Bosabo

Since 1890, Bosabo has embodied the art of the clog, revisited with elegance and conscience. Born in the heart of the Mauges region, this family-run business has been perpetuating its unique expertise for five generations. Each pair is handcrafted in their workshops in Montigné-sur-Moine, combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design.
Bosabo combines noble woods from eco-certified forests with top-quality leathers, often vegetable-tanned, for sustainable, responsible creations. The brand is committed to ethical fashion, favouring local materials and adopting a zero waste approach, where even scrap wood finds a second life.
More than just a shoe, each Bosabo model is a unique piece, reflecting a living heritage and timeless aesthetic. From classic clogs to modern sandals, the brand offers a versatile collection that appeals both in France and abroad.
Bosabo is the story of a family passion for craftsmanship, a deep commitment to the environment, and a constant desire to enhance everyday life with authenticity and style.

100%

imagined, designed and made in France
0

overstock - all pairs are made to order
100%

raw materials are sourced locally

"With us, there's no mass production or fast-fashion: each pair is made to order, so they can be customised to suit individual tastes"

Can you tell us about Bosabo in your own words?

Bosabo is a French brand that makes shoes by hand, in our workshops in the west of France (49).
With us, there's no mass production or fast-fashion: each pair is made to order, so you can personalise them to your own tastes. Choice of leather, colour, sole... you can really create your own pair to create a unique product... all using natural materials, genuine craftsmanship and a strong ethical commitment.
Whether clogs, sandals or slippers, each model is designed to last and to be worn for a long time. Bosabo is committed to offering comfort, style and made-to-order, no-frills products.
Bosabo is also a family story, where know-how has been passed down from generation to generation... A shared passion for 135 years now.

What is your background and what led you to launch this project?

Alexis and I were both active in very different areas of Bosabo. When our parents told us that they were thinking of selling to retire in 2014, we told them that we wanted to take over and try this new adventure. The most surprising thing was that we didn't consult each other before talking to our parents. And what makes us so strong today is our complementarity in terms of Bosabo's challenges. Alexis has more of a production and supplier management profile. Whereas I manage the administrative and commercial side... even though Alexis supports me in this vast area. We couldn't ignore our heritage, our childhood and our roots. Today, we're proud to continue this adventure; it's a real challenge every day.

What is the brand's DNA?

Bosabo's DNA is the combination of craftsmanship handed down through 5 generations and a strong commitment to responsible fashion.
Each pair is handmade in our family-run workshop in Maine-et-Loire (49), France, using natural, sustainable and often local materials. By manufacturing to order, we avoid waste and offer the possibility of personalising each model. Each pair is therefore unique, reflecting the world, the desires and the needs of each individual.
Bosabo is an authentic, creative brand that focuses on quality rather than quantity. A simple, timeless style, where comfort, aesthetics and respect for the environment come together naturally, to the rhythm of craftsmanship.

Where do you find your inspiration?

What inspires us most in our collections are our travels and the conversations we have with our loyal customers, who share with us their feedback and opinions on our products. We are constantly looking for new materials to work with.
A large part of our collection is renewed season after season. We also sometimes bring out models from our archives. Fashion is an eternal restart.
We're also known for offering a multitude of leathers, prints and colours. So everyone can find a style, a colour and a material that suits them. Each pair is unique at Bosabo.

How would you describe your style?

DARIA: We cultivate a bohemian, chic spirit with a lovely touch of vintage, just the way we like it. Comfort and elegance are also key values for Bosabo. Each person needs to feel comfortable with their pair of shoes, and for them to be a reflection of their personality. Our made-to-order production enables us to meet this demand for personalisation without neglecting comfort and attention to detail.

What are the words that best define Bosabo?

I would say Know-how, Commitment, Innovation and Authenticity.
Know-how: Bosabo is first and foremost a family manufacturing brand. From imagination to manufacturing, not forgetting development, everything is done from A to Z in our workshops. It's like buying direct from the producer :)
Committed: We are a brand committed to eco-responsible and ethical fashion. We favour timeless designs that will follow you season after season and fit in perfectly with your wardrobe at every moment of your life. We fight against fast-fashion and favour timeless and sustainable fashion, values that are close to our hearts at Bosabo.
Innovation and authenticity: keeping timeless lines, offering sustainable fashion, offering innovations to improve the comfort of our products on a daily basis.

How and where do you produce today?

We manufacture from A to Z in France. All pairs are handmade to order in our workshops in the Nantes region. Our team of around fifteen people is multi-skilled and knows several jobs, so as to avoid repetitive movements and monotony at work. We work every day to improve our working conditions and are committed to offering ethical and sustainable fashion.
The manufacturing process has not changed and has been handed down from generation to generation. We have, of course, evolved by incorporating innovations into our collections, such as our flexible wooden soles (very light and flexible, offering unbeatable comfort).

How is Bosabo reducing its carbon footprint? What are the key measures?

Bosabo has been committed to protecting the environment for many years. A number of concrete actions have been put in place.
First of all, we are committed to sourcing our raw materials locally in France or in neighbouring countries (Italy / Spain / Portugal) to limit our carbon footprint. The only raw material sourced from outside Europe is our Raphia, which comes from a craft workshop in Madagascar that works to reintegrate women into the workforce. We also look for environmentally-friendly materials containing recycled parts, such as our cork soles, which incorporate 15% cork shavings in the outsole. Our wood comes from local eco-certified forests (<100km from our workshop). This programme ensures that trees are cut down when mature and that a new tree is planted in its place.
Our raw material offcuts are reused wherever possible. Wood scraps are used to heat our workshop, sawdust is donated to farmers for their livestock, leather scraps are given to designers, and used paper is donated to associations that offer collections for humanitarian projects.
We also offer capsule collections using stocks of dormant leather and upcycled materials from our previous collections.
And don't forget that all our manufacturing is 100% French, handmade to order. So we don't overstock and we fight fast-fashion with timeless designs that are made to last.

What are the brand's plans for 2025?

Our daily challenge is to maintain 100% French manufacturing. We must work to pass on our know-how. Our staff are trained in-house, so it takes time to maintain our manufacturing processes. We also have to fight against fast-fashion from faraway countries, sometimes at derisory prices. Our challenge for the future is to continue to offer ethical, sustainable fashion that is 100% Made in France.