French footwear specialist Royer Group files for receivership

On Wednesday, October 29, 2025, the Royer Group announced it has sought protection from the Rennes Commercial Court by filing for receivership. The proceedings concern four of the group's French companies, whose names have not been specified.

“Since 2022, the Royer Group has faced successive crises and increased international competition in its market,” the statement said. “These difficulties have weakened its business, generating debt that the group must now address under the protection of the commercial court.”

This marks another French giant, this time in footwear manufacturing, showing signs of weakness. The group owns brands such as Kickers, Little Marcel, Lulu Castagnette and Longboard. It is also a licensee for Charles Jourdan, Stéphane Kelian and Spring Court.

The Royer Group employs 260 staff, a recent figure down from the 500 employees mentioned a few years ago. It comprises twenty active companies, seven of which are in France.

Royer Group: a chronicle of a defeat foretold?

The Royer Group has undergone three redundancy plans in twelve years. This was partly due to the loss of the Converse licence in 2015 and later the New Balance licence. The loss of the New Balance licence resulted in 150 job cuts and the closure of a production site.

Since 2022, successive crises and increased international competition have weakened the business and generated significant debt. The plans already implemented to revitalise the business and improve competitiveness have not been sufficient. More significant measures are now required.

As highlighted by the Breton daily newspaper Ouest France, the group launched a redundancy plan in May. This plan involved the elimination of sixty positions, thirty-eight of which were in Fougères. The Cholet (Maine-et-Loire) and Paris sites were also affected. Payment delays have also been reported.

The announced strategy involves seeking backing from investors or strategic partners and continuing with ongoing asset disposals. Management has also committed to exploring all recovery solutions “in the collective interest”.

During the receivership period, debts are frozen, which will allow the group to define its new strategy. “The Royer Group's business will continue during the proceedings. The priority remains the quality of service to its customers and team cohesion,” the statement concluded.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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