13 Best Places to Shop in France

It seems the world's romance with heels so high they're potentially lethal will never end, thanks in no small part to the king of the iconic red-soled stiletto. Louboutin artfully weaves fantasy, glamour, and good, cheeky fun into his towering heels, which have graced red carpets and the gangways of private jets. But you can also find more prudent models, including kitten-heeled mules and spiky sneakers, as well as chic and functional bags and a selection of lipsticks and nail polish that blend right in with your soles. His 3,000-square-foot boutique—done up in Louboutin red, of course—offers three floors of pure fetishistic pleasure.

This family enterprise (since 1957) earned the coveted status of Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) as the last shoemaker offering authentic boots for the famous Camargue cowboys, les gardians. Aside from some chic cowboy-esque models, there are stylish and durable full-length fashion boots and booties, suede and leather chukka boots, supersoft espadrilles, and strappy sandals—all made from supple, vegetable-tanned calfskin provided by the same tanner that supplies Hermès.

Craftsmanship and style that won't wreck your budget—that's the trademark of this artisan bootmaker from the Camargue, a wild area of Provence where cowboys require durable boots to rustle the wild horses. That doesn't mean the boutique is short on chic. La Botte Gardiane has impeccably designed and beautifully classic full-length boots, slouchy booties, chukkas, espadrilles, and strappy sandals in suede, python, shearling, and the supplest calf leather from the tanner that supplies Hermès. Look for styles for men, women, and kids.

The Bensimon brothers started their brand over 40 years ago with their now iconic “tennis Bensimon,” flat canvas sneakers with rubber soles and tips, which they bought from an army surplus store and dyed in a variety of colors. The shoes were an instant hit, whose popularity has continued to endure, and the brand has since expanded into prêt-à-porter, accessories, and home decor. The simple, classic designs favor cheerful, solid colors, which are wearable day after day and year after year.

The company has been making exquisite and expensive men's shoes for more than a century. "Nothing is too beautiful for feet" is Olga Berluti's motto; she even exposes her creations to moonlight to give them an extra-special patina. One model is named after Andy Warhol; other famous clients of the past include the Duke of Windsor, Fred Astaire, and James Joyce.

This company made a name for itself in the 1950s with its youthful designs that were made to match with the modern fashions of iconic designer Christian Dior. The playful, low-heeled, and comfortable shoes and boots have remained popular thanks to their playful spins on classic designs. There is also an outlet store at  6 rue du Cherche-Midi.

This is the place for vampy stilettos, strappy flats, and biker boots. Recent Belle de Jour–inspired kitten heels are a nice respite from the famous mile-high styles that put Choo on the map. Beautiful bags, clutches, and small leather items in animal print, reptile, and metallics are deservedly popular.

Working in the vaults of the Viaduc des Arts, this artisan shoemaker crafts fully sur-mesure shoes in the age-old Parisian tradition for discerning buyers. Customers meet with the artisan-designer to decide exactly what they’re looking for and to choose the skins, colors, laces, and other features of their dream shoe. There’s also a selection of ready-to-wear shoes you can try on and take with you.

Do not hesitate to run for that taxi in a pair of superchic pumps, flats, or booties from Patricia Blanchet, which are neither too high nor too low but just the right height. Though the designer doesn't swerve from her five or six basic styles, her beautifully hued leathers, including metallics and exotic skins like pony and stingray, change with the season. Booties may come with metallic piping or colorful insets and cutouts, and are cut low for a sexy peek at the ankle.

With Vivier and Louboutin, Pierre Hardy completes the triumvirate of anointed Paris shoe designers. Armed with a pedigree—Dior, Hermès, Balenciaga—Hardy opened his own boutique in 2003 and made serious waves. The luxe bags are ever popular, and the shoes are unmistakable: sky-scraping platforms and wedges or demure kitten heels double as sculpture with breathtaking details and luscious colors.

Rose Repetto, mother of Roland Petit, started making ballet slippers for her dancer-choreographer son in the 1940s. She soon became the dance-slipper maker of choice for the choreographers and dancers of le tout Paris. Along the way, she created Brigitte Bardot's signature ballerina shoes and Zizi Jeanmarie's jazz shoes, which are still popular today and sold in a rainbow of colors. For a price and by appointment, you can customize any one of their classic models. Repetto has branched out to making boots, leather handbags, and clothes, but still specializes in ready-to-dance and custom-made ballet and pointe footwear.

Long known for his Pilgrim-buckle shoes and inventive heels, Roger Vivier's name is being resurrected through the creativity of uber-Parisienne Inès de la Fressange and the expertise of shoe designer Gherardo Felloni. The results are easily some of the best shoes in town: leather boots that mold to the calf perfectly, towering rhinestone-encrusted or feathered platforms for evening, and vertiginous crocodile pumps.

You wear those strappy sandals back home, but are they the real sandales Tropeziennes? Here's your chance to pick up the genuine, handmade article at Rodini, St-Tropez's original cobbler, established in 1927.