The unique collaboration of a former computer specialist and Apple alumni, and a former racing driver turned financier – Allan Baudoin and Bo van Langeveld launched the luxury loafer brand in the summer of 2016.
The self-taught bespoke shoemakers were looking to create loafers that hallmarked longevity, comfort, and charm. Not only are “Belgians” the footwear of choice for fashion connoisseurs across the globe (scroll through #menswear on Instagram and you’ll see plenty parading around the world’s most photographed pavements), but they’re also somewhat of a style chameleon – easily adaptable into any wardrobe or age and foppish to a fault.
Located at London’s east end, the brand originates, predictably, from the Belgian capital, where shoemaking has been a legacy since the past 300 years the city houses some of the best footwear artisans. Each pair is crafted using exquisitely supple and soft full-grain leather. Tanned locally and artisan-ally, with a keen eye on quality enforcement, treated to be water-resistant, ensuring an unmatched butter-soft feel and breathability without looking too trussed up.
Their signature shoe is called the Sagan—named after Carl Sagan, the late American astrophysicist—and since the brand’s launch three years ago, this particular style has become a cult favorite among fashion aficionados across the globe, stocked in Barneys, Harrods, Selfridges and others among the world’s foremost department stores. The Sagan takes the form of an unstructured lamb’s suede slipper, which to quote Baudoin & Lange themselves “wraps around your foot like a glove”.
More recently, the brand has unveiled the Sagan Grand, an enhanced version of the original made with denser sole in soft French calf leather. Lounged in the more rewarding space between a stiff welted shoe and a soft Belgian loafer—with padded footbeds and cushioned arch supports, this exclusive range has seen a global wave of admiration very few brands can boast off. If the Classic Sagan is an office shoe to keep under your desk, the Sagan Grand is the more aristocratic and exclusive sibling – perfect for a night out for celebratory occasions. “The style mixes English shoemaking tradition with a Parisian aesthetic”, explains Baudoin. It’s an uncommon formula but it does seem to work.
Baudoin & Lange might be a young brand, but its fresh approach and smart designing techniques are treading a resolute path to success. Contemporary comfort amalgamated with timeless designs and functionality brews a potent concoction for the brand to become bigger with a steadfastly growing group of exclusive clientele.
