About us
Marie-Thérèse Jeanmart shoes is, above all, a family story originating from the Province of Namur, and more specifically from Wavreille.
Everything began in 1922. At the age of 18, Marcel Jeanmart and his brother François, assisted by their many siblings (coming from a family of 9 children), created a wholesale shoe company active in Belgium and Luxembourg.
In the post-war years, the two brothers took different paths.
In 1952, Marcel, assisted by his twin brother Joseph and his brother Paul, settled on Rue sur la Fontaine in Liège before moving to a location closer to the Guillemins railway station: Rue de Serbie.
Having become a major wholesaler and the exclusive importer of the Adidas brand in Belgium, it was impossible for him to open retail stores other than the one started by his daughter Marie-Thérèse in 1952 (then 16 years old) on Rue du Couvent in Grivegnée (now called Rue de la Tuilerie). Indeed, it was inappropriate to compete with the many clients present at that time in all the towns and villages of Wallonia.
It was only after Marcel’s passing on October 19, 1982, and thus after the division of the company into two sectors—the wholesale business operated by his son Fernand and the retail business operated by his daughter Marie-Thérèse—that she was able to expand by opening a store in Ans in 1985, located on Rue de L'Yser, with the assistance of her son Thierry. A third store followed in Verviers, located on Rue du Spintay, in 1988. It was in 1991 that the Grivegnée store underwent its biggest transformation.
On December 6, 1992, the current operator of the stores, Eric (then 39 years old), son of Marie-Thérèse, decided to follow the same path and open the first Mephisto Shop in Belgium, at 2 Rue de la Cité in Liège. Since then, the Mephisto Shop has moved closer to the city center, relocating to Rue de la Régence in 2005, having spent time on Rue Lulay in 2002. In 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic and in order to modernize through digitalization, a website was created www.mephisto.be.
In 1994, the Verviers store moved to Crapaurue, right in the center. This was followed by the opening of a store in Eupen in 2007, which closed its doors on January 31, 2018, when the "Eupen Plazza" shopping arcade was converted into residential apartments. Simultaneously, on March 1, 2018, the third generation re-established itself in Namur by opening a store right in the center, at 6 Rue de la Croix. In October 2024, the store moved to 4-6 Rue Saint-Jacques (in place of the former Caractère store) to gain more floor space.
All these store openings have always been family affairs, driven by a shared passion passed down from generation to generation. The strength of the Jeanmarts is knowing how to surround themselves with the best, both in terms of staff and suppliers, and always being on the lookout for the best brands. This speaks to the professionalism and expertise of the company.