LOWA

Name

LOWA

Legal name

LOWA Sportschuhe GmbH

Website

https://lowa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Footwear

NAICS

Footwear Manufacturing (3162), Shoe Retailers (45821)

SIC

Footwear, (No Rubber) (3140), Retail-Shoe Stores (5661)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor Clothing & Footwear Retail (Camping/Hiking/Climbing) (CRAMAMAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Outdoor & Hiking Footwear (CRAAACAD)

Keywords

• Outdoor footwear
• Hiking boots
• Mountaineering shoes
• Trekking footwear
• Trail running shoes

Headquarters

HQ city

Jetzendorf

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: LOWA operates its own e-commerce platform (lowa.com) selling footwear directly to consumers across Europe. Products are shipped from European warehouses with pricing ranging from €100 to €380+ per pair. The company offers free shipping over €80 and free returns for orders over €80.
2. Retail & Dealer Distribution: LOWA distributes through authorized retail partners and dealers. The company operates a dealer locator on its website and has a separate professional channel (professional.lowa.com) for professional/military footwear customers.
3. LOWA Club Loyalty Programme: LOWA operates a loyalty programme (LOWA Club) where customers collect points (3 points per €1 spent) redeemable for discounts on future purchases. New members receive €20 welcome bonus.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

LOWA designs, manufactures, and sells outdoor footwear for men, women, and children across categories including mountaineering, trekking, hiking, light hiking, trail running, winter, and leisure. Products feature GORE-TEX waterproof membranes and Vibram soles, are manufactured primarily in Europe (Germany and Slovakia), and are sold through the company's direct e-commerce platform at lowa.com, a dedicated professional channel at professional.lowa.com, and authorized retail dealers.

Product overview

LOWA is a traditional German outdoor footwear brand (LOWA Sportschuhe GmbH, founded over 100 years ago, based in Jetzendorf) that manufactures shoes primarily in Europe. The product portfolio is organized into distinct categories for Men, Women, and Kids, covering mountaineering, trekking, hiking, light hiking, trail running, winter, and leisure footwear. Key product lines include the CEVEDALE PRO GTX MID and CERVINO GTX MID for technical mountaineering; CAMINO EVO GTX and MAURIA EVO GTX for trekking; RENEGADE EVO GTX MID/LO and INNOVO GTX LO for multifunctional hiking; INNOX EVO II GTX and MADDOX PRO GTX LO SL for progressive light hiking; and specialized children's lines like WANDAX GTX and MADDOX PRO GTX with Vibram soles. All products feature GORE-TEX waterproof membranes. The company also operates LOWA Professional (separate professional/commercial line) and LOWA Club loyalty programme. Products are sold primarily through the EU e-commerce webshop at lowa.com and through retail partners worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CEVEDALE PRO GTX MID

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000 pairs of shoes repaired annually in Jetzendorf service workshop
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration16 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Nepalhilfe Beilngries e.V.minorOthers · 1 September 2013LOWA donated €75,000 for the construction of Shree Namuna Janasewa Lower Secondary School in Sangachok, Nepal. The school opened in 2015 and now serves 460 students.
• Fair Wear FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOWA works with the Fair Wear Foundation to regularly audit all production facilities for compliance with environmental and social standards. The company received a 'Good' rating (61/100 points) in the Brand Performance Check. All LOWA production sites are externally audited according to Fair Wear Foundation standards.
• World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOWA partnered with WWF to create LOWINGO, a plush peregrine falcon. Proceeds from sales support WWF's species conservation projects and help preserve habitats of endangered animal species.
• Education for all e.V.minorOthersLOWA supports international education initiatives through donations and partnerships with organizations like Education for all e.V. and KENIAL e.V.
• KENIAL e.V.minorOthersLOWA supports global education and development projects through partnerships with KENIAL e.V. and Education for all e.V.
• AWIN AGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLOWA participates in the AWIN affiliate marketing programme. AWIN processes affiliate tracking data including click IDs, transaction data, and order values to enable commission-based sales attribution for partner websites.
• World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLOWA partnered with WWF for species conservation. The LOWINGO plush peregrine falcon supports WWF projects to preserve habitats of endangered species.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Salomon: Salomon (owned by Amer Sports) is a direct competitor in hiking, trail running and mountaineering footwear, overlapping heavily with LOWA's product portfolio across trekking, trail running and alpine categories.
• Merrell: Merrell (Wolverine World Wide) is a direct competitor in hiking and trail footwear with similar price-point strategy and broad outdoor retail distribution, comparable to LOWA's light hiking and trail running ranges.
• La Sportiva: La Sportiva is an Italian competitor directly comparable to LOWA in mountaineering, trekking, and hiking footwear, with overlapping product categories and a similar premium European-made positioning.
• Hanwag: Hanwag is a Bavarian-based German hiking and mountaineering boot manufacturer that competes head-to-head with LOWA in trekking and alpine footwear, with similar heritage positioning and European production.
• Meindl: Meindl is a traditional Bavarian bootmaker competing directly with LOWA in hiking, trekking and mountaineering footwear, with comparable premium pricing and European manufacturing.
• KEEN Footwear: KEEN is a comparable outdoor footwear brand offering hiking and trail shoes at overlapping price points with LOWA, with broader US distribution and a sustainability-focused brand identity.
• Vasque: Vasque is a heritage hiking and mountaineering boot brand competing with LOWA in technical hiking footwear, particularly in the US market where LOWA is currently underpenetrated.
• Scarpa: Scarpa is an Italian mountaineering and hiking footwear manufacturer competing with LOWA in technical mountaineering boots and trekking footwear, with similar European craftsmanship positioning.

Emerging players

• Hoka (Deckers Brands): Hoka is an emerging competitor that has rapidly grown in trail running and hiking footwear, often at premium price points directly comparable to LOWA's light hiking and trail running ranges.

Broad incumbents

• Mammut (footwear line): Mammut is a broader Swiss outdoor brand offering overlapping hiking and mountaineering footwear alongside apparel and equipment, competing with LOWA in the European outdoor specialty channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZz-f-AN6BJqY9vHIseUh_Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/lowaDECH
• Instagraminstagram.com/lowa.outdoor
• Pinterestpinterest.com/lowasportschuhe
• Xx.com/lowasportschuhe

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LOWA