AIGLE -- THE COMPANY

Aigle wellington boots are recognised worldwide as some of the best quality and modern designed wellies. All of Aigle's wellington boot collection is still handcrafted in France. Mastercraftsmen and apprentices benefit from the company's unsurpassed knowledge in the production of rubber wellingtons and the processing an manipulation of natural rubber. Its fastidious attention to detail and pride in ots product enable Aigle to claim it is the is No. 1 worldwide for the manufacture of high quality wellington boots for sporting purposes. Its flagship range, the Parcours, is made up of four specialist wellington boots the:

• Parcours
• Parcours Vario
• Parcours ISO
• Parcours Prestige

Each wellington in the range is designed to meet a specific use but all share the same underlying design qualities.

AIGLE -- THE HISTORY

Aigle is a French footwear and textile company founded in 1853 as the Flexible Rubber Co. in Montargis, France, by American businessman Hiram Hutchinson. In a similar way to how Hunter Wellingtons were founded by Mr. Henry Lee Norris, who came to Scotland from America three years later, Mr Hutchison obtained a license in 1850 from Charles Goodyear's patented vulcanization process. He moved to France where he applied the new process to the production of wellington boots and then raincoats. In the 20th century the company expanded into the production of accessories for the motor industry and, from the 1950s, sports shoes.

In 1967 the company, by now named Aigle, moved manufacturing to Ingrandes, near Châtellerault, on a 74 acre site where around 10,000 pairs of rubber wellingtons and shoes are produced annually.

Beginning in 2000, Aigle expanded into Japan and the United States. In 2006, there were 131 stores world-wide, of which 61 in France, 14 elsewhere in Europe, and 56 in Asia. Gross sales for the 2005 fiscal year were around 120 million euros.

In 2005, a (91.2%) majority ownership of the company was purchased by Swiss group Maus Frères. Maus Frères SA is a Swiss holding company that owns department stores and other loosely related businesses, mostly in Switzerland, but with some major international interests.