The shoe manufacturer Meindl is a household name especially in the field of hiking (but also tactical) shoes. The company was founded by Lukas Meindl Sr., who was already a member of the seventh generation of the Meindl shoemaking family. Under his surname, Lukas founded a brand that resonates with the outdoor industry and has been attached to it by nature lovers for almost a century.
Meindl was not always just shoes
In 1934, Lukas Meindl Sr. began producing leather clothing and accessories in addition to shoes - such as gloves - as well as the famous and legendary Bavarian Lederhosen trousers. After the Second World War, the company gradually began to grow and was joined by Lukas' sons Alfons and Hannes, who built the company into a world-famous brand. While Alfons focused more on footwear, Hannes continued to produce Meindl leather clothing in the 1950s.
At the end of the seventies, the Meindl company began to cooperate with the Italian sole manufacturer Vibram, and in 1982 the first ever Meindl shoes with a Gore-Tex membrane, the Meindl Trailer model, were created. Yes, although it may seem unbelievable, Meindl "gore-tex" shoes have already celebrated forty years on the market.
Meindl today
Currently, Meindl is run by the 9th generation of shoemakers from Kirschanschöring, the sons of Alfons Meindl, who died in 2006 at the age of 77. In recent years, Meindl has received many awards. For example, in 2014, Alfons' son Lukas Meindl Jr. was chosen as outdoor person of the year by outdoor.markt magazine. A year later, another Outdoor magazine declared Meindl the best outdoor brand of the year for the second time in a row.
In 2020, the manufacturer introduced the Pure Freedom model, its first barefoot shoe, and in 2022, one of Meindl's essential models, the Island outdoor shoe, celebrated its 30th anniversary on the market.
Product portfolio
The product portfolio of the Meindl brand is very clear and includes an assortment of trekking and hiking shoes, multifunctional and leisure shoes, the aforementioned Pure Freedom barefoot line, a line for children and youth, traditional shoes, which the manufacturer calls "Haferl", i.e. cup or potty, winter shoes and socks.