In 1923 Jetzendorf, with around 570 inhabitants, was just a little village near the Freyberg Castle, surrounded by a few large farms. Most of the folks of Jetzendorf earned their living as day-labourers, woodworkers or brewers and worked up at the castle or in the local brewery. Down in the village, Johann Wagner ran his own small shoemaking business, working during the day and making music in the evenings. The brass and strings of the Wagner family were well known in the area! Johann Wagner´s sons, Lorenz, Hans and Adolf, worked with him. They would set out across the fields to the farmers, walking for several hours, with their tools and lasts in a rucksack and their cobblers stools strapped to their chests. At the farms, they would repair shoes or make simple footwear on the spot. The leather was provided by the farmers. Their working day lasted 11 to 12 hours, even on a Saturday.

Lorenz, Hans and Adolf Wagner took the time to look around other shoemakers´ workshops and learned all about "Zwienähen", the double-stitching method used up in the mountains. Even today, people still speak of the "Goiserer" shoe, a traditional design of shoe, which takes its name from the "Goisern" valley in the Tyrol. A shoemaker could manage to produce two pairs of such shoes in a day; later, the introduction of machinery meant that three pairs (without the heels) could be made. The machines were installed in the barn. The "Goiserer" was soon joined by the "Bayern" and "Allgauer” models as, step by step, LOWA began to grow. A room rented from the local tailor and the attic of the family home were pressed into service as workshops. The end of the 1920s saw the start of specialist labour - there were cutters and shapers, and workers responsible for soling, welting and sewing the footwear – the rest was done by machine.

In 1930/31 the first factory buildings were constructed, 15 metres long by 6 metres wide. The shoemakers were accommodated in the attic space, amongst them the apprentice Sepp Lederer. In the mornings he had to heat up the stove, prepare the water to soak the leather and clean the shoes belonging to the family of master craftsmen who were his employers. In those days one paid tuition fees for the privilege of obtaining an apprenticeship and places were not easy to find, especially in such a modern shoemakers´ business as LOWA.

It was the time of the world economic recession and it was possible to pick up machines at knock-down prices from shoemakers who had gone bust. Yet even so, certain acquisitions were only made possible by the extra income generated by the family’s music making – and they were all good musicians.

Second time around

In 1945, Lorenz Wagner began again – with no raw materials and with out-of-date equipment, but with a full measure of optimism. From 1948 onwards, he and his co-workers (the workforce was, unfortunately, still not at full strength) produced a comprehensive range of footwear, from the double-stitched mountaineering boots to ski boots and lightweight "California" sandals. The brothers, who had founded their own shoemaking businesses before the war in nearby villages, now became serious competitors – an additional spur for Lorenz Wagner to become even bigger and even better. The competition between Lorenz, Hans and Adolf bred three different brands – LOWA, Hanwag and Hochland.

Sepp Lederer steers a new course

Meanwhile, Sepp Lederer had taken over the running of the business. During the struggle to survive these difficult times, he and Lorenz Wagner´s daughter Berti grew closer. They managed to bring the bank and the trustees round to their way of thinking. And in 1952 they celebrated their marriage. After the death of LOWA´s founding father they were now responsible for the company. Sepp Lederer recalls, "I saw at the funeral – and I will never forget this picture – the whole team assembled, carrying wreaths two by two and I thought to myself with people like these you simply have to go on". There was so much strength to be seen in these people, and they expected me to carry on, too. From 1955 on, the situation had stabilised. In particular, the development of mountaineering and ski boots was pushed. Equipment used on numerous expeditions gave the company valuable knowledge. Important feedback came from people like Dr. Karl Herrligkoffer, who became famous through his Himalayan expeditions and in particular his trips to Nanga Parbat, and from famous mountaineer Walter Kellermann.

Imitation – the sincerest form of flattery…

Meanwhile, the ski boot market began to experience something of a revolution. At LOWA, it was above all the famous ski instructors Gattermann, Martin Puchtler, Walter Kuchler and Rudi Mayer who set the pace for new developments. The world’s first "vulca" sole (a rubber sole directly attached to the shoe bottom without glueing) was developed at Jetzendorf. Unfortunately, the company had the idea but not the money to invest in the expensive machinery needed for their production. The makers of the machine, with whom LOWA had developed the idea, wanted money. LOWA was forced to stand by and watch as a large company in Wurttemberg introduced the most up-to-date production methods – just one of the many disappointments the true pioneer is obliged to deal with. There was some small consolation, though – imitation, after all, is the sincerest form of flattery.

Plastic or leather?

Probably the most difficult decision the ski boot production team had to make came in 1967. To continue to produce in leather, or change to plastic? At LOWA, there was a divergence of opinion. The risks seemed too great, particularly since LOWA would again be breaking new ground. But Sepp Lederer had faith, and became the first Bavarian manufacturer to embrace the new plastic technology. Its success proved him right. It was a daring move, because of the finances and the personnel. At the time, the economic regeneration in Germany was so powerful that it was a difficult enough job to get any people at all. In Bavaria there was no one who was prepared to take the risk. I had negotiations with Metzeler about the production of this footwear; and also with Romika, since they already had a machine for injection moulding. And such a machine was extremely expensive. It was for this reason that Kastinger approached me and said, "Neither of us has enough money – so let’s buy one of these machines together!" But I had already developed so many new ideas, with patent applications pending, which I would have had to share. So I said to myself, "You´d be better off buying one on your own!"

LOWA grows and flourishes

The growth of LOWA brought with it the need for larger premises. In 1959, a further story was added to the existing works building. The family house had to give way to a new wing. A short while later a new unit was built to house the vulcanisation equipment. It was here that, in 1970, the first injection moulding machinery was installed. The raw materials storeroom was accommodated in the old cow shed in the castle grounds, while the now-defunct brewery provided space for the plastic injection moulding production. The cutting and shaping process was relocated to an unused factory building and a supply depot was built. Yet still there was not enough room. An offer of additional factory space in Nuremberg arrived with perfect timing and LOWA acquired the once renowned Medicus footwear factory 50 km away after it filed for bankruptcy. With 850 sq. metres of floor space, it was the ideal location for the important supply depot for uppers and inner boots.