Grendene is a Brazilian company that is the world's largest manufacturer of sandals. It was founded by Alexandre Grendene Bartelle and his twin brother Pedro Grendene Bartelle.[1]
History
In 1971, the Bartelle brothers, Alexandre and Pedro, began to create plastic basket holders for wine that was produced in the mountains of Rio Grande do Sul. 5 years later, the company began producing plastic parts for farm machinery, eventually evolving to producing soles and heels for shoes. In 1979, Grendene produced their first sandal, the Melissa Aranha, after Pedro noticed the strip-sandals of fishermen from the French Riviera. A year later, the first Grendene plant specifically made for shoe mold manufacturing was opened in Carlos Barbosa. The company would go on to form partnerships with designers like Jean-Paul Gaultier and Thierry Mugler. In 1984, the company started producing shoes for kids and 1986 saw the first men's shoe released. In 1990, the first Grendle shoe manufacturing plant was built in Fortaleza, with a second one opening in 1993 in Sobral, and a third in 1997 in Crato. Grendene would start creating new brands, with the Grendha line in 1994, the Melissa line in 1996. 2002 saw the shoe take stage at Sao Paulo Fashion Week, and partner with models like Gisele Bündchen, along with becoming the number 1 shoe manufacturer within Brazil, by number of pairs.