Jochie&Freaks is a baby and children’s shoe manufacturer from the Netherlands that stands for tradition, craftsmanship and a good fit. Under the motto “Happy essentials”, the brand has been creating and producing original and cheerful designs for the healthy development of children’s feet since 1951.
origins
In 1951, brothers-in-law Jo Broers from Rijen and Chiel Aarts from Gilze founded the Jochie baby shoe factory in the Netherlands. They derived the name of their company from the combination of their two first names. In the 1990s, the brand expanded to become Jochie&Freaks, when the Freaks label also began producing shoes for older children.
evolution
“In all the years since then, a lot has changed and very little at the same time,” the brand says on its website. Right from the start, the family behind Jochie&Freaks put a lot of passion and love into their craft – and that hasn’t changed to this day. Chiel’s granddaughter Joyce is now at the helm of the family business.
Almost 70 years after it was founded, Jochie&Freaks decided to take a more sustainable approach to making the world a better place for all children. According to their own statements, the brand’s shoes can now consist of up to 70 percent waste and materials from nature such as rubber, canvas, cotton and recycled plastic bottles from the sea.
Current
Today, Jochie&Freaks children’s shoes are available at more than 200 points of sale in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. The focus for the future is on sustainability: starting with the use of more recycled and organic materials, the brand wants to go green.