Company
The Berg- and outdoor shoe brand LOWA was founded in 1923 in Jetzendorf, Bavaria, and goes back to Lorenz („LO“) Wagner („WA“) who founded the „Ilmtaler Sportschuhfabrik“ from his father's shoemaker shop. Still rooted in the location, the company distributes its products in over 80 countries worldwide. What started over 100 years ago with hafer shoes has developed over the decades into a broad product portfolio, ranging from high-tech alpine shoes for 8000-meter peaks to functional outdoor sneakers for walks in the forest or on the beach. Most recently, the range has been expanded to include lightweight, dynamic trail running shoes, which benefit from the long-standing experience of the LOWA development teams. In doing so, the brand remains true to its core values: the best quality, a perfect fit, and maximum innovation. „We want to offer our customers the perfect product for a perfect product experience,“ sums up CEO Alexander Nicolai, who has been leading LOWA since 2019.
Products
Approximately 3 million pairs of shoes leave the LOWA factories annually. In addition to the main DACH markets, the Benelux countries and the USA have been important sales markets for the outdoor specialist for decades. Each country has its own requirements for „perfect“ footwear, which is also reflected in the LOWA product range. The range ranges from super-light trail running shoes, dynamic approach and hiking shoes, flexible multifunctional boots to functional trekking shoes and high-performance expedition shoes. Developed at the headquarters in Jetzendorf, every model embodies the LOWA promise of quality, fit and innovation. This starts with the sourcing of the materials used and extends to repair-friendly shoe design and the implementation of the highest working standards in production.
Sustainability
Sustainability is not a trend that LOWA has to follow. Since its inception, LOWA has always been committed to sustainability, as the shoemaker's trade in its original sense focused less on manufacturing new products, and more on their maintenance and repair. It is therefore self-evident that the company has been operating a service and repair department at its headquarters in Jetzendorf for decades. Experienced shoemakers take care of countless sole replacements, stitching, hooks and seam repairs, as well as sole replacements – in 2023 alone, approximately 18,000 soles were replaced. LOWA customers appreciate this service and are happy not to have to replace their beloved hiking shoes. What seems like a relic of bygone days in times of fast fashion and overconsumption, especially in the sports and textile industry, is a completely natural contribution to resource conservation and product durability for LOWA. The logic is simple: the longer a product is functional and can be used, the more sustainable it is. To achieve the longest possible lifespan for a shoe, it is important to pay attention to high quality already during production. This applies to both the selection of materials used and the production process.
An interview with Arthur Kudelka, Head of the Service Department at Lowa:
What makes LOWA shoes special?
In addition to the main feature of excellent fit, a key point is that a large part of our shoes can be repaired. This allows for a particularly long service life of our products.
How has shoe production changed in recent years?
The way shoes are made has changed enormously. What is particularly noticeable is that shoes are becoming lighter and lighter. If you compare expedition shoes from the past with today's shoes – the difference is enormous. Thanks to carbon soles and particularly light synthetic materials, we can produce alpine shoes with around 1000 grams per pair. Leather boots for alpine climbing were once stiff and heavy; they had to be worn in for a long time before they were even usable. Nowadays, they can usually be worn right after purchase. Also, the construction, materials and lacing and tanning processes have changed significantly. This also contributes to the fact that modern outdoor shoes are very comfortable.
You mention that as shoes and materials become lighter – doesn't this not also increase the risk that the lifespan of a shoe will be shorter?
In principle, this is true. The lighter a shoe is constructed, the shorter its lifespan. However, fast and lightweight models such as trail running shoes have been developed for a very specialized group of active people. But our mountain shoes do not focus solely on lightness. The majority of our customers want to spend a great time in nature – whether it's on a dog walk, a leisurely hike or in a climbing area. For this, none of our extremely light shoes are needed, but a good and robust hiking or mountaineering shoe.
An important factor for the lifespan is also the correct care. The statement that good shoes do not require any care is certainly a myth.
LOWA has been offering the repair service for a very long time. How is this additional service developing?
The importance of the service can already be seen in the number of employees. Currently, 21 people work in the department. Two offices take care of the receipt of goods, processing and everything that is part of a service. In addition to our workshops, numerous colleagues take care of sole replacements, stitching, hooks and seams. Another area of work is dedicated exclusively to sole replacements. Last year, more than 18,000 shoes were re-soled, and we had over 40,000 incoming items. Some of these shoes are over 20 years old. The demand for our repair service is enormous and is certainly fueled by the way our society has changed in recent years. The themes of sustainability and resource conservation are omnipresent.
In addition to these aspects, LOWA pursues a number of other sustainability goals, such as developing a PFC-free outdoor collection by 2025 and continuously reducing CO2 emissions to climate neutrality by 2050. However, the highest priority is product quality – the only compromise that is not made. „Our advantage here is that we produce almost exclusively in Europe and predominantly in our own factories. This gives us a relatively high degree of control over the entire supply chain. Consequently, we are also directly responsible,“ says LOWA CEO Nicolai.
„We are not perfect, but we do not consider sustainability as a state, but as a process. Step by step, we want to reduce the impact on the environment and nature and increase social standards,“ continues Nicolai. This also includes taking responsibility for people and employees. LOWA has been a member of the Fair Wear Foundation since 2023 – as the first purely shoe manufacturer with European production – and subject to annual comprehensive brand performance checks. This creates transparency about working and production conditions in its own businesses as well as with production partners.
The LOWA sustainability report „Etappensteiger“ can be accessed at:lowa.social/cr-report-2023
