About Rieker Shoes

The Rieker Shoe Company is a family success story. Founded in Germany in 1874, Rieker has produced footwear for over 130 years. Today, the company produces the Rieker Antistress shoe line, which is "designed to provide the customer with the feel good factor in everyday life."

History

Herr Heinrich Rieker founded the Rieker Shoe Factory in 1874 in the Black Forest region of Germany. When Herr Rieker died in 1924, the ownership and management was passed down to his three sons: Ernst, Karl and Heinrich, Jr. Initially, Rieker was producing footwear for only the wealthiest people of Italy, but today they are a global company, employing over 10,000 people worldwide. A family business, Rieker has been operating for over five generations, and Markus Rieker now runs the company.

Manufacturing

Rieker shoes are made from templates called "lasts." The lasts determine the size, shape and fit of the shoe. Rieker changes the lasts periodically, in accordance with fashion trends. Each new shoe style requires a new last.

Antistress System

Rieker has created an antistress system, which it claims produces shoes that are "lighter, roomier, more flexible and shock-absorbent." They are lighter as a result of the material used to make them, and roomier because the lasts allow for extra room at the toe. Rieker describes the shoes as "more flexible" because they are handstitched, and "shock-absorbent" because the sole distributes pressure over the entire surface of the shoe. In addition, the company offers four different sole types: polyurethane, thermoplastic, rubber and multicolored.

Availability

Rieker shoes are available in 53 countries, including most European countries, Russia, New Zealand, Australia and the United States. The U.S. corporate office is based in Orlando, Florida, and the corporate office in Germany remains in the Black Forest region, where Rieker began.

Awards

Rieker has accumulated a number of awards over the years. Some of these include:

Winner, Draper Footwear Brand of the Year (2008)
Finalist, Draper Footwear Brand of the Year (2006)
Independent Footwear Retailers, Best Customer Service (2006)
Independent Footwear Retailers, Brand of the Year (2005)
Independent Footwear Retailers, Brand of the Year (2004)
Independent Footwear Retailers, Brand of the Year (2003)

Resources

• Munro Shoes
• Shoes Online 4 U