A foot balanced in rarity…

Every good shoemaker chases a dream. A dream in the shape of a shoe, with the next pair in their collection in their sights.

Does a shoemaker dream of a “perfect” shoe? Undoubtedly. But in a very specific sense: the balance between materials, construction, and proportions on one hand, correlated to a retail price that reflects as precisely as possible the material/labor/margin value that constitutes it, on the other.

This—perfect—balance moves the shoe from dream to reality. You can shift the cursor of this balance by deciding to improve the care put into manufacturing, finishing, and leather selection again and again. The price will necessarily reflect these improvements, but always within a logic of fair equivalence between quality and price.

These practical considerations should not make us forget that, at the same time, a shoe is not a “product” like any other. What it expresses or reveals about us, as men, touches upon both the most intimate part of ourselves and something fantastically vaster than the essentially utilitarian accessory it is supposed to be.

For a man who enjoys dressing well, the perfect shoe is probably the one that best responds to a context. That is to say, not just his mood, the weather, or his style, but also the social, family, and professional situation in which he envisions himself as he gets dressed. In that sense, the perfect shoe is perhaps the one missing from his wardrobe that he needs to move forward in life while feeling good.

A shoemaker is there to meet this need.

In daily life, year after year, the perfect shoe will be comfortable and will never disappoint—quite the contrary. Well-maintained, it will improve throughout its life and its use. The perfect shoe is that (all-too-rare!) accessory that helps achieve balance between the inside (self) and the outside (others).

Ideally, one does not think about a perfect shoe, since it is a natural extension of oneself.

In the fall of 2021, Malfroid inaugurated its new range dubbed Réserve Malfroid: creating a line that adheres to rigorous technical and qualitative specifications. Doing better by offering a range that celebrates the shoe as a poetic object of beauty and harmony.

This Réserve Malfroid, therefore, which we retrieve from the depths of our stock in boxes specially designed for it—like a bottle of precious wine—will be a confidential range, cherished because it is rare.

Produced with greater attention, it will also be more expensive than our traditional collection.

The Réserve is an important step for Malfroid.

Why a separate range?

To respond to two desires:

– The first is the challenge of further raising our attention to detail and finishing, and continuing to do so as it expands.

For example, the first two Réserve loafers offered at the end of last year feature an all-leather heel and a channel-stitched construction.

“Channel-stitched” means that, under the sole, the groove in which the stitching is made is subsequently closed to protect the thread. The result is a sturdy, perfectly smooth & neat sole.

For it is through the sum of careful details that a shoe acquires its magic, exerts its fascination, and embellishes us.

– The second desire is to exclusively use “exotic” leathers or those rarely used by shoemakers. So that our Réserve can be the emblem of what Malfroid does best and, why not, most audaciously!

As an example, the first two loafers in this range are in Italian cordovan leather.

Through its patina, its shimmer, its unique characteristics, and the mystery surrounding its manufacture (more than 100 steps are required), cordovan radiates a lustrous fire from the heart of its fibers that one gradually tames and then reveres.

There is indeed something cult-like about it for certain aficionados. One must, at least once, have owned a pair in cordovan to understand.

Our Réserve range is a laboratory where the best of the brand will be expressed.

For being able to offer exceptional leathers, in addition to traditional box calf, and drawing inspiration from the most rewarding aspects of the art of shoemaking, is a fantastic adventure to invent and share with you.