From Parisian Luxury Shoemaking to a Climber’s Mecca: How Yasuhiro Shiota Found His True Calling in the Forest of Fontainebleau

Just south of Paris lies the Forest of Fontainebleau, a mecca for climbers from around the world. Here, Yasuhiro Shiota—a master shoemaker—supports the feet of countless climbers tackling its massive boulders every day. He runs a climbing shoe resoling workshop called Duel Fontainebleau. We caught up with Shiota, a passionate climber himself, to hear the story of how he ended up here.

A Visit to a Bespoke Craftsman’s New Workshop

An hour's ride on a suburban train from Paris takes you to Fontainebleau. Once home to the Château de Fontainebleau, a favorite of French kings, the area now functions much like a commuter town for the capital. The train itself is a melting pot of tourists aiming for the château, climbers loaded with gear, and daily commuters.

I first heard of Yasuhiro Shiota not as a climbing shoe resoler, but as a sur mesure (bespoke) shoemaker in Paris. I would later discover, however, that he had already moved on from the bespoke scene.

Why did someone creating sophisticated items in the heart of Paris move to the suburbs and into the world of the outdoors? My curiosity about Shiota grew as I walked from the station to his workshop in Fontainebleau, under the bright, dazzling August sun in temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius.

From English Major to Shoemaker in England

Shoes began to play a major role in Shiota's life during his university years.

Born in Okayama City, Shiota was an English major at Kwansei Gakuin University. Along with his interest in photography and film, he became captivated by clothes and shoes. He would even take them apart, create his own patterns, and sew clothes on a machine.

"I just loved making things with my hands."

This passion would go on to define his life's path.

As his university life progressed and his peers began aiming for corporate jobs, that path held no appeal for Shiota. He won a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship and headed to Leicester, England, to attend Leicester College, a school for shoemaking.

"I was just dying to get out, to go somewhere new. I think various influences had built up my longing to go abroad. That choice made it all happen at once."

After a year of study at Leicester College, Shiota set his sights on France. There, he honed his skills working for renowned shoe brands like Massaro, Corthay, and Aubercy.

He spent three years at Massaro. He met the company's president at an industry gathering and secured a French residency permit by working as a support for the workshop's head, helping to create prototypes. He joined Corthay as a temporary replacement for the patina specialist, who was on vacation, and later became a full-time employee, working on shoe lasts and patterns for five years. His seven years at Aubercy were spent as the head of the sur mesure department, which the company was eager to revive, where he showcased his exceptional skill.

He informed Aubercy, his employer at the time, of his intentions and was completing the remaining orders with a plan to leave. But then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

How the Pandemic Changed His Life's Direction

Shiota discovered climbing in his early 30s.

While working at Aubercy, he moved from Paris to Fontainebleau, and climbing was the reason. Before the move, he would take his bicycle on the train from Paris to Fontainebleau on weekends to visit the climbing sectors in the forest.

Since Fontainebleau is within commuting distance of Paris, it wasn't a stretch to think of just living there.

But in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. At the time, the world felt “like something out of a novel,” and society’s systems changed dramatically.

Lockdown orders were issued, making travel from Fontainebleau to Paris impossible. Aubercy's main clientele were from the United States and Japan, and it became nearly impossible for customers who wanted to order shoes to visit Paris. The company's financial strength was depleted, and the future was uncertain amidst the daily turmoil of the pandemic. Aubercy decided to shut down its sur mesure department, which ultimately accelerated Shiota's move to independence by a year or two.

With some unexpected time to think, Shiota reflected on his situation.

"I had always repaired my own climbing shoes. When my climbing buddies saw my repaired shoes, they would often ask, 'Where did you get those fixed?' When I told them I did it myself, their reaction was always, 'Of course, that makes sense.' Eventually, they started asking, 'Have you ever considered doing repairs for other people?'"

The knowledge and skills he honed as a shoemaker were more than sufficient for repairing climbing shoes. However, he couldn't quite commit to making shoe repair his profession.

'I came all the way to Europe to become a shoemaker, not a *cordonnier* (shoe repairer). To be frank, when I saw the resoled climbing shoes in Fontainebleau, very few were repaired cleanly. At that point, I honestly didn't feel any passion for the work of a resoler.'

But then, he remembered a climber from Turin he'd met through climbing in Fontainebleau. The man's job was to be the official resoler for La Sportiva and Scarpa. Shiota got in touch.

'I went to visit his atelier in Turin. Watching him at work, I saw he was repairing shoes with passion and precision. He also had a huge variety of shoe lasts. I realized that in an environment like that, I could perform at a level far beyond what I had previously seen from other resolers.'

In 2023, as the world began to open up again post-pandemic, Shiota partnered with the Turin atelier and opened his own, 'Duel,' in Fontainebleau as a climbing shoe resoler.

What It Means to Become a True Professional

Shiota's immediate goal extends beyond just repairs; he aims to produce his very own line of climbing shoes.

To start, he collaborated with the Turin resolers to develop 'Guma,' an original Italian-made rubber for soles, and launched it as an independent brand. 'I'm hoping to introduce it in Japan, too. It would be great to find a corporate sponsor,' he says with a smile.

So, has Shiota left the world of Parisian shoemaking, his former passion, behind for good?

'I can’t say it’s completely over, but it's true that, for me, the shoes I used to make are a closed chapter. They were a crystallization of my youthful energy, you could say. I feel like I've become a professional now.'

But wasn't Shiota already a professional? In response to my question, he flips through a catalog of famous shoe brands featuring the leather shoes he crafted. 'I made this shoe, and this one too,' he says, continuing.

'My passion projects did take shape, but I reached a certain point and just couldn't continue. When I pictured myself doing the same work at 60 or 70, I realized a part of me wanted to do something else. In that sense, I guess I wasn't a true professional.'

'Now, however, I am creating things as a professional. I believe I can finally envision my future with the mindset of a true professional.'

Displayed in the atelier are the lasts and leather shoes he once crafted. While they have a commanding presence, they are by no means the main focus. I asked about the origin of the name 'Duel.'

'I wanted an atelier deeply connected to the local community, so I named it after something in the Forest of Fontainebleau. There's a boulder in the forest called “Duel.” It’s a well-known 8a-grade problem—challenging and unforgiving—that reveals exactly how your shoes are performing.'

At the atelier, Shiota allowed me to watch his repair process. He strips the worn-out soles from each climber's shoes, glues on new ones, and then grinds and shapes them.

So, what does climbing mean to Shiota?

'It’s pure joy. It's one of those things that allows me to constantly keep challenging myself.'

The loud noise of the sole-pressing machine echoes through the summer atelier. His silent, focused figure, finishing each sole, is the embodiment of the determination, chance, and spirit of challenge that have shaped his journey.