Hanwag Shoes & Boots

Hanwag has been making boots in the Bavarian village of Vierkirchen since 1921, and still makes them in Europe rather than Asia. The range here runs from the Rotpunkt approach shoes through Makra Trek and

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30 products

About Hanwag boots

Hans Wagner opened his workshop in Vierkirchen, a Bavarian village of 1,100 people, in 1921. He was the son of a shoemaker and had trained in Munich in double stitching, a technique few makers still use and one Hanwag has kept. Two of his brothers founded boot companies of their own — the family produced three separate Bavarian bootmakers. Hanwag has been part of the Swedish Fenix group since 2004, alongside Fjällräven, but production stayed where it was: Vierkirchen, with further facilities in Hungary and a family workshop in Croatia that has worked exclusively for Hanwag for over thirty years.

Hanwag bunion boots and fit

In 2013 Hanwag built a last specifically for people with bunions — hallux valgus — giving more room around the big toe joint without making the whole boot wider and sloppier elsewhere. Two of those models are here, the Alta Bunion II and the Klarsby Low Bunion. They also suit anyone with a broad forefoot and a normal heel, which is a fit most hiking boots handle badly by simply going up a size.

Fit is the whole argument for a boot at this price. A £300 boot that rubs is worth less than a £90 one that doesn't, so this is a range worth trying on rather than guessing at.

Hanwag hiking boots, trekking boots and approach shoes

The range divides by how much weight you are carrying and how rough the ground is. The Rotpunkt shoes and low Kaduro sit at the light end, closer to a trainer, for paths and travel. Makra Trek and Makra Pro are the middle — supportive enough for a full day with a pack, still flexible enough to walk in comfortably. The Alaska, Ancash and Bergler are the heavier end, stiffer through the sole for rough ground and multi-day loads. Anything named GTX has a Gore-Tex membrane; the leather models without it breathe better but need proofing.

Most of these are built to be resoled. Around 20,000 pairs a year go back to Vierkirchen for new soles, and the brand keeps a pair belonging to a German geologist that was resoled twelve times over decades of use with the original uppers intact. That is the reason to buy at this price rather than replacing a cheaper boot every few seasons.

Browse all boots at Yards Store, or come and get fitted at our Manchester store.

Hanwag FAQs

It is a boot shape developed in 2013 for people with bunions, or hallux valgus. Rather than making the whole boot wider, it adds room around the big toe joint while keeping the heel and midfoot held in place. It suits anyone with a broad forefoot and a normal-width heel, which is a combination most hiking boots handle badly.

Most of them, yes. Hanwag resoles around 20,000 pairs a year at its own factory in Vierkirchen, and double-stitched models can go through the process repeatedly — the brand keeps a pair that was resoled twelve times with the original uppers still intact. Whether a specific pair can be resoled depends on its construction, which is listed on the product page.

All in Europe. The headquarters and factory are in Vierkirchen in Bavaria, where the company started in 1921, with further production in Hungary and a family-owned workshop in Croatia that has worked exclusively for Hanwag for more than thirty years.

GTX models have a Gore-Tex membrane, which keeps water out but slows how quickly the boot breathes and dries. Leather models without the membrane breathe better and are usually more comfortable in warm weather, but need regular proofing to stay water-resistant. For British winter walking most people want GTX.