Art Of Soule

What Art Of Soule does

Art Of Soule is a privately-held French footwear brand founded in 2008 by co-founders Mathieu Labat and Julien Maisonnave in Mauléon-Licharre, Soule (French Basque Country), specializing in handcrafted espadrilles constructed with natural jute fiber soles and cotton canvas uppers. The product portfolio centers on five core lines — Plain (€23.80–€28.00), Striped/sailor (€29.75–€35.00), Printed (€29.25–€49.00), the Frenchy tricolor collection (€33.15–€39.00), and fleece-lined Slippers/Cosy and Denim variants — all 100% manufactured in Mauléon using Oeko-Tex STANDARD 100 certified fabrics, with recycled cotton canvas adopted since 2008, and positioning around a "zero carbon / 100% biodegradable" commitment.

Operations are run by a workshop of approximately 15 artisans in Mauléon, supplemented by recent capital reinvestment in 6 new sewing machines, with a second physical footprint consisting of a single retail boutique at 28 rue Gambetta, Biarritz. The company operates a fully direct-to-consumer go-to-market: an owned e-commerce storefront at artofsoule.com (multi-language FR/EN) is the primary channel, with no third-party distributors or marketplace listings, supported by newsletter acquisition (10% first-order incentive), Instagram and Facebook organic social, and recurring promotional events (Summer Sales, French Days) on a dedicated outlet page offering 15–25% off. Revenue mechanics are transactional unit sales priced in euros, with free relay-point delivery at no minimum and 3-installment payments via Alma. A 2014 funding round of approximately $427,668 (investors undisclosed) is the only external capital event recorded; no subsequent raises, M&A, partnerships, or enterprise customers are disclosed.

Customer profile is fragmented across individual men and women seeking summer vacation, beach, and casual lifestyle footwear, plus unisex eco-conscious buyers and off-season slipper wearers. Verified customer satisfaction stands at 4.7/5 across 1,182 reviews (Certishopping), and the brand's expansion moves in recent years have focused on product breadth (slippers, denim, themed seasonal drops) rather than geographic or channel diversification.

Name

Art Of Soule

Legal name

Art Of Soule

Website

https://artofsoule.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Art Of Soule is a French espadrille brand founded in 2008 that handcrafts jute-soled, cotton-canvas shoes in Mauléon (Soule, French Basque Country), selling directly to men and women worldwide via an owned e-commerce site and a single Biarritz retail boutique.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Footwear

NAICS

Footwear Manufacturing (3162), Shoe Retailers (45821)

SIC

Footwear, (No Rubber) (3140), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury & Designer Footwear (CRAAACAI)

Keywords

• Espadrille footwear
• Handcrafted shoes
• Made in France
• Basque espadrilles
• Cotton canvas shoes

Headquarters

HQ city

Biarritz

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: One-time product sales through owned e-commerce platform. Products shipped to customers via relay points with free delivery over €30. Payment options include 3-installment payments through Alma.
2. Retail Boutique Sales: In-store sales at Biarritz retail location at 28 rue Gambetta. Customers can purchase directly without shipping fees.
3. Seasonal Sales & Clearance: End-of-season and previous-season products sold at discounted prices through outlet section. Promotional events including Summer Sales and French Days with up to 25% discount.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Art Of Soule manufactures and sells handcrafted espadrilles — traditional Basque slip-on shoes with natural jute fiber soles and cotton canvas uppers — produced entirely in Mauléon-Licharre, Soule (French Basque Country). The portfolio spans plain, striped, printed, Frenchy (tricolor), denim, and lined slipper variants for men and women, sold direct-to-consumer online and through a boutique in Biarritz.

Product overview

Art Of Soule is a French footwear brand specializing in espadrilles - traditional Basque slip-on shoes with jute fiber soles and cotton canvas uppers. The company operates as a single-brand product portfolio centered around its core espadrille offerings. The product line spans five main categories: Plain (solid color) espadrilles, Striped espadrilles (nautical/French sailor style), Printed espadrilles (tropical and Basque-themed patterns), Frenchy espadrilles (red-white-blue French couture design), and Slippers/Cosy (fleece-lined versions for year-round indoor/outdoor wear). Additionally, the company offers a Denim collection leveraging denim's French origin. All products are 100% manufactured in Mauléon-Licharre, Soule (French Basque Country), using natural and recycled materials. The company sells directly through its e-commerce platform and a retail store in Biarritz.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plain Espadrilles

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.7/5 customer satisfaction rating based on 1182 verified reviews
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Castaner: Spanish heritage espadrille maker founded in 1927, offering jute-soled canvas and leather espadrilles for men and women across premium and luxury price points. The closest direct competitor to Art Of Soule on product, category and Mediterranean/Basque heritage positioning.
• Toni Pons: Spanish espadrille brand producing handcrafted jute and canvas espadrilles for women and men, with a wide assortment of prints and stripes. Directly comparable on category, materials, and price band to Art Of Soule.
• Espadrij l'originale: French espadrille manufacturer and brand based in the South of France, selling handcrafted espadrilles and slippers DTC and through retail. Same artisanal French positioning and similar product mix as Art Of Soule.
• Soludos: US-based espadrille and canvas slip-on brand known for jute-soled classics and seasonal prints, sold DTC and through department stores. Comparable in product type and DTC-led growth model, though primarily North American in distribution.
• Manebi: Italian espadrille and slipper brand producing jute-soled shoes and home slippers for men, women and children with a strong fashion and premium positioning. Comparable assortment, materials and seasonal summer use cases.
• Avarca Payesas: Spanish (Menorca-based) maker of traditional avarca sandals with rubber/jute soles, distributed widely across Spain and online. Adjacent category of artisanal Mediterranean summer footwear with overlapping summer-vacation consumer.

Broad incumbents

• Veja: French sustainable sneaker brand with global DTC and wholesale distribution, emphasizing recycled and natural materials, Made in France/Uruguay production, and premium positioning. Larger incumbent competing for the same eco-conscious, design-led French footwear consumer.
• Paraboot: French heritage footwear manufacturer since 1908, producing rubber-soled leather shoes and casual styles in its own factory in France. Comparable on French artisanal manufacturing and premium positioning, though focused on leather rather than jute/canvas.

Emerging players

• TOMS: US slip-on canvas shoe brand with global DTC presence and a one-for-one social mission, competing for the same casual canvas footwear consumer. Less direct on espadrille specifics but adjacent in casual, ethical, slip-on footwear.
• Indosole: Indonesia-based sustainable espadrille and sandal brand using recycled tire soles and natural materials, sold DTC. Comparable on sustainability messaging and espadrille category, though operating from Asia rather than Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ArtOfSoule/?locale=fr_FR
• Instagraminstagram.com/artofsoule_espadrille/?hl=fr
• Xx.com/artofsoule
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/art-of-soule

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Art Of Soule