Corthay at Marcher — When Paris Came to Saigon

One Craftsman, One Street, Thirty Years

Pierre Corthay opened his atelier on rue Volney, in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, in 1990. From a street a few hundred metres long, he built one of the most-discussed shoe workshops in menswear.

Not because of marketing. Because his shoes look like no other shoes.

The toe on a Corthay shoe is what those in the trade call a 'bec de corbin' — a crow's beak. Sharp enough to be elegant, curved enough to recall 19th-century French sculpture. Not the pointed Italian toe made for display. Not the round English toe made for durability. Corthay is a third thing — its own language.

"A Corthay shoe does not sit still — it changes every time the light does."

Patina — Colour as Confession

If the shape is Corthay's grammar, patina is his tone of voice. No pair leaves the atelier in a single colour. The leather is hand-dyed in layers — gradient from caramel to burgundy, from pale blue to mirror black, from cognac to forest green.

This process cannot be automated. The artisan mixes colour by hand, applies it in near-invisible layers, and waits for each to dry before the next. The same colour formula applied to two different hides yields two different results — because leather is a living material, not a uniform canvas.

This is why you need to see a Corthay in person. A photograph captures colour. It does not capture depth.

What a Trunk Show Is — and Why It Is Different

A trunk show is not an exhibition. You do not come to admire shoes behind glass and leave.

A trunk show is an event where a brand brings a full collection — including models, colours, and versions that exist nowhere else in retail — so you can order directly. With Corthay, that means you can choose the last, choose the leather, choose the patina, and place a Made-to-Order in an afternoon.

Corthay has no store in Vietnam. Without an event like this, the only path is a flight to Paris — or ordering blind by email.

"The best trunk show is the one where you leave having ordered a shoe you never thought you would — until you saw it."

What You Will See at Marcher

We are bringing Corthay's most representative models — from the Arca (a classic Oxford with the signature bec de corbin toe) to the Weston (a minimal Chelsea boot) and several bimaterial special editions.

You will be able to try different lasts to find your fit before placing an order. This is the first time this has been possible in Vietnam.

Appointment slots are limited. The trunk show runs by private booking only — no walk-ins.

Why Marcher

We are not a multi-brand retailer — we do not lay shoes out and move on. Marcher is where we care for shoes every day, understand leather in a practical sense, and know what a real shoe looks like.

When we bring Corthay here, it is not a commercial decision. It is a quality decision — that customers in Saigon deserve access to the finest, without needing a flight to Paris to do it.