Tropéziennes sandals since 1930
You wouldn't think it, but Les Tropéziennes have just celebrated their 93rd anniversary! And they're still fashionable and on trend. These little shoes, originally from the south of France and soon to be a century old, have quite a history behind them.
Essential shoes for 93 years!
In 1927, Dominique Rondini decided to launch a line of handcrafted sandals. This shoemaker, fresh from Italy, had a truly gifted hand. He drew inspiration from the weaver Gustave Robert and the shoes worn by ancient statues for his work. He then decided to create a new shoe design. On an oak-bark tanned sole, he added leather straps. An iconic model was born: Les Tropéziennes.
It was in 1930 in the small village of Saint-Tropez, renowned for fishing, that the "Rondini bottier" company created the "Les Tropéziennes" brand of sandals.
Here we are today, nearly a century and three generations later. The famous Tropeziennes sandals from the Rondini family are still selling all over the world. Every year, more than 13,000 pairs are sold, and they are still handmade.
Although the Tropezian sandals haven't aged a day, the small village of Saint-Tropez itself has changed considerably. Far from the fishing village of yesteryear, since the 1950s, Saint-Tropez has become a cult destination for the jet set from all over the world.
The allure of Saint-Tropez continues to grow, as does the success of the Les Tropéziennes brand. Thanks to films like "Les Gendarmes" with De Funès and "Et… Dieu créa la femme" with Brigitte Bardot, the brand has exploded in popularity and now dresses numerous showbiz stars.
The Rondini Bottier shop at its creation in 1927.
The democratization of Tropezian sandals since the 1930s
The characteristics of Tropezian sandals are very simple: a thin, flat sole without a heel, held together by sturdy leather straps. Since their creation in the early 1930s, Tropezian sandals haven't changed much. However, several styles exist that play with the leather straps: symmetrical, criss-cross, thong, etc.
Over the years, several brands have ventured into the manufacture and marketing of Tropezian sandals, taking advantage of the success of the model.
The JULES & JENN Tropezienne shoe manufacturing workshop in Florence, Italy.
In 1933, Jacques Kéklikian opened his boutique selling Tropezian sandals in Saint-Tropez. This 24-year-old craftsman lived in the same neighborhood as Rondini. Like Rondini's Tropezian sandals, K.Jacques drew inspiration from Greek statues for his designs, focusing on quality and understated elegance.
What makes it different? K.Jacques focuses on the personalization of its Tropezian sandals to stand out from the competition. Leather, prints, shapes—the bespoke approach is a hit and has propelled the brand into the high-end market. Today, a classic pair costs around €200, while some models can go up to €550.
Since the 1980s, the world has witnessed the rise of globalization and the internationalization of production. As a result, countless brands and retailers have entered the market for Tropezian sandals. Moreover, these days they are primarily manufactured in China or India. Leather has given way to plastic, and handcrafting to mass production.
And what about the JULES & JENN sandals from Saint-Tropez in all of this?
As you know, at JULES & JENN, our concept is based on slow fashion. In contrast to fast fashion, we offer products that are durable in both style and quality. So what better way to represent the values we uphold at JULES & JENN than with the iconic Tropezienne sandal?
We are certainly not looking to imitate any particular brand, but rather to offer our contemporary version of this model which has become iconic over time.
The beautiful JULES & JENN Tropezian sandals are handmade. We chose to produce them in Italy, in a small family workshop in Florence. And for good reason! Here, they have been working with leather for nearly 60 years, passed down through generations. They are available in four different colors: black, blue, red, and pink. Finally, they are adjustable and, above all, comfortable thanks to their five-hole straps and their finely padded, smooth leather insole.
