Last week, three subsidiaries — Van Lier b.v., Van Lier Amsterdam b.v., and Van Lier Shoes b.v. were declared bankrupt. The online store was also taken offline. However, the parent company VANLIER b.v. was not included in the bankruptcy proceedings.
According to RetailTrends, the parent company confirmed that on Wednesday it had reached an agreement with both the court-appointed administrator and the bank of the subsidiaries. The webshop has since been relaunched, and the company stated it will provide further details in the coming days.
A Clean Restart for Van Lier
Court-appointed administrator Bart Prinsen described the move as a “clean restart” in an interview with RetailTrends. He declined to share further details but emphasized that it is a misconception that administrators have full control in bankruptcy cases. According to him, financiers often hold security rights, allowing them to make certain decisions independently of the administrator.
Two Centuries of Van Lier History
Van Lier has a long-standing heritage. The family business was founded in 1815, when Goyert van Lier opened a shoemaking workshop in Loon op Zand. The company grew through the production of military boots, later expanding into civilian footwear. In the 1960s and 1970s, when low-cost competitors from abroad intensified price pressures, Van Lier pivoted toward quality and brand positioning rather than mass production. By the 1980s, the brand had become a familiar presence in Dutch shopping streets.
In 1991, the Van Spaendonck family acquired the company, with Geert van Spaendonck becoming the new owner. He expanded Van Lier into a brand sold in premium shoe retailers as well as its own monobrand stores. Production was moved to Portugal, though the label maintained its Dutch craftsmanship image, known for its classic lace-ups, loafers, and later boots and sneakers.
In 2023, Geert’s daughter Christina (then 26) succeeded him as CEO. She pushed for digitalization, artificial intelligence, and a stronger online strategy, with the ambition of doubling revenues and expanding into women’s footwear. To finance this growth, Van Lier also entered the capital market in 2023. However, earlier this year Christina unexpectedly stepped down from her role.
Source & image: De Ondernemer
Parent company Van Lier relaunches footwear brand one week after bankruptcy
Footwear brand Van Lier, which was declared bankrupt last week, is making a restart. On Wednesday, the family-owned company’s website under the name Vanlier1815.com was already back online. The parent company has now officially announced that it will continue operations.
