8 pairs, in 8 stores, in 23 copies: this is the challenge we have set 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? Let them imagine unique and ultra-limited sneakers. Challenge met: 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 know-how tour of Europe . 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
We created these sneakers from scraps of leather waiting for a new life . They were patient
“When a sneaker workshop produces pieces, it always has scraps of leather left over. It’s impossible to consume the entire roll straight away ,” explains the co-founder of BonneGueule. “Over the years and productions, these are scraps that accumulate and which would allow us to make dozens of pairs at most. We wanted to use them to create a very small collection .”
“These are leftovers, waste, rolls placed in a corner of the warehouse which are of no use. We went looking for that, rather than reproducing the material ,” says Julien. We then speak of upcycling: a more reasonable production method, which consists of recovering and revalorizing unused, damaged or abandoned materials , in order to transform them into something useful and/or beautiful.
"Loïk is very passionate. We speak the same language . Some manufacturers produce for the sake of producing. He has a real sensitivity, a real attraction for the technical side and even a sort of artistic direction. We have everything immediately understood ,” confides Benoît. “When we offered him the project, he was really excited.”
For the design, we called on Nicolas, a stylist specializing in shoes who has worked for great brands and who had already designed our moccasins. Based in Brussels, he is also a fan of sneakers.
“Drawing sneakers is a job 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 running pair, because that's what I like to wear every day. It's super comfortable, super practical, all-terrain. And what's more, it goes with everything. It's a sneaker contemporary and Swiss army knife .
2 - Unique pairs for a unique style
From the start, Julien and Benoît wanted to involve as many people as possible in this project. “With BonneGueule, we are trying to develop a culture of sharing and collaboration. Involving advisors in creation, I knew that would please them,” says Benoît.
“That’s when we thought of calling on the store teams,” recalls Julien. "We then asked them to imagine, on a blank sketch, three combo proposals that would reflect their desires for this sneaker. The advisors were immediately very excited about the project . They reacted very quickly and sent us their ideas. three combos". “We really gave them a blank canvas and asked them to have fun,” adds Benoît.
Why three combos? Quite simply because when you choose to use existing scraps of leather... you have to make do with what you have and what is available on site, in the workshop in Portugal . “So, if we could not find the necessary elements in terms of materials or colors for a proposed combo, we had alternatives available with the two other proposals,” summarizes Julien.
Blank sneaker sketches
Upon discovering the proposals, Julien and Benoît immediately identified “very cool stuff” . With Charlotte, 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 set out in search of rolls that might correspond to what the store advisors had imagined.
“We cut lots of little pieces and looked to see if they matched the designs, particularly 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 gray medium and a light gray, if they don't pull towards the same skin tone... it's just awful!
An additional difficulty to take into account, when we choose 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.
However, the efforts were worth it: each pair is unique and reflects the world of each store . And their very limited number will ensure a unique style to those who manage to get their hands on it.
Kelly and Mathieu, advisors in Lyon, tell us about their pair
“We were really given carte blanche,” says Mathieu. "We were able to offer what we wanted based on our world and our tastes: I went with something very 'dad shoes' , with gray, taupe and a little flashier touches. From his On the other hand, Kelly made a proposal with her favorite colors : terraccota and green, which she combined with a softer beige.
- Below, Lyon's sneaker, from sketches to final version
It is this last combo which was chosen for the collection. But between the first drawing and the final version, everything was not easy . “What was hardest was imagining the materials and what it could look like with the different colors,” Kelly emphasizes. “Julien therefore sent us a new drawing with the effects of materials and textures , then prototypes which included this color combo, with different finishes. This allowed us to better plan and choose what we liked the most”.
This Lyon pair, Kelly and Mathieu, are proud of it. And they imagine it worn with : “the white Cuba t-shirt, the beige Yell, the green Pavie, the Reinji bleach 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
“From the start, we knew very well that we were going to be limited in the choice of colors and textures,” emphasizes Julien. "Let's say we want to put yellow on one of the pairs: maybe there simply isn't a matching roll in the warehouse. It was the same thing for the quantities : you can find the right color and the right leather, but come across a roll that is far too small , which would not allow you to make the number of pairs desired.
Why doesn't Strasbourg have its own pair?
We will be completely honest with you . If you know BonneGueule well, you probably know that we have 9 stores in France. So why only 8 pairs and 8 stores? And why doesn't Strasbourg have its own creation?
Our Strasbourg advisors were indeed involved in the project. Their pair, an elegant mix of white, taupe, pine green and burgundy , was even made. Unfortunately, we discovered, shortly before the launch of the collection, a manufacturing defect.
“The manufacturer warned us during the production of the series of shoes that the burgundy suede material was bleeding a little, when dry, onto the white mesh ,” according to Julien, our collection manager. "It's not a suede that we bought but that we took from an already existing stock: we therefore had no history on it. It turns out that it was not stable: at the At the factory, Loïk tried to control this defect by applying waterproofing product three times, but there was still a pinkish appearance on the white fabric . He sent us a piece that I tested myself: at the end. At one point, due to the humidity, we noticed some burgundy suede loss on the white, which gave a pink appearance. We therefore made the decision to discard this piece rather than take the risk of disappointing. client".
Having high standards regarding the products 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 this against us and will understand the difficult position in which we found ourselves.
To compensate for this unforeseen event, the Strasbourg boutique will offer, on an exceptional basis, 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 would wear them often . And high quality, so that they are durable and you can wear them for a long time . We therefore worked with the best possible materials and techniques, in order to achieve this objective.
“For these pairs, we made a classic assembly specific to Portuguese know-how , but using a Strobel-type assembly base,” explains Loïk. “This allowed us to make the shoe more flexible and provide additional comfort.”
Finding the perfect outsole took some 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 of all have
For the insole (also called "insole"), these sneakers feature molded foam with a density of 100 kilos. “In addition to being comfortable, it also has a fairly significant recovery capacity which allows it not to deform and, once again, to add durability to the shoe,” explains Loïk.
The different materials that make up the upper part of the sneakers, namely suede leather, nappa leather and mesh, come from Italy and Spain , and are of very high quality.
The question of price
We offer 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 a lot of cutting and sewing steps,” says Loïk. “But it’s also thanks to these inserts that we were able to create incredible colors. We chose to prioritize style and design, even if it was complicated to produce.”
"You might think that when we 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 a cost per minute and that's what counts in sneakers", explains Julien.
“ What’s 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 fairly equivalent in terms of price if we had used high-end suede, and less expensive if the suede chosen had been basic and of very average quality."
“To be clear, with this collection, we especially wanted to have fun and create something a bit cool - because in terms of objective and margin... we're not there at all!”, confides- he.
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 try 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 scraps of leather, what’s stopping us from creating clothes with scraps of fabric?” answers Benoît. “But I only want to do it if there is a concrete creative purpose behind it .”
Different sneaker sketches
Please note: out of concern for 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 not able to come and discover these pairs in stores, we are currently working on a gray version . The latter is not made of upcycled leather, we will be able to offer it to you online on our e-shop very soon.
