100-Year-Old Mountaineering Boot Brand Launches Casual Hiking, Everyday Footwear
For nearly a century, LOWA has made boots for mountain performance. Evolving with the landscape, LOWA now makes shoes for hikers and everyday explorers.
From a cobbler shop to the highest peaks in the world, LOWA’s history reflects the growth of mountaineering and hiking over the last 100 years.
As an early sponsor of mountain expeditions, LOWA became associated with high-alpine athleticism. Some of its bestselling shoes have been around for decades — with updates, of course.
The brand is still making new footwear to meet the needs of modern customers and those treading on more modest ground. Here, we’ll touch on some of the brand’s highlights from its history and showcase some of its newest footwear.
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A Century of LOWA
As LOWA closes in on its 100th anniversary, we can look back at its growth from a cobbler’s shop in a Bavarian village to a global company distributing footwear to more than 70 countries.
In the 1950s, the founder’s daughter and her husband pulled the company out of post-war bankruptcy and began sponsoring mountain expeditions.
When Jim Whittaker became the first American to summit Everest in 1963, he had LOWA mountain boots on his feet. Fun fact: Those are now on display in the American Mountaineering Museum in Golden, Colo.
The 1970s saw innovations in its dense midsole moldings and the first vulcanized rubber soles. Perhaps more importantly, its “Air” ski boot introduced air-cushioning inside ski boots.
The bestselling Renegade GTX Mid marks its 25th year. It’s already been named to Backpacker magazine’s Hall of Fame.
LOWA’s footwear has expanded into more specialized areas like hiking, alpine mountaineering, crossover trail sneakers, and even casual wear. Additionally, it makes a line of care products and accessories like laces and socks.
Flexible Footwear for Town and Trail
LOWA’s reputation tends to center on its high-alpine mountaineering and cold-climate boots. However, the brand has built out its portfolio to put its spin on hiking boots and everyday-wear shoes.
Many of the technologies in its technical boots have trickled down to its more casual shoes. Think of them as toned down without being dumbed down.
Take note: The men’s and women’s use different lasts to better fit different foot shapes.
Malta GTX — Men’s & Women’s
One of the newest additions to LOWA’s lineup, these shoes are for the “everyday outdoor” set. Like all LOWAs, the midsoles use polyurethane foam midsoles to resist compression and add durability.
Intended for: Outdoor lifestyle, light day hiking, adventure travel
Trek Evo GTX Mid — Men’s & Women’s
Trek Evo GTX Mid boots are made from vegan-friendly, synthetic materials. LOWA designed these boots to emphasize stability and comfort for sustained efforts on unfriendly ground. The GORE-TEX waterproofing allows for heat to escape, and the soles use Vibram’s Rock Trac Sense for grip on the rock.
Intended for: Trekking, technical scrambles, and lighter-weight backpacking
Axos GTX — Men’s & Women’s
The Axos GTX is a lifestyle shoe designed to provide comfort (and style) during commutes, running errands, and casual trips outside. It intentionally leaves behind some technical prowess, and the brand stands behind this shoe’s comfort and durability. The materials are all vegan-friendly, according to the brand.
Intended for: Easy hikes, travel, and urban adventures
The LOWA Way
LOWA’s mission is simple: “Build the world’s most comfortable and durable outdoor performance footwear and do so while treating people and the natural world with respect.”
As such, LOWA operates under the European Union’s strict manufacturing, environmental, and labor standards. This includes auditing its supply chain for adherence to a Code of Conduct which sets hours, wages, and holidays. It’s also a member of EOCA, an alliance of European outdoor companies that carries out worldwide nature protection programs, including reforestation.
As part of its pride and tradition, LOWA emphasizes making boots that last. Consequently, that’s part of its sustainability mission as well, because longer product life means fewer shoes pile up in landfills. An extension of that is the recent introduction of its resole and repair program, which revamps approximately 20,000 pairs of boots per year.
LOWA’s headquarters in Jetzendorf, Germany, is powered by 100% renewable energy, according to the brand. As much as 25% of that comes from the solar panels on the roof. The brand also provides bus transportation for its employees to carpool and reduce traffic.
Shop LOWAThis article is sponsored by LOWA. See more LOWA footwear online.
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