More than 300 years of shoemaking

The history of Van Bommel Shoe Factory begins on 12 December 1718. On that day, twenty-year-old Adriaen van Bommel joins the shoemakers' guild of Breda. By then, he has already spent eight years learning the craft under master shoemaker Bernaert Verhoeven and can now call himself an independent shoemaker. Six years later, his brother Christiaen also joins the guild. It marks the beginning of a family business that still exists more than three centuries later.In the generations that follow, the craft of shoemaking is passed down time and again. What begins as a small artisan workshop develops into an increasingly large business during the nineteenth century. Its market expands, production becomes more professional and by the end of the century Van Bommel is already presenting itself as a shoe factory. In the twentieth century, mechanisation firmly takes hold.Van Bommel is now based in Moergestel, where the factory still stands in the heart of the village. From here, the family business survives two world wars, economic crises and major changes in the footwear industry. During the Second World War, the factory is even forced to close for a year. It is the only interruption in more than three centuries of shoe production.

In the second half of the twentieth century, globalisation causes almost the entire Dutch footwear industry to disappear. At the start of Frans van Bommel's career, the Netherlands still has 227 shoe factories. Eventually, only one remains: Van Bommel Shoe Factory. The company continues to hold on to its own factory and to the craftsmanship built up there over generations.

In the 1980s, Frans van Bommel makes a deliberate decision to strengthen the company's own brand. In 1996, he also introduces a small, more fashion-oriented line named after his middle son: Floris van Bommel. What begins as a sub-label alongside the classic Van Bommel brand develops into a brand in its own right. Floris himself joins the family business at the end of 1999, focusing on the collections and communication. In 2008, for the first time, as many Floris van Bommel shoes are sold as Van Bommel shoes.

Today, the ninth generation is at the helm of Van Bommel Shoe Factory: brothers Reynier, Pepijn and Floris van Bommel. The company operates both the classic Van Bommel brand and Floris van Bommel, and still produces an important share of its shoes in its own factory in Moergestel.

The Netherlands’ last remaining shoe factory.

A great deal has changed since Adriaen van Bommel made his first shoe in 1718. From a shoemaker's workshop in Breda to a modern footwear manufacturer, from one local shoemaker to nine generations. What has remained the same is that the company is still owned by the same family and that making shoes remains at its core. More than 300 years later, Van Bommel Shoe Factory is therefore one of the oldest family businesses in the Netherlands and the last remaining shoe factory from an industry that once counted hundreds of Dutch manufacturers.