This famous slipper owes its origin to Colbert

To restart an activity very competition by China, the Department and Charente development grow the players in the sector to shake together via a club of companies of 25 companies and 1,500 jobs.

The charentaise is the star of a door exhibition of Versailles, Paris, and in his native region where internal 11.800 of 92 schools will benefit this year of a pair given by the Regional Council. This famous slipper owes its origin to Colbert... and at random. When it is necessary to equip the sailors and workers of the arsenal established by the Minister of Louis XIV in 1666, uniforms, car-coats and capes, the Royal administration turns to Angoulême and its mills water, which flout the wool to make felt. Falls and waste left by the military, will be used to make slippers, originally used to replace the straw in the hooves. The tongue of the charentaises has for original function to protect the instep of contact of wood.

The country of Horte and Tardoire, rich in rivers, East of Angoulême, became the heart of the production of these slippers, soon identified their terroir of origin to the point of adopting the name. Today, the first European manufacturer of charentaises, Rondinaud, which employs 250 people in rivers, a stone's throw from La Rochefoucauld, produces more than 6.5 million pairs a year, exported around the world. But the charentaise slipper is threatened by competition from countries with lower labour costs, since the abolition of import quotas for Chinese still emphasized. In 2004, the average price of a pair made of France was 4.70 EUR against 1.90 euro for the imported. Today, 90 of slippers marketed in France and again based on place charentaises manufacturers rely on the fingers of a hand. To reverse the trend, Department and Charente development, its development agency, have created a business club which brings together all stakeholders of the THC (textile clothing footwear) die, either 25 companies with 1,500 jobs, including 500 for footwear.

There are producers of charentaises, but also the manufacturer of technical textiles Silac Chaignaud, specialist of the isolation of the vehicles, the manufacturer of footwear for children Baby foam or Avel, which produces a high-end polishes. "This collective approach labelized Centre of rural excellence, is to safeguard this traditional local know-how in the refocusing on the niche of products range with a strong introduction of design and innovation", explains Jacky Guillien, Charente Development Director. The Department and five companies of the sector have concluded a partnership with the French Institute of fashion (IFM), in which the charentaise became the product of the year for the MFI. Within this framework, 15 young designers from around the world have worked on the redefinition of the product and its image in the perspective of positioning in the luxury and haute couture niche markets. Their creations are the subject of an exhibition entitled "I love Charentaise" House and object, show that opens today door of Versailles.

Business partners include relay, a small business based in Montbron, who took the traditional manufacture of the felt slipper since 2004. It produces 200,000 pairs annually with 15 employees. "Given foreign competition, the only solution is to get in line", confirms its leader, Julien Chateau. "We have abandoned the distribution for focus us on shops and specialty stores, with products sold from 30 to 120 EUR the pair, and innovative models, such as the Slipper nutria leather." The action undertaken by the Department allows us to work in network, it is important.

To complete the device, the region launched a geographical recognition approach of the "typical" know-how "It is part of our heritage and it is necessary that this be recognized by an appellation of origin." If the India or China will be able to make one day, too, with high-end products similar to ours. "The charentaise must be manufactured in Charente," continues the head.