François PINET was born in 1817 in the Loire Valley. Orphaned at twelve, he was placed with a cobbler where he learned the basics of the trade. In 1836, the shoemakers and bootmakers of Devoir received him among them under the name of "Tourangeau la Rose d'Amou"r. His companion tour of France led him to Paris, where he worked as bootmaker and then as a salesman. It is in 1855 that at age 37, while mastering all the techniques of the trade, he takes an importrant decision. He leaves his Parisian employer, Lucien DREYFUS, and creates his own company. Installed rue du Petit Lion Saint-Sauveur, the current rue Tiquetonne, in the center of Paris, he started with only few workers. He exploited in particular the two processes he developed and patented the previous year to manufacture molded shoe heels. The exterior is leather, but the interior is filled with gutta-percha, rubber or other materials. His method reduces the time and cost of manufacturing. Success was waiting for him. In 1864, François PINET built larger buildings at 44, rue Paradis-Poissonnière. Enlightened by a vast glass roof, they combine workshops, offices and a shop. The expansion of the F. Pinet Footwear Society is reflected in geography. In 1876, the inventive shoemaker became owner of 42 rue Paradis, and 3 and 5 rue des Messageries, and can thus expand his workshops. At the height of his power, François Pinet employs 1,200 people, and sells his shoes well beyond the borders. Inspired by the social ideas of Louis BLANC, he takes progressive measures within his company: reduction of working time, unemployment insurance, maternity, sickness, retirement.