French Pinet Boots

Jean-Louis François Pinet was a luxury shoe manufacturer in France in the second half of the nineteenth century. His beautifully constructed and elaborately embellished footwear was worn by the best-dressed women of the era. Intrigued by the opportunities industrialization could offer shoemaking, Pinet established his own factory in 1855. His venture grew quickly and by the 1870s he employed over eight hundred workers. Of that number, seven hundred were women who worked at home embroidering the uppers of his finest footwear in less than comfortable conditions. This pair of heeled boots features botanically accurate embroidery.