Kochmann Boots - 120 years of footwear DNA
Markus Kochmann
We here at International
Dealer News are always pleased to be able to recognise notable anniversaries , and Kochmann Boots ( Karl Kochmann Cologne GmbH & Co . KG , to give the original full company name ) has been celebrating a remarkable pair of anniversaries recently . The company that is now known worldwide for handcrafted , high specification and supremely comfortable motorcycle riding and casual boots and footwear celebrated its 120th anniversary last year . The company entered the motorcycle market in the early 1970s , but brought with it a quality footwear pedigree that goes all the way back to the opening of its original retail shop in Cologne , Germany , in 1899 . The company made its motorcycle industry debut at
the old IFMA expo ( the forerunner of INTERMOT ) at the old Cologne Expo Centre in 1974 with the ' Hockenheim ' - its first motorcycle-specific boot design , and the company hasn ' t stopped innovating . Kochmann ' s principles in approaching the motorcycle market were five key criteria - stylish , comfortable and practical designs with safety and waterproofing at the top of the list - and those are still the " Kochmann Principles " now that this most traditional of footwear brand names is well into its second century .
Being able to successfully combine those five sometimes conflicting principles remains the ' Holy Grail ' of motorcycle bootmakers worldwide , and Kochmann ' s latest new-for-2020 designs show that the company never intends to make or sell boots that don ' t come as close to that perfection as humanly possible . Kochmann dropped out of retail in 1945 when the decision was taken to reposition in the post war world as a wholesaler - 2020 sees the company celebrating the 75th anniversary of that change of direction . Following its 1974 debut in the motorcycle market , the company leveraged the success it had and the design ' vibe ' of the range with the " Redbike " accessories label - best known for its classic , retro and custom style helmets - the brand synergy with Kochmann boots being timeless design , great workmanship , safety , good fit and market-driven prices . The company moved out of Cologne in 1977 to Troisdorf ( between Cologne and Bonn ), and into a new 1,000 sq m purpose-built OEM-manufacturing , distribution , sales and marketing headquarters in 1999 . The company is still in the ownership of the founding