Production - Hanwag Production

From sole to upper

A HANWAG hiking boot requires over 100 production steps. Join us on a tour of our production facilities, learn more about selected production steps and see how we make our cemented construction footwear. We build most of our shoes using this special technique. It’s what makes them so sturdy, durable – and resoleable.

Our production process

1. preparation and cutting

2. making the upper

3. Lasting

4. Sole assembly

5. Finishing

6. Our Locations

7. Our products

Step 1

Preparation and Cutting

Let’s get started!

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WHAT GOES INTO A BOOT

A HANWAG boot is made of up to 200 different parts. These are prepared and assembled using a range of different techniques in at least 120 separate steps before the final boot is ready to wear.

HANDCRAFTED EXPERTISE

This requires specialist machinery and expert craftsmanship. And it’s only possible thanks to the long-standing experience and expertise of our production team in making high-quality footwear.

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THE FIRST STEPS

There’s lots to do: cutting, skiving, punching, marking, stamping and ironing. During these first steps the foundations are laid as the different parts are prepared for further processing.

INSPECTING THE LEATHER

The finished leather is sampled and inspected. Quality control is an important factor when making high-quality footwear. Both sides of the leather are checked. How does the surface texture of the nubuck feel? Are the fibres too long?

Thickness is checked using a leather thickness gauge. This is important because different boots require a different thickness of leather.

PUNCHING OUT THE PARTS

A steel punch knife is carefully positioned on the leather – to waste as little material as possible. Any stretch, quality issues and damage or defects also have to be taken into account. The cutter needs to have extensive experience and expertise. No visible part of the boot may show a leather defect. Leather with small visual defects can be used to make parts that get hidden inside the construction.

The punch knife is pressed into the leather with a punching press. Special spikes in the punch knife mark the position of the lacing holes.

There is a unique punch knife to make each part for each model – in all the corresponding different sizes.

STENCILING THE UPPER PARTS

Using a template stencil, the leather is specially marked. The stencil has special so-called braids on both sides. The braids transfer a silver foil from the stencil to the leather. And these markings show the stitcher which way to sew the parts together later on.

SKIVING THE UNDERLAP

The underlap is a part of the boot that gets hidden inside the construction. Using a sharpening machine, the piece of leather is carefully skived to reduce its thickness and produce a bevelled edge. This helps the construction, look and fit. Generally, the flesh side is skived. This will later become the inside of the boot.

STAMPING THE LOGO

The leather is stamped with the HANWAG logo. It’s created using a hot 140-150°C stamping machine at 2.5 to 3 bar pressure for five seconds.

Different models get different logos – some are stamped and some are stitched.

THE UPPER SECTIONS GET REINFORCED

To give the boot the required stiffness and longevity, the sections of the upper need to be additionally reinforced. Reinforcing elements with a layer of glue are positioned on top of the upper part before being sealed in an ironing press. The pressure and the heat bonds them together.

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hanwag-produktionsleiter-stefan-jerg-side

At HANWAG, people play the most important role. I’m totally convinced that you cannot replace the handcrafted expertise needed to make our shoes. The skilled hands and experience of our employees guarantee our quality.

Stefan Jerg • Head of Production

Location Vierkirchen

Made in Europe

We make all our footwear in Europe and virtually all our suppliers are based here too. We see producing in Europe as the best way to produce sustainably and to ensure the highest quality standards by guaranteeing shorter transport routes and maintaining close, long-standing relationships with our partners and our employees.

100 %

of our footwear is made in Europe.

1921

is the year HANWAG was founded – and we’ve been manufacturing shoes at our headquarters in Vierkirchen (Bavaria) ever since.

99 %

is the value share of raw materials that we source from Europe.

Next step

Making the upper

Step 2

MAKING THE UPPER

Genuine craftsmanship in 3 – 2 – 1 ..

NEEDLE & THREAD

In the stitching department, the uppers are built from a number of different parts. Working on their trusty sewing machines, the experienced stitching team make complex processes look easy.

STEP BY STEP

Once the upper is stitched, it passes through many pairs of hands as it moves through the production process, step by step. Travelling through the production halls, it starts to look more and more like a boot.

STITCHING THE UPPER

Fast-moving hands operate the whirring and humming sewing machines. This is where the various parts that make up the upper are stitched together – in the stitching department. High concentration and nimble fingers are the name of the game.

Regulating the needle speed using the foot pedal, the stitcher deftly manoeuvres the parts of the upper into the right position. The three-dimensional nature and thickness of the material mean that you need nimble, but also strong fingers.

RIVETING THE LACING ELEMENTS

Get set… go! The metal ace hooks are positioned with the help of the markings and then riveted in place.

Operated by foot, the riveting machine quickly punches the rivets into the leather upper at 4-5 bar pressure to secure the lace hooks. It’s important that the correct length of rivet is used for each thickness of material.

GLUEING THE HEEL CAP

Once the upper is joined up and ready – either before or after riveting – the heel cap is fitted. It’s worth noting that the heel cap is made of leather fibres (LEFA) – recycled offcuts and shavings from leather processing. It’s important for it to be fitted in exactly the right position to ensure a good fit.

The upper and cap are coated with glue. This is then activated – by heating it.

Then the heel cap is carefully positioned in the upper and they are pressed together. On to the next step!

GLUEING THE PADDING AND FITTING THE LINING

The padding is glued into place inside the upper by hand. Padding has two functions: comfort and protection. It protects your feet from pressure points, and protects the lining from damage, for example from the back of the metal lacing parts.

Next the lining is glued. To fit the lining, the production worker pulls it through the boot, taking care to make sure that it is centred, forms no folds, and is properly glued – she applies more glue if required.

Waterproof protection!

On boots with a GORE-TEX lining, the edge of the upper has to be sealed. To do this, glue is injected between the leather upper and the lining, then they are bonded using heat and pressure.

INSPECTING THE UPPER

Is the quality right? Once ready, the upper is inspected for quality assurance. The production worker checks the leather for any signs of damage or defects, ensures that both boots match perfectly and tidies up any left-over threads. If required, these are cut and singed to remove any loose strands.

HANWAG is all about quality. This is something that is continually checked and monitored throughout the production process – right the way through to the final quality inspection.

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I check very carefully during the final inspection – each model has to correspond exactly to the final sample and the stitching’s got to be perfect.

Csilla • is hot on quality

Progressz shoe factory in Hungary

But that’s not all…

To make a HANWAG Tatra Light boot, we have 60 different production steps in the stitching department alone.

And then a further 40 processes in the sole assembly unit in the hall next door.

Next step

Lasting

Step 3

Lasting

What’s it all about?

CEMENTED CONSTRUCTION

Shoemakers use a range of construction methods to attach the sole to the upper. The cemented construction is a highly demanding and complex handcrafted technique.

TAKING SHAPE

During the cemented construction, the upper is pulled over the insole on a last and then bonded together. The last itself is a model of a foot made of wood or plastic around which a boot is made. It plays a fundamental role in that it defines the shape of the upper and the resulting boot.

ACTIVATING THE UPPER

Steam is used to activate the upper. What does that mean? The leather upper and the toe cap are made softer and more stretchy. Why? Because if the upper material is too stiff, it can tear during lasting.

Once it’s ready, the upper is pulled over the last and it is ready to be cemented.

LASTING THE TOE

This is where the pulling over and toe lasting machine comes in. It forms the upper around the last and cements the front of the boot to the insole from the toe to the ball of the foot. It’s important for the production worker to place the boot carefully in the machine, so that the tongs can grab it and pull the upper over the last accurately.

Glue is applied to the insole to cement the upper and its lasting fold in place – we show it being done by machine, but it can also be done manually. Shears on both sides close the lasting fold over the insole.

LASTING THE SIDES AND HEEL

Pliers are used to align the heel.

Then the half-finished boot is placed in the side and heel lasting machine. The upper and insole are already covered in glue. The side presses of the machine push the lasting fold over the insole. It’s important that they fit cleanly and that there is no play between the upper and the last.

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IT’S ALL ABOUT THE LAST

The fit of a boot is determined by its last. No two feet are the same. This is why we do more than make all our boots using the same last, only in different sizes. We use special anatomically-shaped lasts for women and men. Moreover, in addition to our standard lasts, we also have special lasts for different shapes of feet, or specific activities.

SHAPE & FIT

The longer, the better! If the last remains inside the shoe for a longer period of time, this helps to improve the fit. We want our boots to have a long-lasting fit that will keep its shape over time.

20 h

The minimum number of hours that the last remains inside a HANWAG boot.

Next Step

Sole assembly

Step 4

Sole assembly

O sole mio…

HEART & SOLE

The sole unit is without doubt the most complex part of a boot. All four parts of the sole unit – the outsole, cushioning, insole, and footbed – have to be compatible and work well with the rest of the boot. A boot would be nothing without its sole.

STRENGTH & PRECISION

Fitting a sole to a boot upper looks a lot easier than it is – because it’s really hard work. Each upper comes with a two-kilo last still inside it. The sole is pulled onto the upper and the sole is pressed into place. A skilled production worker can sole around 350 pairs of boots a day.

ROUGHENING THE LEATHER

With certain types of leather, the leather upper is roughened first. This opens and enlarges the surface of the leather, so that the initial layer of glue penetrates deeper into the material. In addition, the roughened area also marks the position of the rubber rand, which is glued on later.

The operation requires experience – the production worker handles the lasted boot and the machine skilfully, so that only the required area of the upper is roughened.

ADDING THE MAIN LAYER OF GLUE

One coat good, two coats better! After the first coat has dried for 45-60 minutes, the second, main coat is applied. Leather is a porous material, which is why two coats of glue are needed.

The production worker applies the glue with a brush – using masking tape to mark the edge of the rand and give it a clean edge.

The main coat also needs 45-60 minutes to dry.

GLUEING THE RAND

The upper and the rubber rand both have a coating of glue, which then is heat activated. Working carefully, the production worker pulls the rand with activated glue over the boot – lining it up with the edge of the glued upper. This requires a lot of strength!

The upper and rubber rand are then sealed together in a press.

FITTING THE OUTSOLE

The outsole is the interface between the boot and the ground. It consists of two parts: the midsole and the tread.

The outsole and the boot are treated with glue, which is then heat activated. The production worker then starts fitting the sole, working from the toe down.

After undergoing a check for proper alignment, the boot goes into the press. Here, the glued joints are compressed using 2-4 bar of pressure.

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FROM OLD TO NEW

Why replace hiking boots that are perfectly worn in? If the sole has worn down after years of use, our boots and shoes with a cemented construction or double-stitched construction can be resoled. People often send in boots that have been worn for decades – now that’s what we call long lasting.

19631

The number of pairs that we resoled in 2022.

Next step

Finishing

Step 5

Finishing

The final steps

FINISHING

The finishing process is the final step in the whole manufacturing process. The boots get a final once-over. Everything is checked, cleaned and packed by hand.

QUALITY CONTROL

We only use high-quality materials and expert manufacturing processes – for good reason. At the end of the day, HANWAG footwear is all about quality. So quality assurance is an important step to ensure that this applies to everything we make.

REMOVING ANY GLUE

The finishing line is in sight. And in the finishing department, any traces of glue are removed from the rubber rand.

FOOTBEDS AND LACING

Each boot is given a high-quality footbed. And the lacing is done up.

Time for the final inspection, before the boots are quality wrapped in paper and boxed up ready to go.

THE BOOTS ARE PACKED

To protect the boots from discolouration and scratches they get wrapped in high-quality paper. A label with care instructions is attached and finally the finished pair of shoes is boxed up ready to go.

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WAY BEYOND A BOOT

As shoemakers, we’re passionate about crafting the best possible footwear. Quality, craftsmanship, fit and functionality – these are our core values, this is what we stand for. And this is reflected in every boot that leaves our workshop.

Discover

Our production sites

Our boots are 100% made in Europe

Vierkirchen (Germany)

In 1921, Hans Wagner founded his shoemaking business about 30 kilometres north of Munich. HANWAG still has its headquarters here today. In addition to the two-storey office building, some models are still manufactured entirely on-site in the production hall. In addition, almost all materials undergo quality control here. Take a closer look.
Hohentengen (Germany)

All HANWAG double-stitched models are assembled by the Reck & Sohn shoe factory in Germany. The company is one of the few that still masters this elaborate construction method and thus produces particularly durable boots.
Croatia

In the north of Croatia, Consors has been manufacturing shoes for HANWAG since 1999 and is the largest location in terms of sheer quantities. In the stitching department, uppers are sewn for almost all HANWAG models and Donje Ladanje is also the biggest site for repairs and resolings. Read more.
Hungary

Since 1994, Progressz has been producing shoes for HANWAG. The company was taken over in 2015. In the east of Hungary, mainly uppers are sewn for other HANWAG factories, but some models are also manufactured completely. Around 90 competent shoemakers are working in the stitching and assembly departments. Take a closer look.
Serbia

In cooperation with Skandia, HANWAG can produce multifunctional hiking boots in Europe. In their factory in Serbia, our footwear is manufactured with high-tech machines and the soles are automatically injected. However, a lot of manual work is still involved in the models, for example in the production of the uppers and quality control.
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Since 2021, HANWAG has been manufacturing at the Sanino company in the north of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The region has been known for its shoemaking tradition for a hundred years and therefore many very experienced shoemakers can be found here. At this location, uppers are sewn and, for some models, the so-called bottoming (sole assembly) is also carried out directly.