We don’t come here by chance. Located on boulevard Brune, in 14e district of Paris, between the Center of the French provinces (a sort of friendship of people from the same region) and a shop which seems to have lost its brand and its activity for a while, Le Sneakers Atelier is what we call ” a destination “. When, in September 2023, David Monteiro, in his early thirties, opened this space entirely dedicated to the repair, customization and “reconditioning” of sneakers of all kinds, he knew that he had a concept there, with no serious competitor to it. round.
His passion for sneakers goes back more than a decade, but in 2013, everything came to a head. Using cans of paint from an American brand, he began personalizing sneakers. The phenomenon was a hit in the United States, and it followed everything that was done on the subject. “ There were four or five of us in France to propose this “, he remembers.
He learned on his own, worked in the Basket Workshop at the Citadium store in Paris, and gained experience as a salesman and then as manager of a multi-brand sneaker store. Little by little, he seeks to understand how models are made. He devours what is done, in Los Angeles, “The Surgeon”aka Dominic “The Shoe Surgeon” Ciambrone, a former shoemaker capable of laying down a pair of Nikes and putting them back together in crocodile leather.
A pair of A to Z
“ For me, it was the right niche, the right time. » In 2015, he was 25 years old, with a baccalaureate and a year of study in applied arts. But theory… very little for him. David Monteiro passes a CAP as a shoemaker, alternating with a craftsman in the 19e district of Paris and in an apprentice training center in Pantin (Seine-Saint-Denis). Among the kids who ended up there because an uncle told them about this profession, he feels older. More sure of himself, too: he satisfies a passion. During this year, he discovered the bootmaker profession. It’s no longer just a question of repairing, but of knowing how to make a pair of shoes from A to Z.
“ My wife and I looked to see who were the best. But those who manufacture are few in number. The choices are prestigious but limited for training. » Shoemaker then bootmaker, he learned everything (men’s, women’s and even orthopedic shoes), for three years, with the artisans of one of the rare versatile luxury houses, for which he continued to work for two years before moving on. get started. “ Before that, I had never touched a sewing machine. Today, in the entire manufacturing process, it is the stitching that I prefer. »
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