Jan Jansen Timeline

Jan Jansen 23

1941 Jan Jansen born in Nijmegen 6 May 1941 Jan Jansen was born in Nijmegen, the son of a sales manager at the Nimco children's shoe factory — surrounded by shoe samples from an early age.
1947 First communion shoes Age 6 For his Catholic first communion at age six, young Jan was given a stiff pair of patent leather shoes. He famously asked his father whether shoes couldn't be made nicer — an early flash of the designer to come.
1956 Saturday job in a shoe shop Nijmegen As a teenager, Jansen worked Saturdays in a Nijmegen shoe shop, where he cut open old shoes to study how they were constructed inside.
1960 Designs his first shoe, "Me" Age 19 At nineteen, Jansen designed and made his very first shoe, which he named simply "Me" — his first complete design from sketch to last.
1961 – 1962 Shoemaking education Brabant, Eindhoven & Waalwijk Jansen trained at a shoe factory in Brabant, took evening drawing classes at the art academy in Eindhoven, and studied at the shoemaking trade school in Waalwijk — the heart of the Dutch shoe industry.
1963 Opens the 'Jeannot' atelier Amsterdam Jansen opened his first atelier in Amsterdam under the name 'Jeannot', hand-making shoes for clients including actresses Conny Stuart and Adèle Bloemendaal.
1964 Meets the house of Dior Honeymoon in Paris On honeymoon in Paris with his wife and muse Tonny, Jansen showed four pairs of his handmade shoes to Christian Dior. One design was accepted, and he began working anonymously for Dior and Charles Jourdan.
1968 Opens his first shop, 'Ja Ja' Runstraat, Amsterdam Jansen opened his first own shop, 'Ja Ja', on the Runstraat in Amsterdam. From here he designed prototypes and lasts, while production moved to a factory.
1969 Launches the 'Woody' A modern Dutch clog Jansen launched the Woody, a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Dutch wooden clog. It became his first major commercial success — and one of the most widely copied shoe designs in the world.
1973 Creates the Bamboo shoe International press Jansen designed the Bamboo shoe, using a bamboo wedge-heel construction. The design made world headlines and remained his personal favourite throughout his career.
1978 Develops the "floating heel" Signature technique Jansen developed his signature "floating heel" construction — gravity-defying heel shapes that became a hallmark of his work and inspired generations of shoe designers after him.
1984 Brand renamed 'Jan Jansen' Amsterdam Jansen's shop and label were renamed simply 'Jan Jansen' — the name under which his designs would become internationally recognised.
1995 Awarded the Grand Seigneur Modeprijs Dutch fashion honour Jansen received the Grand Seigneur Modeprijs, one of the most prestigious Dutch fashion awards, recognising decades of innovative design.
1995 Launches 'Jan Jansen Sense' Affordable second line Jansen introduced 'Jan Jansen Sense', a more affordable second line of shoes sold through retailers in the Netherlands and abroad.
2005 'The Foreign Affairs of Dutch Design' Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam Jansen's work featured in this touring exhibition of Dutch designers, shown at the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam.
2006 Awarded the Max Heymans-ring Design honour Jansen received the Max Heymans-ring, a Dutch design award recognising his contribution to fashion and footwear design.
2009 Retrospective at Museum Het Valkhof Nijmegen A retrospective in his home city of Nijmegen, "Jan Jansen and Swip Stolk — two master designers", paired six decades of his shoe designs with the work of graphic designer Swip Stolk.
2011 Awarded the Karel de Grote Oeuvreprijs Municipality of Nijmegen The city of Nijmegen awarded Jansen the Karel de Grote Oeuvreprijs, honouring his life's work as a designer.
2013 Biography published "De schoen van Jan Jansen" A biography of Jansen's life and work, "De schoen van Jan Jansen", was published — designed by Lex Reitsma and produced by NAI010 Publishers.
2013 Named Dutch Designer of the Year Jansen was named Dutch Designer of the Year, capping decades of recognition for his contribution to Dutch fashion and design.
2021 60-year retrospective at Museum JAN Amstelveen A major retrospective, "On the Last of Jan Jansen — 60 Years of Shoes and Dutch Design", marked his 60th year in the trade and his 80th birthday, showing his work alongside a new generation of Dutch designers. He also published his memoirs that year.
2021 Hooijer Footwear Group acquires the brand New ownership Hooijer Footwear Group became the brand owner of Jan Jansen Amsterdam, launching an entirely new collection designed under his name.
2026 Jan Jansen dies in Amsterdam Aged 85 Jan Jansen died at home in Amsterdam on 10 June 2026, aged 85, after a battle with cancer — leaving behind an archive of more than 4,000 shoe designs.