Aigle

Founded in 1853, Aigle is an iconic French outdoor lifestyle brand focusing on apparel, rubber boots and footwear. Hiram Hutchinson purchased the patent for the vulcanisation of latex from Charles Goodyear to make boots, and then settled in Montargis to create the brand “A l’Aigle”. Every year he made more and more boots for the country-dwellers of France, who in those days represented 90% of the population. In the 1920s, the brand began to mix its famous rubber with canvas for light sport and leisure shoes.

In 1967, the factory moved to to a former American military base, 300 km of Paris, in Châtellerault. This industrial setting helped it to take off in every way. Once settled there, Aigle launched what has now become one of the brand’s most iconic styles : the Chantebelle boot. In 1988, protective clothing for the sea, countryside and mountains accompanied the opening of the first shop in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

In 1993, Aigle went international with its first shop in Tokyo. 20 years later, the brand, which is now part of the Swiss group Maus, can be found in more than 70 countries worldwide and 350 shops.

Life in the open air has been an essential part of Aigle’s history since its beginnings in 1853. Today the brand broadens its horizons, and can not only be seen in the wilds of nature or in extreme conditions, but also in towns. From Paris to Tokyo, rubber boots are striding out on the pavements of the great capitals. Aigle style begins on the street corner, as soon as you step outside. Both stylish and easy to wear during the week as at the weekend, on tarmac as in the countryside, it is as accessible as it is contemporary. Authenticity is built into every fibre of the clothes and sums up the flavour of the collec- tions which are more than ever part of real, everyday life.

This evolution is part of the global repositioning of the company, which began several years ago. The brand’s artistic director, Gideon Day, takes his inspiration from the inexhaustible brand heritage and its signature territories - the sea, the countryside, the mountains and the desert - to revisit and reposition the Aigle style.

Boots and outerwear to brave the weather remain at the heart of the business. “Protection” remains the mission statement of the brand. But function is not the only prerogative. The functionality remains transparent, taking second place to fit and form. From boots and shoes to clothing, all Aigle products are today designed to appeal to families living modern lives between urban and natural environments.