Lowa

LOWA Shoes, Tested Under the Most Extreme Conditions

The German shoe brand LOWA can tell stories that will make your hair stand on end. The nearly 100-year-old family business specialized from its inception in footwear for mountaineers. All the great peaks of the world have been climbed wearing LOWA shoes, and renowned alpinists like Hans Kammerlander—who has stood on the summit of twelve eight-thousanders—entrust their lives to LOWA. The demands that extreme conditions place on material, fit, and safety are fundamental to the manufacturer's philosophy and working methods. Over the years, new product lines have been brought to market, such as hiking boots, ski boots, and—more recently—safety shoes, but absolute precision in design and engineering remains synonymous with the name LOWA.

The Ambition of the Village Shoemaker

LOWA started in 1923 in the southern German village of Jetzendorf, under the shadow of Munich. Founder and namesake Lorenz Wagner was the village shoemaker there. His intention was to make the best and safest mountain boots that existed. Soon, Lorenz and his three sons acquired a regional reputation with their handmade 'double-stitched' shoes. Although the modest workshop prospered into a factory with an ever-increasing production of mountain and ski boots, there were also difficult times. During the Korean crisis, leather prices rose by 50%. To purchase enough materials to keep the company running, the Wagners had to earn extra money as musicians, a talent shared by all family members.

From Handcraft to High-Tech

The history of LOWA is one of continuous development, based on the philosophy of the traditional village shoemaker: delivering work you can be proud of. New markets were explored, and LOWA was always the first to embrace new technologies. The family business was taken over in 1993 by the Italian Tecnica group, but product development and production—with the exception of ski boots—still take place in Jetzendorf. In 2010, LOWA celebrated a milestone: that year, more than 2 million pairs of shoes were sold. And the growth continues. LOWA is the market leader in German-speaking countries and the Benelux and is increasingly present in North America, Eastern Europe, and Asia.