33 years ago

Exactly 33 Years Ago!!

From elephants in the city centre to stylish walking sneakers: Eindhoven shoe entrepreneur launched his own brand, ONEDR, just 1.5 years ago.

After spending 25 years building children's shoe retailer Tien Tenen, Rutger Raymakers has taken a new step, quite literally.

Anyone who lived in and around Eindhoven during the 1990s may still remember it: three elephants walking through the city centre to celebrate the opening of children's shoe store Tien Tenen in 1993. A full-page newspaper advertisement read: "Two times five is ten. But who has ever seen an elephant with ten toes?" The campaign even received national media attention.

That was on 7 August 1993, exactly 33 years ago.

It marked the remarkable arrival of entrepreneur Rutger Raymakers, who spent the next 25 years growing Tien Tenen into one of the Netherlands' best-known children's shoe retailers.

More than 25 years later, Raymakers found himself back at square one. By then, even replacing the elephants with llamas for the store's anniversary celebration was no longer permitted because of changing regulations regarding animals in public events. So instead of celebrating the past, he chose to build something entirely new.

This time, not for children's feet, but for adults who love to walk.

His new brand, ONEDR, offers stylish walking sneakers that combine fashion with the comfort and support of hiking footwear.

"The popularity of walking has grown enormously over the past few years and has become a lasting lifestyle trend," says Raymakers. "Yet the walking shoe market has remained fairly traditional. Walking shoes are rarely seen as fashionable or stylish. That's exactly what we wanted to change with ONEDR."

After a quarter of a century in retail, measuring thousands of feet, advising customers and working closely with footwear manufacturers, Raymakers knew exactly what was missing: a shoe with the support, grip and quality of a hiking shoe, combined with the appearance of a premium sneaker.

Pronounced "Wonder," ONEDR is inspired by the spirit of wander, the desire to discover new places. The brand combines durable materials and modern technology with contemporary design. The sneakers are fully waterproof and designed for everyday versatility: walking the dog, hiking in nature, city trips, golfing or simply wearing them to work.

Designed in Eindhoven and handcrafted in Portugal, ONEDR combines Dutch design with the craftsmanship of Portuguese shoe manufacturers renowned for their long tradition of quality footwear.

The concept has quickly gained popularity among well-known Dutch personalities. Today, ONEDR sneakers are worn by actor Frank Lammers, television presenter Humberto Tan, presenter Quincy Trustfull, former world-class tennis player Paul Haarhuis, television personality Froukje de Both, influencer Tess Scholten and author Charlotte Labee.

"As an actor you're constantly on your feet," says Frank Lammers. "Whether you're on set, walking through the city or standing on stage, you want shoes that feel great and look great. And what makes it even better is that this brand comes from Brabant. You can feel it, authentic, down-to-earth and thoughtfully designed."