Itching to get your hands on a pair of Paraboots? Before you click 'Add to cart', be sure to read our guide to Paraboot sizing to find your perfect fit.
History of Paraboot
First things first: you're going to want to get to know the brand. For the uninitiated, Paraboot is an iconic French footwear brand that's been around since the early 1900s. It was founded by a shoemaker named Rémy-Alexis Richard, who, after travelling to the United States, became fascinated with the rubber 'boots' he saw Americans sporting. Equipped with this revolutionary material and newfound know-how, he returned to the French village of Izeaux, where he had just purchased a new factory building. Soon enough, he was manufacturing waterproof boots with layers of latex added by hand on wooden lasts and vulcanised in stoves. Rémy registered the Paraboot name in 1927, from a combination of the words Para – a port in Amazonia, where the latex was exported from, and boot – the interesting new shoe he had discovered in the United States.
Today, Paraboot is best known for its signature 'Michael' style, a leather lined, Norwegian-welted derby that sits on a sturdy rubber sole. The shoe fuses the sturdy vulcanised sole of a hiking boot with a lower-profile, moccasin silhouette, using a Norwegian welt. Originally used for ski-boots, this is an elaborate and effective way of stitching the upper to the sole in order to keep water out. All these years later, the style remains unchanged and as popular as ever. Slip your feet into a pair and you'll understand why.
Other styles in the Paraboot collection range from boat shoes to boots; Oxford shoes to sneakers. The brand is characterised by an inherent wearability and versatility. Made to last, these are shoes that you'll reach for time and again – whether you're exploring the great outdoors or commuting to work.
Paraboot sizing notes
- Paraboot has generous sizing, so we recommend that you opt for a half-size smaller than your usual size.
- All of Paraboot's shoes are offered in half sizes, ensuring that you'll find the closest fit possible.
- Except a few original models that are in French sizes, the large majority of Paraboot's shoes are offered in UK sizes.
- Use the size chart below to convert UK sizing to EU and US sizing.
Paraboot size chart
| UK | EU | US |
| 5 | 39 | 6 |
| 5.5 | 39.5 | 6.5 |
| 6 | 40 | 7 |
| 6.5 | 40.5 | 7.5 |
| 7 | 41 | 8 |
| 7.5 | 41.5 | 8.5 |
| 8 | 42 | 9 |
| 8.5 | 42.5 | 9.5 |
| 9 | 43 | 10 |
| 9.5 | 43.5 | 10.5 |
| 10 | 44 | 11 |
| 10.5 | 44.5 | 11.5 |
| 11 | 45 | 12 |
| 11.5 | 45.5 | 12.5 |
| 12 | 46 | 13 |
| 12.5 | 46.5 | 13.5 |
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