Why it belongs in ORBIS
Paris footwear brand founded in 1986 by Jean-Pierre Dahan and David Cohen, specializing in Goodyear- and Blake-welted men's dress shoes; grew through franchising after salesman Arnaud Bruillon opened its first franchise store in the 1990s.
Finsbury was founded in Paris in 1986 by Jean-Pierre Dahan and David Cohen, taking its name and welted-shoe construction method from Northampton, England - the historic home of Goodyear welting. The founders aimed to sell high-end Goodyear-welted men's shoes below 1,000 French francs, a pricing strategy that helped the brand build a following as a specialist in Goodyear and Blake stitched footwear. In 1994 Arnaud Bruillon joined as a part-time salesman, later becoming Finsbury's first franchisee with a store at Petits Champs in Paris and opening seven further points of sale between 2000 and 2010.