Released in November 2019, just in time to become the perfect father to son, uncle to nephew or mentor to mentee gift of a lifetime, Souliers is a stand-alone encyclopedia of exceptional shoes. The heft, yet delicate beauty of the book underscores that personal grooming, beginning with one’s shoes, is a precious education to be taken seriously in the tradition of the great arts and social sciences. As we carefully construct our academic libraries and syllabi, so should we instruct ourselves on how best to house our feet for any occasion. An important plot point on any boy to man map of lifelong self-care. The photographs by Andy Julia at once leap off the pages and invite you in to be enveloped by the enduring majesty of each creation. These are objects crafted to be necessary supporting characters in a person’s story. Even if you are not fluent in Français, the carefully denoted shoe styles and profiles of historic, bespoke and contemporary ready-to-wear cordwainers are international references that translate well. A useful lexicon that will hold up over generations.

As we endeavor to collectively put our best foot forward in the name of human dignity, we salute Hugo Jacomet for his continuous dedication to uplifting a style standard and sticking to it – with Intelligence!

Forthcoming English edition with co-author Sonya Glyn, Winter 2020 | Shoes, the Art of Male Footwear

TMG