100 years of LOWA: from music to hiking boots

What do music and mountain boots have in common? In the case of LOWA‘s 100-year history, quite a lot. In 1923, Lorenz Wagner, one of the three sons of the shoemaker Johann Wagner, laid the foundations for the LOWA brand in Jetzendorf, Bavaria. He himself was a trained shoemaker and earned the money needed to buy the machines necessary for the shoemaking trade as a musician at weddings and other celebrations. His brothers also went into business for themselves – at the same time as Hans Wagner founded the HANWAG brand in nearby Vierkirchen, Adolf Wagner was to be just as successful with the Hochland shoe brand.

 

 

The company, which was later renamed LOWA, first appeared in documents as “Ilmtaler Sportschuhfabrik”. By 1930, Lorenz Wagner had expanded his business into a small factory with a few employees. In the beginning, leather footwear was the main product, but later the focus shifted to leather mountaineering and ski boots. With the advent of alpine sports, the business flourished until the war forced the company to focus on boots for soldiers.

 

LOWA 100 jahre Jubiläum: Josef Lederer

Josef Lederer

 

 

The post-war years bring the first turning point – the crisis-ridden “Ilmtaler Sportschuhfabrik” is renamed LOWA – the brand name is made up of the initials of Lorenz Wagner. The company founder dies in 1953 – his daughter Berta and her husband Josef Lederer, a former apprentice of Lorenz Wagner, run the company together with Berta’s brother out of bankruptcy. In the years that follow, the LOWA brand makes a name for itself as the outfitter of famous mountaineers on high-mountain expeditions and produces custom-made shoes in Jetzendorf for mountaineers from all over the world. Business is booming again.

 

LOWA 100 jahre: Gruppenfoto von 1953

The company in 1953

 

 

The next turning point came in 1992/93: the brand, now in its third generation, once again ran into difficulties due to poor business decisions. The shoe factory in Jetzendorf is finally sold to the Italian company Tecnica – a company that started at the same time as LOWA with similar products. With the purchase of LOWA, Tecnica secures an important position in the alpine footwear market. Tecnica moves LOWA’s ski boot business to Italy and finally closes down LOWA’s ski boot production in 2008. Under the Tecnica umbrella, LOWA in Jetzendorf now concentrates entirely on outdoor and mountain footwear. The restructuring, expansion and technical developments were successful, and by 2000 the brand had sold one million pairs of shoes. The company building, once 15 square metres, grows to 7000 square metres.

 

 

LOWA Übernahme durch Tecnica:

 Tecnica takes over the company: LOWA CEO Riethmann with Tecnica CEO Zanatta

 

 

Today, LOWA is one of the leading brands in the mountain and outdoor footwear segment in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and employs over 2,000 people. The Bavarian shoe brand also exports to other markets – LOWA shoes are now available in 80 countries around the world. Production takes place in Europe, with partners in Slovakia, Bosnia, Italy, and Croatia. As well as its 100th birthday, the company will also be celebrating the production of its three millionth pair of shoes in 2023. Congratulations!

 

Shop our LOWA favourites:

 

 

Do you love the outdoors? Then check out the following blogposts: