Company history
Everyday for 70 years Josef Wagner was to be seen at the company, and even today is often found there. His knowledge and his shoe making handiwork are unique! In 2004 he set the course of the company for the future, he handed over the reins of corporate manager, while ensuring the direction of HANWAG with his successor.
The company’s founder was HANS WAGNER who came from Jetzendorf. The company name HANWAG originates from the name HANS WAGNER. He was one of three sons born to the master shoe maker Johann Wagner. Together with his brothers Adolf (later: Hochland shoe manufacturer, Weichs) and Lorenz Wagner (later: Lowa shoe manufacturer, Jetzendorf) he was apprenticed to his father to learn the shoe making trade.
The production of double stitched shoes was not commonly known at that time and HANS WAGNER acquired these skills under a master shoe maker in Munich. In 1921 HANS WAGNER, based in Veirkirchen, started to work alone, initially only making shoes to measure, and then he started to make double stitched traditional Bavarian shoes. By 1923 he had already employed a sales representative to sell the finished shoes.
His skilled work and his commitment combined with some luck secured the young master shoe maker HANS WAGNER a loyal customer base and allowed for the foundations of further development to be laid. Proudly, even today, some of those early clients still comprise part of the companies trusted customer base.
In the mid 1920s along side the traditional Bavarian shoes and alpine shoes, the first ski boots, made of leather, were produced. 1940 saw the conversion from hand completed double stitching to machine production. The production and sales of shoes rose steadily enhanced by the application of new materials. In 1970 the company began to develop the first functional alpine ski boots, “Haute Route”, which were market leaders for almost ten years. Climbing shoes and specialized shoes for hang-gliders and para-gliders also came into production at HANWAG. HANWAG is a trusted authority in its market. HANWAG, with FUTURA, launched a new concept in 1992, the integrated bootleg-tongue-system, which helped stop the tongue of the shoe sliding while the reduced pressure on the shin bone and calf muscles resulted in greater comfort.
Between 1972 and 2004 Josef Wagner was responsible for the running of the company. Through his commitment and constant striving for improvement and continuing development in alpine, trekking and hiking shoes many new models of shoes were launched in this time.
Since 1st September 2004 HANWAG has been taken over by the Fenix Outdoor Group. The happiness of the customer and the quality of the product, as expected by the customer, remain of primary importance to the company. HANWAG is joined with the trade marks Fjällräven - http://www.fjallraven.se/ - and Primus - http://www.primus.se/ – two other subsidiaries of the Fenix Outdoor Group, and together they are all known for the highest quality in the area of products for outdoor activities.
Now HANWAG maintains its philosophy of "Advancement from tradition" and looks to the future, combining traditional values with innovative and fastidious ideas in its products.