Ride High – but get in line in you want these boots!
Monsieur Albert Joël is a very different type of Frenchman.
For starters, he’s never heard of the 35 hour week, working 6 often 7 days to make the finest quality riding boots for an ever- growing clientele; secondly, he is last craftsman to hand tailor these superior leather boots and shoes.
"I enjoy unusual requests for boots", he smiles, "you know a la mode" but my main production is the classical riding boot for Equestrian and Polo players and also those English hunters, he reminds me. This son of a cobbler has come a long way since his apprenticeship in Paris where he worked making shoes for the handicapped. He's now been in the profession for over 30 years and while does have an apprentice, he fears he may be one of the last bookmakers to insist that his clients visit him so that he can tailor their request exactly to their 'pieds'.
"In this business there is no downtime" he said "I have two helpers repairing boots that I made 20 years ago that will last another 20 years". Which may be the reason for the six-month waiting list.
Monsieur is obviously very particularl about his leather, each batch is chosen from a trusted tanner (French of course!). He chooses the best quality from the "veau" which to date has never let him down and has earned him a reputation as ‘simply the best’. And, once you have a pair of boots you wish to treasure for a lifetime? Joël insist on trees and regularly polishing with none other than his own brand "Cirage by Albert Joël"
Monsieur can be found at 5 place de la Sénatoirerie Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent 49400 Saumur t: 33 (0)2 41 38 33 00 or www.joelalbert.com