LOWA is a company with a long tradition based in the Bavarian town of Jetzendorf. What started off as a small shoemaking business has gone on to become a global outdoor brand that sells its products around the world.
LOWA was established in 1923 by LOrenz WAgner in the Bavarian town of Jetzendorf. The Wagner family was shaped by the idea of entrepreneurial spirit. All three brothers in the family established their own companies: Hans Wagner set up hanwag, and Adolf Wagner Hochland.
In addition to its headquarters in Jetzendorf, LOWA has branches in Switzerland, the United States, Italy and Slovakia. The company became part of the Tecnica Group of Italy in 1993.
The Tecnica Group holds a 80 percent stake in LOWA, and Werner Riethmann (Managing Director of LOWA) owns a 20 percent stake.
Today, LOWA sells about 3 million pairs of shoes around the world. If you arranged all of these shoes next to one another, you would end up with a line of about 1,200 kilometres, the length of the Alps (from east to west).
LOWA shoes are exported to almost 80 countries around the world today.
Turnover of the LOWA Group: Consolidated turnover of LOWA Sportschuhe GmbH, LOWA Schuhe AG and LOWA Boots LLC in millions of euros.
A slogan that describes the essence of who we are: our commitment to achieving “simply more”.
LOWA Sportschuhe GmbH makes boots and shoes for the hiking, outdoor and everyday segments. The company’s headquarters is located in Jetzendorf, Bavaria, not far from Munich. What began in 1923 as a small business producing traditional handmade Bavarian Haferl shoes has evolved over the years into a highly respected global brand. The traditional boot and shoe maker prides itself on its commitment to quality and fit. It is one of the leading brands in Germany, Austria and Switzerland for hiking and outdoor footwear. The company became part of the Italian Tecnica Group in 1993. The Tecnica Group is a signatory of the UN Global Compact and has committed itself to the sustainability goals set by the United Nations.
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.
In doing so, we attach equal importance to social, environmental and economic aspects, in keeping with our corporate responsibility. We have brought these aspects together to form a comprehensive CR-Strategy. The strategy places great emphasis on traditional values such as trust, honesty and respect.
Since 2008, LOWA has been certified in accordance with the international standard for quality management systems, ISO 9001, and undergoes an external audit every year. The certificate affirms that LOWA’s processes are clearly and transparently defined. Customer satisfaction is always our ultimate goal. This applies equally to both LOWA’s retailers and consumers. The audits conducted by the German Test and Research Institute for Footwear Production also focus on economic and social issues.
As the first pure shoe manufacturer to produce in Europe, LOWA has been a member of the Fair Wear Foundation since the beginning of 2023. We are thus committed to fair and responsible production processes along the entire supply chain and to their continuous improvement. The internationally active and independent Fair Wear Foundation, founded in 1999, sets clear standards for its members with regard to working and production conditions in their own factories and those of their production partners. The results are published in so-called Brand Performance Checks.
LOWA is one of the founding members of cads e.V., an association of manufacturers and suppliers that seeks to prevent the use of harmful substances in footwear. The member companies have voluntarily committed themselves to meeting the stringent requirements of the CADS guideline entitled “Catalogue of restricted substances in shoes”.
The Association of the German Sporting Goods Industry (BSI), founded in 1910, is the business association for German manufacturers, wholesalers and importers of sports equipment.
LOWA is a member of the Association of the German Sporting Goods Industry and plays an active role in the outdoor and CSR working groups. The BSI working groups explore current industry issues and provide an opportunity to actively share experiences, as well as to organise joint projects and studies.
The CSR working group is a forum for BSI members from all sectors of the sports equipment industry to exchange ideas on protecting the environment, sustainability, social initiatives and animal welfare. The group also works together to support CSR projects.
LOWA is a member of the European Outdoor Group (EOG). This association representing the interests of the European outdoor industry was established in 2003.
Sustainability is the central focus of EOG activities. The outdoor sector encourages its consumers to interact with nature in a responsible way and seeks ways of reducing its impact on the environment as much as possible without hampering performance.
LOWA is a member of the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA). This is an alliance of European outdoor companies that aims to carry out worldwide nature conservation projects.
