and what they could look like with the different colors," Kelly emphasizes. "So Julien sent us a new drawing with the material and texture effects , then prototypes that used this color combo, with different finishes. This allowed us to better project ourselves and choose what we liked the most."
Kelly and Mathieu are proud of this Lyon pair. And they can easily imagine it worn with : "the white Cuba t-shirt, the beige Yell, the green Pavie, the bleach Reinji jeans, a cap, a vintage Omega watch and Harpo rings".
Ultra-limited
Each of our 8 stores will offer between 18 and 23 pairs of the version imagined by its advisors . These sneakers are therefore an ultra-limited edition due to the small quantity of leather to which it was necessary to adapt, as we told you above. A perilous but enriching exercise .
“From the beginning, we knew very well that we were going to be limited in the choice of colors and textures,” Julien emphasizes. “Let’s say we wanted to put yellow on one of the pairs: maybe there was simply no corresponding roll in the warehouse. It was the same for quantities : you could find the right color and the right leather, but end up with a roll that was far too small , which would not allow us to make the desired number of pairs.”
Why doesn't Strasbourg have its own pair?
Let's be completely honest with you . If you know BonneGueule well, you probably know that we have 9 boutiques in France. So why only 8 pairs and 8 boutiques? And why doesn't Strasbourg have its own creation?
Our Strasbourg advisors did indeed participate in the project. Their pair, an elegant mix of white, taupe, fir green and burgundy , was even manufactured. Unfortunately, we discovered a manufacturing defect shortly before the launch of the collection.
"The manufacturer warned us during the production of the shoe series that the burgundy suede material was bleeding a little, when dry, onto the white mesh ," according to Julien, our collection manager. "It wasn't a suede that we bought but that we took from an existing stock: so we had no history on it. It turns out that it wasn't stable: at the factory, Loïk tried to control this defect by applying waterproofing product three times, but there was still a pink appearance on the white fabric . He sent us a piece that I tested myself: after a while, due to the humidity, we could see some loss of burgundy suede on the white, which gave a pink appearance. So we decided to discard this piece rather than take the risk of disappointing customers."
Having a high level of requirement regarding the products that we offer you , we did not want to take the risk of putting this pair on sale. And believe us: we are the first and most disappointed. We sincerely hope that our Strasbourg customers will not hold it against us and will understand the difficult position in which we found ourselves.
To overcome this unforeseen event, the Strasbourg boutique will exceptionally offer 13 pairs from creations in Rennes, Nantes and Toulouse.
3 - Comfortable AND durable pairs
Upcycled leather sneakers are totally in line with our CSR approach . But to go all the way, we also had to create comfortable pairs, so that you wear them often . And high quality, so that they are durable and you wear them for a long time . So we worked with the best possible materials and techniques, in order to achieve this objective.
"For these pairs, we used a classic assembly specific to Portuguese know-how , but using a Strobel-type insole," explains Loïk. "This allowed us to make the shoe more flexible and provide additional comfort."
Finding the ideal outsole took time. "I am extremely demanding about the quality of our soles," recalls Benoît. "I absolutely wanted a Vibram sole, very famous, Italian."
The pair of sneakers from Paris, Commines boutique
"The choice of sole and its brand are extremely important," emphasizes Loïk. "With a Vibram sole, we first have a phylon midsole which provides cushioning . Then, the outsole is made of rubber: a more rigid and hard material which provides durability ."
For the inner sole (also called "insole"), these sneakers feature a molded foam with a density of 100 kilos. "In addition to being comfortable, it also has a fairly significant recovery capacity that allows it not to deform and, once again, to add durability to the shoe," says Loïk.
The different materials that make up the upper part of the sneakers, namely suede leather, nappa leather and mesh, are from Italy and Spain , and are of very high quality.
The question of price
We are offering these sneakers to you at the price of 195 euros .
"We have a very large number of inserts: it is therefore a very complicated shoe to make with many cutting and sewing steps," says Loïk. "But it is also thanks to these inserts that we were able to make incredible colors. We made the choice to favor style and design, even if it is complicated to produce."
"You might think that when you use existing fabrics, the cost is lower - especially because the production time is not at all the same. But in fact, with a few exceptions, the factory will charge us the same thing : development costs, working time... it's cost per minute and that's what counts in the sneaker," explains Julien.
" What is also expensive is the sole : it's almost 20 euros per sole, without counting all the manufacturing," he continues. "If we had created a 100% 'new' model, it would have been quite equivalent in terms of price if we had used high-end suede, and cheaper if the suede chosen had been basic and of very average quality."
"To be clear, with this collection, we mainly wanted to have fun and create something a bit cool - because in terms of objective and margin... we're not there at all!", he confides.
4 - More upcycled products in the future?
We are more than proud to offer you a new type of product, which combines creativity, know-how, beautiful materials and durability.
"We are trying to inspire people to take a more responsible approach . This impact that we are looking for must become a standard. For our part, we have never worked with so many responsible materials, organic, etc.," summarizes Benoît. "We have this desire to go further, to do it concretely, and with a certain singularity, like here with this project."
Can we expect more upcycled products in the future from BonneGueule? "We created sneakers with leather scraps, what's stopping us from creating clothes with fabric scraps?", Benoît answers. "But I only want to do it if there is a concrete creative purpose behind it ."
Different sneaker sketches
Please note: in fairness to all our customers and due to very low quantities, it will not be possible to reserve and/or order pairs remotely from our stores.
Please note, however, that if you are unable to come and discover these pairs in stores, we are currently working on a gray version . Since the latter is not made of upcycled leather, we will be able to offer it to you online on our e-shop very soon.
