VÖLKL GmbH & Co. KG

First steps
Franz- Xaver VÖLKL found the shoe factory VÖLKL in the small village Aiterbach in 1926. This one man business produced clogs with an upper part made of leather for stable and farm labour.

Due to the growing market Franz- Xaver VÖLKL soon needed help from 5 empoyes. He sold small quantities of double stiched leather shoes which he produced in his workshop. That was the begining of the brogue collection.

Because of the lack of space the company had to buy a farm and to convert it into a workshop in 1936. At that point VÖLKL had already 15 employes. Even though the first sewing machines were procured the assembling of the sole with the shoe remained hand work.

At the outbreak of the Second World War the constant extantion of VÖLKL ceased. The company had to produce small quantities as materials were rare at the end of the war.

From hand work to industrial production
In 1948 the company moved to Allershausen. Owing to the increasing market Franz-Xaver VÖLKL extended his business. There was now enough place to occupy 24 employes. New machines were bought and the production upgraded. Leather ski boots became part of the range of goods.

In 1967 the certificated shoemaker Franz-Xaver VÖLKL Junior took over the management. While the business expanded VÖLKL gained a reputation for it’s high quality. The company cultivated close cooperations with several german atheletes who were member of the olympic team.

Franz-Xaver VÖLKL was seriously ill so that he decided together with his family to sell the company. He died the 20th December 1999. VÖLKL is now a subsidiary company of B. Stumpp & S. Baier GmbH as his ancient owner wished. In this new constellation the philosophie of the company is as much to cultivate the tradition as to be innovative.