Jean-Michel Casalonga

Saphir Médaille d’Or spoke with Jean-Michel Casalonga, a master shoemaker specializing in bespoke footwear, to explore his background, craftsmanship, and vision of an exceptional profession.

Jean-Michel Casalonga began his career at Berluti. Joining as an apprentice, he built a 22-year career there, including 10 years managing the workshop. Drawing on this experience, he later decided to establish his own business, driven by a desire for independence while remaining in Paris.

Today, he works within an elegant boutique at Cifonelli, which offers ready-to-wear and made-to-measure garments, while the historic bespoke workshop is located just 150 meters away. A renowned name in the world of tailoring, Cifonelli provides him with an exceptional clientele. His close relationship with Lorenzo Cifonelli fosters a smooth and mutually beneficial collaboration: they share their choices, recommend clients to one another, and maintain a genuine spirit of exchange.

Jean-Michel Casalonga’s approach is rooted above all in human connection. When shaping a last, he begins by speaking with the client, taking measurements, and understanding their expectations, projects, and lifestyle. He then designs a last adapted to the client’s silhouette, always striving to enhance its aesthetics.

Much like a tailor who follows the lines of the body, highlighting or correcting certain proportions, he crafts shoes that respect the morphology of the foot without ever constraining it. His goal is to create a silhouette that is fully aligned with the client’s desires. In his profession, everything is done by hand: there are no machines for welt stitching. The craftsmanship is entirely artisanal, and nothing is imposed—everything is designed around the client.

The craft is built around three main elements: wood (lasts and shoe trees), skin and uppers (stitching and upper making), and leather (lasting and work on the shoe structure). Jean-Michel Casalonga is first and foremost a last maker. While he possesses the skills to work across the entire process, he chooses to collaborate with the finest specialists in order to guarantee impeccable quality.

For leather, he works with French suppliers, notably Garat. Together, they determine the level of nourishing agents, softness, and finishing. He collaborates with numerous partners whom he considers a true team. He maintains strong personal relationships with them, convinced that this profession must rediscover a deeply human dimension.

Creating a bespoke pair generally requires three appointments. The first is dedicated to meeting the client, understanding the project, and establishing a psychological connection. He then carves the last by hand using a paring knife, working on the foot’s morphology, posture, arch, and volumes, always in harmony with the client’s silhouette. Hand-carving lasts is now an almost vanished profession. Jean-Michel Casalonga is among the last independent artisans capable of starting from a wooden block and shaping it precisely to the morphology of the foot. This precious expertise ensures highly accurate fittings. He crafts his lasts entirely by hand using traditional tools: paring knives, hand-cut rasps, and sandpaper.

He then creates a fitting model: a trial shoe worn for a few minutes, close to the final design but made with less noble materials. The client shares feedback regarding comfort and aesthetics. This stage allows for a precise analysis of the foot’s position inside the shoe.

Identical measurements can lead to very different results: some clients prefer a close fit, while others seek more room. Sensitivity and personal feeling are essential and cannot be learned from books.

Once the design is approved, he adjusts the last if necessary, corrects the pattern, and begins the final production. Once the shoe is assembled, he applies the patina and any finishing adjustments. Delivery is always carried out directly on the client’s foot.

Through his career and exacting standards, Jean-Michel Casalonga embodies a contemporary vision of bespoke shoemaking, where tradition, precision, and attentive listening to the client come together in perfect balance. His workshop is located at 35 rue François-Ier, in Paris’s 8th arrondissement, within the Cifonelli boutique.