Zoolmates

Zoolmates is a Dutch sneaker brand that makes clean, minimal leather sneakers for men and women. It aims to bring shoe production back to the Netherlands, with uppers made in Romania and final assembly carried out in the Netherlands.

What is Zoolmates?

Zoolmates is a sneaker brand from the Netherlands that sets out to return shoe production to the country. It was founded by brothers Willem and Bart Jansen together with their cousin Daan Smits. The brand launched with a crowdfunding presale on Crowdaboutnow before opening its own webshop.

Products and positioning

The range centres on clean, fashionable sneakers, with separate men's and women's models that are each built on their own last. Rather than releasing seasonal collections, Zoolmates keeps a permanent collection. Men's models such as the HJ01M and HJ02M are offered in colourways including blue and dark green.

Materials and production are central to the brand's positioning:

• All components are sourced in Europe
• Uppers are made in Romania, with assembly to the sole in the Netherlands
• Chrome-free natural leather rather than plastic-based vegan leather
• A sole made with 25% recycled rubber and an insole of 85% recycled material

Distribution

Zoolmates sells primarily through its own webshop, pricing in euros for Dutch customers. Its sneakers are also listed by the sustainable fashion platform Project Cece.

Why it matters

Zoolmates is an example of a small European footwear label using local assembly and material choices as its core proposition, in a market where sneaker production is largely concentrated in Asia.

Frequently asked questions

Where are Zoolmates sneakers made?

Zoolmates uppers are made in Romania and the sneakers are assembled with the sole in the Netherlands.

Who founded Zoolmates?

Zoolmates was founded by brothers Willem and Bart Jansen and their cousin Daan Smits.

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