Hanwag

HANs WAGner, who founded and gave Hanwag its name, was born 1896 in Jetzendorf (Upper Bavaria). He learnt, just like his father and grandfather before him, the craft of shoemaking. Similarly, his two brothers Adolf Wagner and Lorenz Wagner were also shoemakers who grounded respectively the companies Hochland and Lowa. 1919 Hans Wagner learnt the art of making double-stitched shoes in Munich. This special technique, which few contemporary shoemakers master, is still used by Hanwag. 1921 Hans Wagner opened his own workshop in Vierkirchen (which is still the home of Hanwag). As well as producing ‘made to measure’ shoes, he carried out shoe repairs and even visited neighbouring farms with his tools to work for food or for a day's wage.

1996 the ‘Alaska GTX’, the best-known and most important trekking boot to date was first produced. It remains one of Hanwag’s bestsellers and its design has never been altered. 2004 lacking an inheritor, Sepp Wagner sold his company to Fenix Outdoor AB on the condition that all workplaces were to be kept and the head office remained in Vierkirchen.