
100 years of LOWA
1923 – 2023
The year of 2023 marks a milestone in LOWA’s history. The shoemaker is celebrating its 100th anniversary. It is the perfect time to look back over the last 100 years and bring the company’s history to life.
The year of 2023 marks a milestone in LOWA’s history. The shoemaker is celebrating its 100th anniversary. It is the perfect time to look back over the last 100 years and bring the company’s history to life.
“I, the oldest son in our family, inherited our parents’ estate, which consisted of both some farm land and a cobbler shop. It was understandable that my aim was to create a company from the cramped little shoemaking shop, as foolhardy as this plan may have seemed to many in the area.”
— Lorenz Wagner | LOWA
100 years of pioneering spirit
But don’t be mistaken: This is not some fairy tale. It is a true story. Lorenz, Hans and Adolf Wagner lived in the Bavarian community of Jetzendorf on the river Ilm more than 100 years ago. Their father taught the cobbler trade to them, and the three went on to make Alpine boot history as the founders of the brands LOWA, Hanwag and Hochland.
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Good and bad fortune were walking hand in hand when the former apprentice Josef Lederer, nicknamed Sepp, returned to LOWA. The company had run into economic problems, and Lorenz Wagner, the head of the company and its founder, had died. At the same time, Sepp fell in love with Berta Wagner and married her. Together with Berta’s brother, Josef Wagner, the new generation managed to save the company and turn it into an internationally known and successful brand.
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The years of 1992/1993 marked the dawn of a new era at LOWA. Josef Lederer sold the company to Tecnica of Italy, and Werner Riethmann became the company’s new managing director and shareholder.
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100 years of vision
100 years of artisanship
100 years of innovation
100 years of daring
100 years of recognition
100 years of respect