In a town such as Ville de Reidy, where the distances are great and the roads steep and bumpy, proper shoe wear is essential. Antoine and Alexandra Cordonnier understand this better than any other. Antoine’s father began business as a saddle-maker, but found himself very quickly mending leather boots and by the time that Antoine took over the business, repairing boots and shoes was the main activity. "Le docteur" Henri Waldkirch always has his hunting boots with which he treks through the thick and thorny bush to shoot deer repaired by Antoine.

Antoine services Didier Abresch’s long waders with which he stands in the brook to pull out the branches carried by the water and caught between the wheels. These have to be waterproof.  But of course Antoine hasn’t forgotten his father’s old profession just as he passes on the tricks of the trade to his son Eric. He still always makes the horse-collars, the harnesses and the saddlebags for Alain Petit, the local smith, for his teams. However Antoine is slowly beginning to introduce a new line to his work. Fashion designer Christian Dior has introduced the so-called "New Look" in Paris, which accentuates the feminine figure and has really caught on among all the women there. So Antoine bought some coloured leather from the peddler and has now already made fifteen pairs of shoes with no more than a picture for his inspiration.

Gwendoline Jonas from restaurant "Chez Gwendoline" was so taken that she immediately had a pair specially made for herself, as she needs a rather large size. Yvette Bayon from "Hôtel de Ville" has a much more average size and Antoine’s shoes fit her perfectly. She bought three pairs straight away. Finally, she thinks, a measure of modern civilization has come to this part of the country and you don’t have to travel all the way to Cologne or Paris. And all that thanks to Antoine Cordonnier!