At the end of the 1980s, Frans van Bommel established a foundation, the Shoemakers’ Guild in The Netherlands and the ‘Master Shoemakers’ Foundation in Belgium. Several hundred independent shoe repairers are affiliated to both foundations, today. The foundations aim to promote and educate the shoemakers’ sector, and hence indirectly promote quality shoes. Shoemakers who are members of the foundation are periodically inspected for their quality and craftsmanship. Following approval, the shoemaker in question is authorized to carry out repairs with a selection of original Van Bommel materials. For more information, surf to: www.schoenmakersgilde.nl or www.meesterschoenmaker.be