Rondinaud Charentaise slippers take on the European market

Founded in Aquitaine, France over a century in the past, Rondinaud has set its sights on Northern European markets and likewise plans to determine a presence in Germany, Spain, and Italy.

It is a problem the fifteen-employee firm intends to fulfill, bolstered by its Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) standing and by a repute that has carried it so far as New York’s MoMA. The Museum of Modern Art’s store shares the conventional, glue-free charentaise made by the century-old La Rochefoucauld agency.

“From securing PGI status to our presence in the United States, these marks of recognition are a tremendous source of pride and a testament to the value of our fifteen employees and our expertise,” says Olivier Rondinaud. “Our ambition now is to make this charentaise, a true ambassador for Charente, a staple of comfort and style in European homes.”

The firm’s European ambitions are underpinned by a retail community that at the moment contains round 500 factors of sale, divided between its personal boutiques and multi-brand retailers, alongside a web based portal presenting its full product vary.

If Ateliers Rondinaud say they’re concentrating on Northern Europe, it’s unsurprisingly for the local weather. “Seasonality and the culture of ‘cocooning’ are a perfect fit for the qualities of the wool-felt charentaise (around 38 tonnes of felt used per year),” the firm notes.

With manufacturing now reaching 450 to 500 pairs per day, the firm says it offered greater than 90,000 pairs in 2024 and expects to submit a turnover of €1.9 million in the 2025 monetary yr.