Lexicon
Definitions
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Bonbout
A piece of hard rubber or metal glued and/or nailed into the leather heels, it protects them from wear and tear.
Hard tip
A piece of hard rubber or metal glued and/or nailed into the leather heels, it protects them from wear and tear.
Box calf
Noble full-grain leather from pure chrome tanning. It offers hold and brilliance, but also stiffness, and is designed for dressy models.
Cambrion
Rigid piece of metal, leather or beechwood, placed at the arch between the insole and the sole or midsole. The shank provides the essential rigidity of the shoe at the arch, between the forefoot and the heel.
Camber
More or less pronounced curvature of the shoe depending on the height of the heel. The result of the bootmaker’s expertise, a good camber is a guarantee of comfort.
Chair
The inside of a piece of leather, as opposed to the flower.
Shoes
This is the volume offered by the shoe to the foot, allowing it to be well supported while finding its place according to its morphology.
Buttress
The counter is the foot’s stabilizer in the shoe! It prevents the foot from sailing, keeping it in line with the gait, and prevents the shoe from collapsing. Together with its alter ego, the hard toe, it guarantees the shoe’s comfort and durability.
Cordovan
Mythical leather adopted by American purists. Only one tannery in Chicago is capable of making it. Shiny and often burgundy-brown in color, made from horsehide (actually buttock), supple and resistant, it’s a sign of elegance in the face of the same old, same old, plain black.
Lining
Complete dressing of the inside of the shoes. Paraboot uses only full-grain goatskin, which is highly resistant and develops a patina over time, unlike calfskin, which wears out more quickly.
Hopper
Preferably made of wood, but also of any other material, with an extension system. It is inserted into shoes to restore and preserve their original shape. Very useful for shoes that last!
Fleur
Like human skin, animal skin is divided into two superimposed parts, the bloom and the flesh. The flower is the upper part; fine, permeable to air but less so to water. Full bloom; the bloom is perfectly original, with no additional processing. Rectified or corrected bloom; the poor-looking bloom has been “improved” by sanding or using a plate to recreate an artificial grain.
Shape
Copy of a stylized foot used as a mold for making shoes. Made of wood or plastic, it is required for each model and size. The last determines the overall look of the shoe, and above all defines the toe: square, more or less round, more or less pointed, depending on the designer’s project. In addition to its aesthetic purpose, the last must respect the constraints of the foot’s morphology – width, thickness, arch – which will make the difference between a comfortable shoe and… the others.
Lining
Made of leather, foam, cork or even rubber, it is characteristic of Goodyear or Norwegian stitching. Designed to fill the gap created by the thickness of the stitching wall between the insole and the midsole. It also acts as a thermal insulator for the foot.
Spacer
Inserted between insole and outsole in sewn shoes. Made of rubber or leather, it is sewn to the welt.
Tongue
The tongue protects and hides the foot under the lace. Gusseted to prevent water and debris infiltration.
Welded or glued mounting
After assembly, the underside of the stem is glassed, i.e. scraped with sandpaper, and a so-called wear sole is glued to it. It’s a fast, simple process, and therefore less expensive and non-repairable.
Mounting wall
It’s the relief on the underside of the binding that allows it to be welt-sewn. It is either; Gravuré; an old traditional technique which consists of incising the underside of the first mount at an angle and raising the lip created, which will enable it to be welt-stitched. Relayed; a piping strip is glued to the underside of the binding, creating a relief which is then welt-stitched.
Nubuck
Full-grain leather that has been finely sanded to obtain a slightly velvety appearance. From “nu” for “new” and “buck”, suede (a term forbidden in professional circles).
Piping
A narrow strip of leather or rolled fabric slipped between the upper and the lining, used to embellish the edge so as not to leave a clean cut.
Patina
The coloring that some quality leathers take on over time. It is possible to obtain this coloring or to personalize it artificially with coloring creams.
Patronage
Creation of a set of cardboard boxes to cut out the pieces of leather which, when assembled, will form the upper of the shoe.
Skins
It’s the raw material for leather, used since the dawn of time. The most commonly used skins are those of cattle, but goats, sheep and exotic animals are also used.
First assembly
The sole inside the shoe, on which the foot will rest. The insole is the link between the upper and the midsole. Made of leather for optimum perspiration absorption, synderm or even cardboard, it’s considerably less expensive but tends to “heat up” feet.
Outsole
Leather sole, tanned extra slowly for maximum strength, or rubber sole, in direct contact with the ground.
Tanning
Transformation of the hide into leather using either chromium salt or vegetable tannins to render it rot-proof.
Tannin
Substance of plant origin that renders skin rot-proof.
Stem
A set of leather pieces joined by stitching to form the upper part of the shoe.
Quilt
Soft, contoured leather band located above the sole around the shoe. It connects the insole wall to the midsole or outsole.
Grained calf
This is achieved using presses that print the leather. The rendering is more or less pronounced, depending on the press used.
Suede calf
Calfskin sanded on the flesh side, i.e. prepared the other way round. Sanding gives it its velvety, more moiré, supple and refined look than nubuck.
Paraboot Nail Polish
Full-grain calfskin primed with linseed oil or resin. This varnish does not breathe and is easily marked.
