The location of the former company headquarters was no accident. At the time of the company’s founding, the small city of Sindelfingen, located in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, was not only a renowned centre of hand weaving, but also counted some of the best shoemakers in Germany among its inhabitants. As is to be expected, much has changed since the company was founded at the turn of the 19th century.

The current company headquarters in Bietigheim-Bissingen now combines a storied handcrafting tradition with modern, value-oriented management. That being said, the underlying premise remains the same as it was at the company’s outset: creating charming, long-lasting men’s shoes representing the pinnacle of handcrafted perfection.

PRODUCTION IN HUNGARY

Moving the Heinrich Dinkelacker factory in the 1960s proved to be both an historic and a forward-looking decision. Our shoes continued to be produced in Hungary up until the end of 2019. Back then, the Hungarian metropolis was already considered the world capital of shoemaking craftsmanship, whereas the sophisticated shoemaker’s guild in Germany was hindered by a lack of new recruits. Our masterpieces were created in the beautiful city on the Danube for almost 60 years, until the loss of traditional craftsmanship began to make itself felt here too from the middle of the 2010s onwards.

THE BRAND OF THE CENTURY

In the early 2000s, Heinrich Dinkelacker reached a further milestone in its history. In 2004, when the company, which was previously family-owned, found itself without an heir among its ranks, the three shoe lovers Dr Wendelin Wiedeking (the former CEO of Porsche AG), Norbert Lehmann (a former IBM Manager) and Anton Hunger (the former Head of PR at Porsche AG) stepped in and took over the company leadership.

A passion for Heinrich Dinkelacker shoes drove them to commit tot he brand; each new owner had been a devoted fan for decades.

The trio consciously chose to avoid introducing any sort of automation, process optimisation or mass production. Instead, they focused on establishing an international presence for the traditional luxury shoes. Heinrich Dinkelacker’s extraordinary commitment to exclusive quality was reinforced when the company took the ‘Brand of the Century’ prize in 2015.

HISTORIC MERGER

Heinrich Dinkelacker further evolved in the fall of 2016 through its merger with Shoepassion GmbH. The Berlin-based shoe brand had been offering its own collection of Goodyear-welted, full-leather shoes for men and women as well as sophisticated accessories since the beginning of 2010, and initially operated exclusively online. In the intervening years, the once purely online player has established its own brick-and-mortar retail locations in all major German cities as well as several European capitals. The historic merger of one of the oldest German shoe brands with one of the youngest united classic craftsmanship with 21st-century digital savvy. As such, Heinrich Dinkelacker is perfectly equipped for the future of retail.

OFF TO NEW SHORES: IBERIAN MASTER CRAFTSMEN CREATE THE FOOTWEAR OF DREAMS

For reasons of quality and the preservation of Heinrich Dinkelacker's unique traditional products, we felt compelled in the pandemic year of 2020 to break new ground and relocate our shoe production from Budapest to Almansa in Spain. This small town, located between Albacete and Valencia, looks back on over 300 years of shoe-making tradition and has, over time, become the unofficial shoe capital of the country. Over a period of two years, we supplemented the knowledge of local experts with the know-how needed to produce traditional Budapest-style shoes. With success! Made by the hands of Iberian master craftsmen from the high-quality materials carefully selected by Heinrich Dinkelacker in Europe over the decades, we have found a way to maintain the standards set by our founder Heinrich Dinkelacker and to ensure the further development of the brand in the future.