Collection: Sessile
Repairable, recyclable sneakers entirely made in France.
Who is Sessile ?
Making shoes is their business.
Silly to say, but Sessile have been making shoes since 1927.
And that's all (OK, they also sew masks and some upcycled leather goods now). This is their vocation, their mission. All their models are created and manufactured in France - no, no subcontractor at 4 000 kms -, and more precisely in Maine-et-Loire (49), in their workshop.
Moral: we claim a certain know-how without pretending. Humbly, but proudly.
The roots of Sessile
As a manufacturer, Sessile is part of a system that has to constantly adapt to the demand for renewal of collections, to the ephemeral tastes of customers in the fashion industry. This system has led to prioritizing the importance of the product, its design, its emotional appeal, to the detriment of its quality and its environmental and social impact.
This is how one of the most globalized and polluting industries in the world came into being, causing shoes to travel thousands of kilometers in search of the lowest possible wages and materials, regardless of their impact on the environment.
Isn't that crazy? To think that a pair of shoes (and/or its components) has traveled more kilometers to reach our shelf than they will ever travel on our feet.
This made them think... How can we put our passion and know-how at the service of human and environmental progress?
The people at Sessile are from a generation that sees the Earth and its inhabitants suffer, and that wants to be an actor of a positive change of trajectory to write a future.
Sessile has neither the means nor the ambition to change an industry, it is of course a utopia. On the other hand, we believe in the strength of the hummingbird that does not give up when faced with a burning forest, and tries to extinguish the fire with the water it carries in its little beak, thus offering the other animals of the forest the image that everything is possible.
Driven by this desire to think differently, to show that there is a way, a ridge path, the Sessile adventure has been launched. It is not a question of talking about objectives and projections for the next 10 years, but of writing the present. Yes, it is possible to propose different shoes, far from perfect, but better.
The responsible missions
N° 01
making shoes in France, only that
The Sessile brand was born in a shoe manufacturing workshop, in the hands of shoe makers.
They have all the talent and know-how of shoemakers on hand, in France. By agreeing to bid the labor part of our production cost of 35€ per pair, they preserve employment in France. And when you pull this thread, you remember that behind a job, there are social contributions to finance your social system, your hospitals, your schools, your roads, etc. Employment is the first social cement, so your little "plus" is to do everything in France.
All the products are created, designed, cut, stitched, manufactured, cared for, controlled and packaged in Montjean-sur-Loire (France) by Nathalie's team in the design office and François' team in production.
N° 02
solid materials, French or European
For the materials ? Sessile opted for real, solid materials.
Vegetable-tanned leather, recycled wool, vegetable materials made from corn waste, cotton or organic cotton laces, recycled foam for the insole, up to 70% recycled rubber for the outsole. Origin France or neighbouring countries... If necessary. Passing our quality control is not an easy task, that's why we pamper our rare suppliers. From this (also) long-lasting relationship, beautiful things are born.
Thanks to Jean-François & Maëvane (from the design office), you will find the origin of the materials used in each product sheet.
N° 03
repair, thought from the design stage
Tired of throwing away and buying new shoes.
Do you know what is the most ecological shoe in the world? Tilt your head, look at your feet, bingo! It's the one you're already wearing. That's why Gauthier, Sessile´s Research & Development manager, has thought about repairing your pairs from the very beginning of their design. He has even filed a patent on dismantling which allows the repair and recycling of pairs.
N° 04
recycling of the pair at the end of its life
And as all good things have an end... There will come a day when you will have to part with your Sessile (we thought of making shoes out of cement, but we were really not sure of the comfort... really not!).
So, you have really worn out your Sessile and as we are not magicians (although the repair team works miracles!), we propose to recover them in order to dismantle them and then the components will be recycled and reused to make new products, like soles for example!
N° 05
a fair price & production, no more and no less.
Quality Made In France at a discounted price? Impossible (or dubious). The price of a pair of Sessile is a fair price: enough to buy quality and durable materials; enough to pay Florence, Marie-Line, Nicole and Dominique, who, in Montjean-sur-Loire (49), put their hands to work to make them.
No stock, no waste: Sessile have set up a system of pre-orders in order to produce as little as possible and reduce waste. That's why sometimes you have to be patient...
