Celebrity sandals : the tropézienne
Gracing the feet of every self-respecting fashionista, the tropézienne was this summer's sensation. A reputable piece of footwear now enjoying a new lease of life.
Although they have been worn for decades, tropéziennes were never so much in the news as this summer. The leather is oiled to repel sea water, they are hand crafted, and the soles have a stamp specifying they were designed and manufactured in Saint Tropez, a guarantee of quality in this day and age of delocalised production. The leather is definitely French, and tanned with oak bark. The original design, which dates from the 1920s, was inspired by the Spartan sandal, which goes up to the ankle. Tropéziennes have a heel strap, a thong that separates the big toe from the other four, and five straps across the foot.
Are they really made in Saint Tropez ?
Yes they are. There are two families that make them by hand: the Rondinis and the Keklikians (K. Jacques sandals). Although a certain amount of rivalry is inevitable, nothing to compare with the Montagues and the Capulets. Each family specialises in a different area. The Rondinis tend to keep to tradition, whereas the Keklikians are more fashion orientated. They have designed for Karl Lagerfeld, Kenzo, Kookaï, Balanciaga, Lolita Lempika, Givenchy, Naf-Naf, Paule Ka, JC de Castelbajac, Balanciaga, Paco Rabanne … K. Jacques has twenty employees, and Rondini just a handful, at the back of the old shop in rue Clemenceau.
Who started the fashion again ?
The sandals were very popular for decades, thanks to the celebrities that wore and so promoted them. They went out of style in the 80s and 90s, only to came back with a vengeance. It was Kate Moss who revived the trend. She was seen wearing a pair, and ever since, there's been a rush on the boutiques in Saint Trop’. The well-tried piece of footwear has gained a new lease of life on the feet of today's personalities.
Who has worn them ?
Colette, Marlene Dietrich, Romy Schneider, Cocteau, Picasso, Juliette Greco, Brigitte Bardot, Claude Pompidou, Michèle Morgan, Danièle Thompson, Cecilia ex-Sarkozy, Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell, Liz Hurley… How about you?
Contact us
Rondini
16, rue Georges-Clemenceau
83990 Saint-Tropez
(0033) (0)4 94 97 19 55
The sandals can be ordered online on the Keklikian family website and on that of the Rondinis.
E-mail contact 
Website
See the access map
La Bastide de Saint-Tropez
Discover
La Maison Blanche
Discover
La Ponche
Discover
Chez Camille
Discover
La Maison des papillons
Discover
La Tarte tropézienne
Discover
Brasserie Sénéquier
Discover
K. Jacques
Discover
Office de tourisme de Saint-Tropez
Discover
Topic : Art and cultural heritage
Published on : 2008/10/27
Tags : saint-tropez celebrity sandals the tropezienne
