The charentaise, quite a story…

A true cozy icon of French heritage, the Charentaise is the quintessential traditional slipper typical of the Charentes region. So far, so easy. But do you really know the secrets of this half-traditional, half-trendy slipper, brought up to date by lockdowns and the return to made-in-France products?

A little history is in order...

In the Middle Ages, the ancestor of the charentaise came from a process of... upcycling. In the 17th century, a shoemaker had the idea of ​​using scraps of felt and fabric from the making of Royal Navy uniforms to make slippers for peasants . They slipped them into their clogs, as an inner lining for extra warmth and comfort! The tongue was then used to protect the instep from contact with the wood and for the record, this originally black charentaise was not lateralized as today: that is to say, it did not have a right foot or a left foot.

In the 18th century, under the reign of Louis XIV, our felt slippers had a completely different purpose: they were worn in the most beautiful palaces of the French nobility by... the servants! The servants' charentaises and their felt soles had a dual purpose: to move silently around their master's bedroom and to polish the parquet floors of the castles, for absolute brilliance! They were then called " silent ".

But it wasn't until the early 20th century, thanks in particular to Dr. Jeva and his felt bonding process, that the charentaise, with its rigid sole and famous, easygoing Scottish pattern, became a staple in French homes. The Rondinaud family then exported it worldwide.

Sewn-back or nothing!

The "cou-retourné" (turned-sewn) is none other than the name of the technique that represents all the know-how of the authentic charentaise. The felt sole is sewn and assembled inside out before being literally... turned inside out. In 2019, the Charentaise obtained the protection of a " geographical indication " (unprecedented in this sector) under the title "Charentaise de Charente-Périgord", a name directly associated with the cou-retourné technique specific to this region of France, distinguishing it from lower-end products, and in particular those made in Asia. In other words, for a charentaise to be called this, it must necessarily be made using this technique. If this is not the case, and even if it has the same look, it will then have to be called a "slipper".

From decline to fashionable slippers

After the predicted sinking of the French charentaise due to Asian competition and various copies, Olivier Rondinaud, great-grandson of Théophile Rondinaud, whose family has been in the slipper business for four generations, set out in 2020 to save the charentaise, still in La Rochefoucauld-en-Angoumois. With the help of a partner, he bought machines dating from the 1950s used to make this famous stitched-turned and reintegrated around fifteen employees who held a know-how that was on the verge of disappearing...

Responsible fashion brands like ours then decided to entrust them with the creation of the famous slipper, bringing it up to date. In addition to the traditional Scottish pattern that is so characteristic of them, we developed a more refined range as well as more trendy colors. The result: success was there from the moment they were launched!

Now that you know everything about it, whether you want to offer comfort this Christmas, go cocooning or support the French economy, all you have to do is choose the charentaise that suits you!

Sources:
Wikipedia – The charentaise
Mensup – Charentaise and proud of it
France Info – La Rochefoucauld: L’Atelier Charentaises relaunches production of slippers made in Charente
France 2 – Report “Don’t touch the charentaise”