All images credit Baudoin and Lange
There’s a reason why over the past two decades, sneakers have become the accepted business casual. For men, the choice is nice, uncomfortable shoes that lead to sore feet after a long day at the office. Another option is horrible looking shoes that feel comfortable while looking as if you are recovering from orthopedic surgery. Lucky Baudoin & Lange created a panacea for men’s footwear with a line of shoes that cradle your feet, are comfortable to wear, and look great at the office and out at night. In short, the newly founded London shoe brand has designed a slip-on shoe that allows you to put your running shoes back where they were, in the gym or on the track.
Baudoin & Lange’s story is similar to one of the pillars of women’s fashion. In 1974, Diane Von Furstenberg created a revolutionary garment that became a staple of women’s fashion and to this day it remains the iconic design for her brand. It was the perfect wrap dress for an era when women were liberated and demanded fashion that was practical, stylish, comfortable, washable and iron-free. Six years ago, these two unlikely entrepreneurs saw a similar opportunity for the office man who needed comfortable, professional, and stylish footwear. They recognized this dazzling void in the market and from there, Baudoin and Lange were launched.
Just as Dianne Von Furstenberg made a name for her brand from a flawless design, so did Baudoin and Lange. The design is the comfortable Belgian Loafer uber. A skate that does not require laces, buckles, or other laces; The shoes are simply put on and taken off. Their iconic style catches the eye, elegant, stylish beyond reproach with diamond overlays covering the forefoot, supple leather, durable leather soles and soles. What is immediately noticeable with style is meticulous craftsmanship.
Since most reputable shoe brands are half a century old, if not more, Baudoin and Lange are clearly new to the shoe game. But perhaps it was this youthful innocence that allowed them to understand the need for a shoe that goes against a few basic needs – to simply look good and be comfortable. Is that too much to ask? Since the six years that they launched the brand, they have demonstrated success after success with each new version building on the strengths of previous models. This young brand has demonstrated the advancement of craftsmanship, smart design, business acumen and a renewed reputation.
Baudoin and Lange Burlington Arcade Boutique
Today, their shoe lines are available online or at their flagship store in the heart of London on the oldest shopping street, Burlington Arcade. Additionally, you’ll find them on display at high-end retailers including The Armory in New York City along with Barneys, Harrods and Selfridges as well as retailers in the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Bangkok and other locations. To cater to their rapidly growing customer base in the US, a new store will open in Manhattan this spring.
Modern Shoe Witches: Allan Baudoin and Bo van Langeveld
Baudoin (l) Langveld (r)
From their past careers, one would never expect founders Baudoin and Lange to have created a highly regarded luxury shoe brand. From an early age, Allan Baudoin was drawn to the charisma and vision of technology innovator Steve Jobs. After graduating from London Business School, he followed his geek education to Apple, where he worked in business development. After Jobs’ death, Baudoin lost interest in the company and decided that a career in technology wasn’t for him. Growing up in Paris, he was fascinated by the fashion industry from an early age so he turned his back on the world of technology to go in a completely different direction. After that, he embarked on an unlikely career as an apprentice shoemaker. He taught himself the trade by teaching himself a lot about the craft and was eventually mentored by a master shoemaker. From there, he began creating bespoke shoes for a small but growing clientele, one pair at a time.
While Baudoin started his career at Apple, Bo van Langeveld pursued a career as a car racer. What? Yes, a racing driver in his native Netherlands. When his F1 dreams finally went up in smoke, he also dropped his racing gloves to attend the London Business School, possibly a few years behind Baudoin. After graduating, he had a successful career in finance and investment. While in a meeting room or behind his desk, he noticed how uncomfortable the shoes were for himself and his colleagues. He also noticed that at the end of the day, men would take off their shoes under their desks for a few minutes of soothing relaxation.
The story of the founding of the brand is one that all entrepreneurs love. As it was intended, Baudoin and Lange met and discussed what they saw as a gap in the market, which was to create comfortable dress shoes that people could wear from the office and into the night. night. While Baudoin was struggling to create his precious handmade shoes, he made a pair of work boots for himself. Those are Belgian loafers. Langeveld considers them the perfect work shoe, comfortable, supple suede, stylish and easy to put on and take off. Baudoin’s work shoes, which you can still see in their flagship store in London, became the prototype of the brand’s iconic design and the root from which the shoe brand emerged. He built his company. And finally. As they say, is history.
Rediscover Belgium’s Loafer
While not as well known for its fashionista wardrobes as Cap Toe Oxford, Monk Strap or Wing Tip, Belgium Loafer is seeing a resurgence as a must-have for discerning men. nowadays. Shoe styles have seen a resurgence in recent years partly because brands like Baudoin and Lange and others have followed suit and created their own line of loafers.
The Belgian Loafer was created by Henri Bendel, the company better known for bringing the Chanel brand to America. He worked with a 300-year-old shoe manufacturer in Belgium to create this unique style and shoe. The shoe is made to be as comfortable as a slipper but elegant enough to be worn on any occasion. The shoes became a favorite of the New York elite and the Beverly Hills elite during the 1960s and beyond.
Creating the perfect shoe design: Sagan
Fast forward to the present day, Baudoin and Lange have redefined the style into a premium shoe with the finest craftsmanship. Their vision was embodied in a shoe that looked great and felt comfortable. After working through many prototypes, they found that creating the best leather shoe meant they wouldn’t need the lining, creating a flexible shoe that could mold to the foot. Instead of needing to break, it wraps around your foot like a glove and feels like a house shoe. This shoe, which will one day revolutionize the luxury shoe market, is appropriately named Sagan, after Carl Sagan, the late French astrophysicist.
When Diane von Furstenberg created her A-line dress, she realized she had the perfect design and style and has since created hundreds, if not thousands, of variations in fabrics and colors. variety of colors, decorations and borders. A la Furstenberg, Baudoin and Lange have also taken their flawless design with the trademark of a low instep, low heel and cushioned sole along with their craftsmanship and created hundreds of variations that every man and finally woman, will love.
Original Sagan is made from sheepskins purchased from the best tanneries in Europe. Soft as butter yet durable with a leather sole for a long day at work and ready for the night. Sagans pair well with blazers, button-down shirts and slacks, or even much more casual outfits. Their assortment of shoes add versatility to a wardrobe with or without socks, for work wear, or even with shorts for a picnic.
Now with the perfect model, the brand has created many variations including a range of colors, tassels, a coin loafer, a pin and decorative buckle. Variations continue with their own full-grain deerskin and Asteria suede made from Mediterranean goats and hand-tanned by the family in Cyprus. The brand also has a line of casual shoes, the Sagan Stride, with a similar cut and feel with a rubber sole idea for a long drive or a day at the beach.
B&L also boasts an exotic line of alligator leather shoes in black, green and obsidian brown. For official affairs, the brand offers a range of black lace-up patent leather and black velvet opera bow shoes. These spiked sandals are perfect for the next red carpet and there’s no doubt they’ll be seen at this year’s Oscars, the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals, and countless New Year’s Eve gala dinners.
Meeting room ready – The Grand Sagan
The Grand Sagan
One of their shoe lines is sure to be approved by the menswear brand, Grand Collection. While remaining true to the highlights of the Sagan series, the Grand Sagan takes it to the next level. One could say that if Sagan Road is made for offices, Grand Sagan is made for the Meeting Room. This shoe has a better construction than the original Sagan, made of French calf leather and a cork foam sole. As with any creative model, there are several variations, including loafers and coin tassels, suede or raw grain, and a variety of wardrobe-pleasing colors.
With all true luxury products, it depends on a few things: scarcity, the finest materials, craftsmanship, and reputation. Baudoin and Lange scoured a wide variety of the finest leathers from artisanal manufacturers. The details in the craftsmanship are irreproachable based on the lofty demands of self-described perfectionist Allan Baudoin. You will notice these small details when admiring the shoes, especially when opening the box. The craftsman’s star where the heel meets the sole, the ornate stitching at the bridge of the penny loafers, or their iconic brand, the three gold dots on the back of the heel. It’s the little things done right that make this shoe so special.
Just as Diane von Furstenberg created the perfect dress for a woman at the perfect time, Baudoin and Lange did the same for me with their sleek and comfortable Belgian loafers. At a time when men countered uncomfortable shoes by opting for sneakers, they provided an alternative to this level of clothing. For the connoisseurs, it’s clear why this modern-day classic has earned the brand such success with a cult following of well-dressed men around the world.
