Dutch shoe designer Jan Jansen, creator of the Rattan wedge and Woody clog, dies at 85
The Nijmegen-born designer, known for the bamboo Rattan wedge and the Woody clog-sandal, built a global legacy from a tiny Amsterdam atelier. His death on 10 June from cancer, aged 85, closes a six-decade career that saw him become the most copied shoe designer in the world.
A life built on curiosity and craft
Jan Jansen was born on 6 May 1941 in Nijmegen, the first son after four daughters in a Catholic family of eight. His father was a sales manager at children’s shoe factory Nimco, and the young Jan spent school holidays in the warehouse. From an early age, he was puzzled by uncomfortable shoes — his lacquered first-communion shoes were the initial provocation. That dissatisfaction pushed him through evening classes at the art academy in Eindhoven, the shoemaking trade school in Waalwijk, and finally a formative period in Rome, where he refined handcrafting skills in the atelier that produced Sophia Loren’s pumps. He designed his first shoe, called “Me”, at age 19. In 1964 he opened a tiny studio behind Dam Square in Amsterdam, working by hand for clients that included performers Conny Stuart and Adèle Bloemendaal.
Wearable art, from Woody to Rattan
Jansen would go on to design over 4,000 models under his own name and thousands more anonymously for third parties. His best-known creations span decades: the Woody (1969), a wooden soled clog with a leather upper, became his bestseller and one of the most copied shoe designs worldwide. The Rattan (1971), a slender bamboo wedge heel, won him international press. The high-heeled sneaker (1977) combined sport and elegance years before the fashion world caught up; the version copied by an American importer sold a million pairs. Kiss Me on The Couch (1979) featured a lip motif on the strap, a nod to Dalí’s sofa. Later innovations included the floating wedge heel (1989) and a baroque pump that curled outward at both ends (1995).
Creating is my passion and my life. I have more ideas in my head than I can get out.
The most copied shoe designer
Large fashion houses repeatedly lifted his ideas. Armani copied a one-piece leather men’s shoe from 1994; Jansen sued successfully to stop sales but was advised against seeking damages. Prada released a Rattan-inspired shoe in 2005, timed with Jansen’s own relaunch, but the differences were enough to deter a lawsuit. Céline produced a boot in 2017 based on his 1979 design with zippers. Jansen estimated that he was possibly the most copied shoe designer in the world.
I had enough money to pay my bills, so I always thought: never mind.
Tonny, the muse who balanced creativity and commerce
His wife Tonny was his partner since age 17. Where Jansen relied on intuition — he once said his ideas “came from the cosmos” — she had the commercial eye to pick which designs to produce. She remained his collaborator long after his official retirement, working alongside him in Amsterdam and at their house in Italy. Jansen died at home, surrounded by Tonny and close family.
Global recognition and a lasting legacy
Jansen’s work earned numerous awards: the Grand Seigneur Modeprijs (1995), the Max Heymans-ring (2006), the Karel de Grote Oeuvreprijs from the city of Nijmegen (2011), and the title Dutch Designer of the Year (2013). He taught as a professor at Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo and held exhibitions and lectures across the world. Fashion journalist Lisa Goudsmit, who wrote a book and curated a 2021 retrospective of his work, described him as generous and warm.
He possessed a unique combination of artistic vision and craft knowledge. His shoes were wearable art: sculptural and innovative but at the same time comfortable and functional.
