For practically a century, LOWA has made boots for mountain efficiency. Evolving with the panorama, LOWA now makes footwear for hikers and on a regular basis explorers.
From a cobbler store to the very best peaks on this planet, LOWA’s historical past displays the expansion of mountaineering and climbing during the last 100 years.
As an early sponsor of mountain expeditions, LOWA turned related to high-alpine athleticism. A few of its bestselling footwear have been round for many years — with updates, after all.
The model remains to be making new footwear to satisfy the wants of contemporary clients and people treading on extra modest floor. Right here, we’ll contact on a few of the model’s highlights from its historical past and showcase a few of its latest footwear.
A Century of LOWA
As LOWA closes in on its a centesimal anniversary, we will look again at its development from a cobbler’s store in a Bavarian village to a world firm distributing footwear to greater than 70 nations.
Within the Nineteen Fifties, the founder’s daughter and her husband pulled the corporate out of post-war chapter and commenced sponsoring mountain expeditions.
When Jim Whittaker turned the primary American to summit Everest in 1963, he had LOWA mountain boots on his toes. Enjoyable truth: These are actually on show within the American Mountaineering Museum in Golden, Colo.
The Nineteen Seventies noticed improvements in its dense midsole moldings and the primary vulcanized rubber soles. Maybe extra importantly, its “Air” ski boot launched air-cushioning inside ski boots.
The bestselling Renegade GTX Mid marks its twenty fifth 12 months. It’s already been named to Backpacker journal’s Corridor of Fame.
LOWA’s footwear has expanded into extra specialised areas like climbing, alpine mountaineering, crossover path sneakers, and even informal put on. Moreover, it makes a line of care merchandise and equipment like laces and socks.
Versatile Footwear for City and Path
LOWA’s status tends to middle on its high-alpine mountaineering and cold-climate boots. Nonetheless, the model has constructed out its portfolio to place its spin on climbing boots and everyday-wear footwear.
Most of the applied sciences in its technical boots have trickled right down to its extra informal footwear. Consider them as toned down with out being dumbed down.
Take observe: The boys’s and ladies’s use totally different lasts to raised match totally different foot shapes.
Malta GTX — Males’s & Ladies’s
One of many latest additions to LOWA’s lineup, these footwear are for the “on a regular basis out of doors” set. Like all LOWAs, the midsoles use polyurethane foam midsoles to withstand compression and add sturdiness.
Meant for: Out of doors life-style, gentle day climbing, journey journey
Trek Evo GTX Mid — Males’s & Ladies’s
Trek Evo GTX Mid boots are produced from vegan-friendly, artificial supplies. LOWA designed these boots to emphasise stability and luxury for sustained efforts on unfriendly floor. The GORE-TEX waterproofing permits for warmth to flee, and the soles use Vibram’s Rock Trac Sense for grip on the rock.
Meant for: Trekking, technical scrambles, and lighter-weight backpacking
Axos GTX — Males’s & Ladies’s
The Axos GTX is a life-style shoe designed to offer consolation (and magnificence) throughout commutes, working errands, and informal journeys outdoors. It deliberately leaves behind some technical prowess, and the model stands behind this shoe’s consolation and sturdiness. The supplies are all vegan-friendly, based on the model.
Meant for: Straightforward hikes, journey, and concrete adventures
The LOWA Method
LOWA’s mission is straightforward: “Construct the world’s most comfy and sturdy out of doors efficiency footwear and accomplish that whereas treating individuals and the pure world with respect.”
As such, LOWA operates below the European Union’s strict manufacturing, environmental, and labor requirements. This contains auditing its provide chain for adherence to a Code of Conduct which units hours, wages, and holidays. It’s additionally a member of EOCA, an alliance of European out of doors corporations that carries out worldwide nature safety applications, together with reforestation.
As a part of its delight and custom, LOWA emphasizes making boots that final. Consequently, that’s a part of its sustainability mission as effectively, as a result of longer product life means fewer footwear pile up in landfills. An extension of that’s the current introduction of its resole and restore program, which revamps roughly 20,000 pairs of trainers per 12 months.
LOWA’s headquarters in Jetzendorf, Germany, is powered by 100% renewable power, based on the model. As a lot as 25% of that comes from the photo voltaic panels on the roof. The model additionally offers bus transportation for its workers to carpool and scale back site visitors.
This text is sponsored by LOWA. See extra LOWA footwear on-line.
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