The Boot and Shoe Trades in London and Paris in the Long Eighteenth Century

The separation of production and retailing was partially due to promising affairs
in the provinces. In opposition to the British experience in which provincial
shoes invaded the metropolis, in France it was Parisian footwear to be sold in the
provinces. An important case of a relationship between Paris and the provinces
was the business carried out at the beginning of the nineteenth century by Pierre
Raison and his wife. They had a shoe shop in rue des Fossés Montmartre. From
the shop inventory it appeared to be a substantial shop with 10,000 francs worth
of goods in the shop, another 5,500 francs as stock, 1,000 francs worth of
material (mainly boot legs and soles) and 2,500 francs worth of the shop fittings.
The Raisons had also extensive debts, 20,000 francs of which were owed to their
suppliers of leathers. Even more interesting is the fact that the Raisons did not
produce for the Parisian market. Most of their trade was with the provinces. In
Anverse, for instance, a certain Mr Grouncé was their agent. Similarly in other
parts of France they had "commissionaires commis voyageurs qui lui
procurerent en effect beaucoup de relations et d'affaires". Such agents were
paid 5 per cent of the value of the goods sold. They were mainly local
'merchants', middlemen such as Mr Savior, a Marchand of Quinper or Mr
Quriel, a Marchand de La Rochelle. The Raisons were partially producing at
home and partially buying when large stocks were required. Surprisingly their
business prospered even if both Mr Raison and his wife were unable to read and
write.'4
A couple of decades later, the Nouvelle Encyclopédie des arts et métiers
(1824) underlined how it was becoming common practise in shoemaking to
separate production from retailing. This was caused by the high cost of renting a
centrally-located space in Paris. This was particularly true for the centre of Paris
(table 7.1). In the outer arrondissements, on the other hand, rents were still very
low and retailing and production were still combined.' 5 The most famous
shoemakers in Paris, as in the West End of London, were concentrated in the
central and fashionable districts near the Louvre: Geintzer in rue du Colombier,
Callemand in rue Saint-Denis, Michiels in boulevard des Bains-Chinois,
Desjeans in rue Richelieu, Rouillé Jeune in rue Vivienne e Hubert in rue Saint-
AP, D 11 U 3 cart 40 2582: 'Raison Pierre et femme, 13th October 1807'.
' Ibid.
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