Did you know?

 

LOWA is a company with a long tradition that has been based from the beginning in the Bavarian town of Jetzendorf. Over a period of nearly 100 years, the small shoe­making shop has become a global outdoor company that sells boots and shoes all around the world. And all our products remain 100% sourced and made in Europe!

 

What began in 1923 as a small start-up producing tradi­tional handmade Bavarian Haferl shoes has developed over the years into an inter­na­tional company with a strong global repu­tation. As a global outdoor company that is dedicated to its roots, we strive to achieve three goals at all times:

 

The highest quality, perfect fit and innovation in every area.

 

As an industry leader in the age of glob­al­isation, LOWA consciously applies a philosophy of “Made in Europe” to guarantee the best product quality, fair wages and social benefits for employees.

No Compromises

Quality, comfort and functionality make us No. 1

We aren’t satisfied with being second best. For that reason, we offer our customers only the highest quality, from materials to finished footwear. The guiding values for the high-quality of our products are the high expectations we place on ourselves and our service.

The diligence of our talented employees and their never-wavering standards to construct the perfect footwear accompanies every phase of product development. Our service regarding every aspect of the footwear takes into account this standard.

 

Optimal comfort and safety

The guiding principle of uncompromising quality stems from our responsibility to create only the highest product excellence. Our products are not only a guarantee of optimal comfort, rather they are also a piece of safety equipment. Absolute precision in development and construction are vital points for secure footing and the best possible functionality for each and every use. We see quality as a decisive and crucial part of our philosophy that safeguards the trust our customers have in our performance. And that’s exactly why we make no compromises!

Wondering what makes LOWA a LOWA?

Here are 3 key reasons to choose a LOWA boot:

1. LOWAs are sourced from European-made materials and handcrafted in Germany, Italy, and Slovakia. This means that the leather, fabric, and other materials that go into a LOWA are all manufactured under the world’s most strict environmental and humanitarian standards. In the EU, fair labour and environmental standards are the law of the land. LOWA’s strategy of producing 100% of its products in Europe and to remain in its headquarters in Jetzendorf still proves itself a model of success. Customers appreciate the combination of tradition and innovation and value the function, quality and fit of LOWA footwear.

2. We’ve been making footwear since 1923 and that’s all we do. We’re not making outwear or backpacks, or skis or anything else. Just footwear. Our 90+ years of boot-making experience is entirely focused on building boots that are great fitting, long-lasting, and made of the highest quality components for the world’s best athletes, explorers, and you. Now, LOWA is a market leader in many European countries and continues to push innovation and quality standards.

3. We make boots that are made of a polyurethane (PU) midsole. This is extremely important for 3 reasons: PU is more supportive, more durable, and more environmentally friendly than the other type of midsoles. We are also excited to announce a new type of polyurethane called Dyna PU. Dyna PU is lighter and offers more rebound while maintaining all of the strengths of our traditional PU midsoles.

LOWA Factory Tour

Made in Europe

How a LOWA is repaired

Sustainability at LOWA

How a LOWA is made

LOWA best material only

Leather

The most important material in the manufacturing of footwear, leather, is made stable and long-lasting by tanning. Leather is very durable and abrasion resistant, while also being flexible, somewhat elastic, and able to maintain its shape despite bending and flexing. Plus, depending on its treatment, it can absorb varying amounts of water vapour. In addition, it can be made waterproof during the tanning process through a special impregnation, the so-called hydrophobic treatment.
The tanning agents are bonded firmly to the fibres of our high-quality leathers. Our tanneries produce their leathers as environmentally responsibly as possible, and each runs its own wastewater treatment plants.

LOWA uses only specially selected cow hides from Europe. These are of course free of pollutants.

Handmade in Germany

Types of Leather

Based on their desired uses, leathers are differentiated in many ways, for example:

  • Smooth leather – Upper layers of the hide, not as scratch resistant.
  • Nubuck leather – Upper layers of the hide, lightly brushed, moderately scratch resistant and stable, ideal for trekking boots.
  • Suede leather or split leather – Middle layers of the hide, visible grain, very durable, limited stretch and less resistant to tears.
  • “Roughout” (“Hunting”) leather – Very durable surface with a stable backside, optimal for Alpine boots.

Cowhides in a unfinished state are approximately 6 to 8 mm thick and must therefore be split. During the tanning process it’s decided where the splitting will occur – whether it will be a thicker full-grain leather and a thinner split-leather or vice-versa.

LOWA Made In Europe

Punching Pattern Pieces

Very similar to what happens in baking biscuits, a press – hydraulic in this case – punches a pattern-cutter through the leather. A pattern-cutter is necessary for every piece of the footwear, and of course also for each piece for each shoe and boot size. What’s vital to the quality of the footwear is where the pattern-cutter is placed on the varying leather types based on their structure and flexibility.

Handmade in Europe LOWA

Sewing

After the leather pieces are punched out, they must be precisely sewn together with robust sewing machines. The seams of a GORE-TEX® lining must also be taped tightly shut after the pieces are sewn together.

Handmade in Europe

Gluing and Fixing

At LOWA, an exclusive spray-on gluing process guarantees that the material’s pores for transporting moisture out of the footwear remain open. Fixing the various metal eyelets and hooks is done with a specialised riveting machine.

LOWA Unique Soles

Lasting

A last is what one calls the foot-shaped forms made of wood or plastic on which a shoe is made. The shoe (or the uppers) are literally shaped over the last in order to achieve the use- or company-specific features in the shoe or boot that are hallmarks of the fit and feel.
For every type of footwear there is a special last that is designed for specific demands and expectations. Women’s footwear styles of course have their own special LOWA lasts.

LOWA Boots Made in Germany

Shaping the Uppers

Shaping the uppers (the top part of the shoe or boot) is the difficult process of forming the shape of the leather and then attaching it to the last. These days, heavy, computerised machinery guides the process of drawing the leather upper over the last until it is firmly and properly positioned.
Then the lasting machine’s pincers pull the bottom edge of the upper fully underneath the form, allowing the upper to be fastened using cement or tacks on an insole that’s been placed on the last. The outsole will be attached later to this same insole – no matter whether its intended shoe or boot is meant to be flexible or stiff.

LOWA are made with care in Europe

Rubber Rand

A typical quality hallmark of LOWA is the rubber protective edging, or “rand”, that is mounted separately. This rubber strip that runs around the footwear protects the leather from moisture and damage.

How a LOWA is made

Soles

LOWA almost exclusively uses rubber soles which are usually equipped with a cushioning midsole of polyurethane (PU) foam. Not only the underside of the shaped and cemented upper, but also the sole must be extensively pretreated before they can be cemented together with a pneumatic press. Immediately after attachment, the bonds are cured in a cooling chamber.

LOWA Boots Made in Germany

Removal of the Last

The last, which has given shape to the product during production, is then pulled out of the finished footwear. Until several years ago, this difficult task was still done by hand. Today, heavy-duty machinery completes the job.

LOWA Boots are made in Europe

Finishing

During the final quality control, all footwear gets a finishing touch. Then laces are thread, footbeds inserted, and product tags attached before the footwear is packed in a box.

LOWA Making off a boot

Packing and Shipping

Footwear is stored in the LOWA warehouse and sent to customers from there.