Free Lance was founded in 1980 by two brothers, Guy and Yvon Rautureau. Hailing from a family of cobblers which established itself in Western France in 1870, it seemed only natural for them to follow in the tradition. Guy is the designer and Yvon the commercial and marketing visionary- both of which share a passion for the traditional art of shoe making. Making all their shoes from scratch in their own factory. Living and working outside of Paris they have found to be an advantage as they are untroubled by fads and rumours, ‘they are free to fashion gorgeous shoes which stand out from the crowd’. Motivated by staying fresh and different, fusing classicism and modernism the catch words for Free Lance are Longevity and Durability.

Guy and Yvon don’t call their business une maison de haute couture, rather une petit maison de “haute shoeture”.