100 years of LOWA
Our history
Lorenz Wagner, the son of the shoemaker Johann Wagner, established the LOWA company in 1923 in placid Jetzendorf, a town north of Munich.
He spent days and months working on lasts, models and soles. His work laid the foundation for the future successes of the company.
But the company’s 100-year history was not always marked by good times. LOWA faced tremendous challenges particularly during the 1950s, challenges that Sepp and Berti Lederer, Lorenz Wagner’s daughter, successfully overcame.
A new era began in the early 1990s. It marked a turning point in the company’s history and made LOWA what it is today: one of the world’s leading makers of outdoor footwear.
How it all began Once upon a time, there were three brothers
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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The next generation Sepp and Berti Lederer
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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New direction Tecnica acquires LOWA
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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80 countries In the world
LOWA shoes are exported today to 80 countries around the world. Since the 1950s, major international mountaineers have worn LOWA footwear. The company’s international business operations began in the 1970s in Switzerland, Austria, the United States and Japan. Every country has its own LOWA story – and its own LOWA collection.