Reinhard Frans

Reinhard Frans is a family-run business rooted in a longstanding tradition of working with top-quality manufacturers of handmade shoes. This dream was put into action in 2008 by Reinhard and his sons, culminating in the opening of the first Flagship Store in Apeldoorn in 2012.

A distinguishing feature of Reinhard Frans is its incredibly efficient supply chain. All activities, from sourcing leathers from European tanneries to manufacturing in-house by highly skilled shoemakers, are handled internally. This end-to-end approach means that products are shipped directly to the shops from the factory, with no distribution centers in between. Reinhard Frans operates ten stores throughout The Netherlands and Belgium, handling all sales directly to the end consumer.

Each piece in the Reinhard Frans collection is a result of careful design and development by a dedicated production team. Through a combination of expertise and strong partnerships with suppliers, the company ensures the use of the best materials available. A commitment to ethical sourcing is evident in the communication with tanneries to ensure the leather is sourced from animals that have lived under good conditions.

Reinhard Frans also offers a customization program that allows customers to create a unique pair of handmade shoes. Customers can choose their style of shoe, the best fitting last, the leathers to be used, as well as suitable soles. This program, which extends to both classic shoes and modern sneakers, is supported by an online configurator.

A standout feature of Reinhard Frans is the 'Patina'. Shoes are hand-colored by artists in the atelier, showcasing the most exclusive form of manually aging leather with pigments and dyes. The flagship store in Amsterdam offers live patina in-store, connecting interested clients through monthly in-store events. In a world dominated by mass consumption, Reinhard Frans focuses on hand-making products that are meticulously crafted with minimal overproduction.

The company's mission is to usher traditional craftsmanship into the modern era. In doing so, Reinhard Frans maintains a balance between respecting age-old techniques and meeting contemporary demands, creating not just shoes, but wearable pieces of art​.