Bosabo Shoes

In 1890, great-grandfather Emile would criss-cross the tracks around the Mauges region of France, carrying his bag on his back. He travelled from farm to farm. Armed with his cleaver, gimlets and carving gouges, he shaped, hollowed and polished until the contours of the indispensable clog emerged from the freshly fallen tree. This intricate work called for dexterity and patience. He would only return home once the entire family was fitted with clogs, two or three days later!

His son Joseph took over the manufacturing reins by settling down in Saint-Remy-en-Mauges. This heralded the end of home-produced clogs. With the mechanisation of the 1920s, the first lathes and borers made their way into workshops, making a clog-maker's work somewhat sedentary.

A few decades later, in 1959, his son of the same name began a new chapter in the family history by opening a workshop in Montigné-sur-Moine, on the edge of the vineyards around Nantes. Joseph began to diversify by producing wooden ornaments and furniture. More importantly, he updated the look of the clog by adding a leather upper to the traditional wooden sole, similar to Swedish clogs. These were his first steps into the world of fashion.

Continuing in this vein, his son Joël took over the company with his wife Françoise in 1988. He launched the Bosabo range of designer styles, alongside the more traditional Safty brand of workwear clogs which are particularly popular in the medical sector as well as for gardening.

Since 1890, BOSABO preserves French traditional artisanal manufacturing processes. To ensure the best quality for our customers, BOSABO selects premium and natural materials and is also a passionately eco-conscious brand by working with local & green suppliers in order to minimise its footprint on the environment.