Test: Jacques & Déméter, the masked shoe vigilantes

With the growth of the site, we receive press releases of all kinds. The last one was a dating site to meet cougars. I hesitated, obviously, but at the last moment I told myself that introducing you to small creators when they make affordable things wasn't bad too.

This is how I met “Jacques” and “Démeter” (the names are changed, but in reality they did not wear masks). Jacques and Déméter are a couple who decided to give up everything to launch a brand of affordable, well-designed shoes... with the decision to produce in France written in large letters in the specifications.

There are 2 models for the moment (men's derbies and women's derbies), each available in 3 colors. The gray model is the most successful for me:

The shape is refined, slender: these are shoes that lengthen a silhouette without falling into the symptom of pointed feet. The blue leather straps matching the laces give a little electric touch to the shoes. They are easy to wear with everything, as long as you don't have an outfit that is too detailed to avoid visual overload.

The materials used are noble (nubuck and smooth calfskin, goatskin interior lining)... and everything comes from France, from the leather tanning to the assembly. I really like the concept of Made in France , which is increasingly popular at the moment. Not out of chauvinism but because our country has great know-how in making clothes and working with leather, and it would be a shame if all this know-how was lost due to lack of orders from designers.

Personal note : In my opinion, there is a notion of responsibility to be had when buying. Green, fair trade, organic purchasing or production from the beekeeping shepherds of Boutchikisthan : each to their own parish. But there is one notion that should not be forgotten: that of merit . Making a good quality product at the right price, without marketing bullshit, is lost (I'm thinking of the Sentiers brands or the "false luxury" of D&G, Armani and other brands more present in brand villages than in quality boutiques ...well, how weird is that).

The merit of taking risks to respond simply and humbly to a request is lost, whether in small purchases or on mid/high end, so think about it from time to time.

Our opinion on the brand

But let's come back to Jacques & Déméter : it's very expensive overall. My only regret is that the soles are glued (admittedly in a solid manner and with know-how behind it), but glued nonetheless. They remain a good deal if you avoid mistreating them too much in the rain. And both the design and the assembly are neat.

Nice detail: the two collections echo each other (without falling into Kooples-style marketing, which I find annoying). Women's shoes are also very successful.

The interview with Jacques & Déméter

To complete this article, I offered the creators a very innovative little question/answer game (it's called interview in English):

Who are Jacques and Demeter?

Demeter: Jacques is a somewhat “traditional” epicurean, a bit crazy. Jacques: Déméter is a creative person in perpetual struggle against the system. Together they decided to form a duo of French shoe vigilantes to defend artisans and their know-how by combining tradition and creativity.

Why did you leave your previous jobs? And how did you get the idea to get into footwear?

Jacques: When I started going to work backwards and thinking of a way to get fired, I told myself that I had to change! Demeter: We love shoes and we weren't completely fulfilled in our respective jobs. All in all, we said why not! More than an idea, it was a desire. Generally speaking, we love fashion and we have always considered shoes to be the icing on the style cake. Jacques: Shoes are an accessory but far from being a detail. It requires a multitude of operations to make a pair. I liked this idea of ​​creating a complex object with a very simple use.

Made in France, it's nice, but is it really better?

Déméter: In France there is real know-how and a history of the shoe industry. On our small scale we simply try to support it so that it does not disappear. Jacques: Today, with one or two exceptions, the big names in footwear are no longer French. We simply want to restore the nobility of shoes made in France

What are the main difficulties in making Made in France ?

Jacques: Offer a fair and competitive price! By making made in France we must offer impeccable products in terms of quality and it is not always easy to get this message across to suppliers. Déméter: There are very few workshops left that agree to produce in small series for young, unknown creators.

Looking back, what would you say to someone with a similar project to yours?

(in chorus) Good luck! Jacques: More seriously at the moment we are more attentive to advice. We don't have enough perspective and experience to allow ourselves to give advice.

I really like the design, but I saw that the soles were glued and not sewn: why did you make this choice?

Jacques: The costs my friend, the costs! Our desire is to offer quality shoes, with a carefully designed design at an affordable price. By making sewn soles in France, the prices of our shoes would have soared! It didn't suit us because from the start we had set ourselves a maximum selling price of €250 including shipping. Déméter: Initially we wanted to offer sewn soles. When we saw the first quotes arriving we were quickly disillusioned! But we haven't given up on the idea so the sewn soles will eventually arrive!

Any final remarks for the road?

Long live the free shoe! on their site and in the showroom.