HISTORY
Made with passion
In 1910, the vision of our founder Johann van Elten brought a breakthrough for safety footwear as we know it today: the first ELTEN safety shoe made of leather instead of wood.
Today we are one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of quality safety and work shoes. With more than 400 employees, we produce approximately 3 million pairs of shoes each year.
This tradition, together with the personal dedication of every single employee, underpins our commitment to the protection and safety of the individual.
2023
The automated small parts warehouse at the Molkereistraße logistics site commences its operations. It offers space for 1.4 million pairs of safety and work shoes.
2023
In order to go beyond simply purchasing certified leather, ELTEN joins the Leather Working Group, thereby contributing to the positive development of tannery standards.
2022
The new ELTEN store with a sales area of more than 800 square metres opens at the logistics site at the Molkereistrasse in Uedem.
2022
THE NEW TRANSFOAMERS RANGE WITH ITS UNIQUE MIDSOLE COMPOUND IS LAUNCHED ON THE MARKET. THE KEY FEATURE IS THE SPECIAL FOAMING (FOAM MIXTURE) OF EVA AND TPU.
2022
ELTEN IS NAMED BRAND OF THE CENTURY IN THE PUBLICATION “DEUTSCHE STANDARDS – MARKEN DES JAHRHUNDERTS 2022” BY THE ZEIT PUBLISHING GROUP.
2021
EXPANSION OF OUR LOGISTICS CENTRE IN UEDEM. WE CREATE SPACE FOR 1.4 MIO. PAIRS OF SAFETY AND WORK SHOES!
2021
INTRODUCTION OF THE WELLMAXX SAFETY-GRIP SERIES: SHOES FOR TOUGH ENVIRONMENTS COMBINED WITH THE SOLE CORE MADE OF INFINERGY® BY BASF, WHICH IS GENTLE ON THE JOINTS.
2021
PRESENTATION OF OUR NEW PRODUCTS IN OUR SHOWROOM IN THE GREEN – THE CORONA-COMPLIANT A+A ALTERNATIVE AT THE HAUS DREI ESCHEN IN UEDEM.
2021
PURCHASE OF A NEW DESMA HIGH-TECH MACHINE TO INCREASE THE WELLMAXX PRODUCTION CAPACITY.
2020
LAUNCH OF THE FIRST L10 CLOTHING COLLECTION, CONSISTING OF HOODIES, SWEATSHIRTS AND T-SHIRTS.
2020
LAUNCH OF THE NEW BAREFOOTER SERIES. THE WORK SHOES ARE EXTREMELY LIGHT AND FLEXIBLE THANKS TO THE SOFT SOLE XL EXTRALIGHT.
2020
EXPANSION OF THE ELTEN FIRE COLLECTION WITH FIVE NEW MODELS.
2020
ELTEN BECOMES THE EXCLUSIVE SAFETY SHOE PARTNER OF UNION BERLIN AND SUPPLIES THE TEAM BEHIND THE TEAM WITH SAFETY SHOES.
2020
ELTEN TURNS 110 YEARS OLD.
2019
NEW DESMA DIRECT SOLING MACHINE MOVES INTO THE OLD FINISHING HALL. WITH THE NEWEST GENERATION MACHINE, PRODUCTION CAN BE EXPANDED BY UP TO 1,850 PAIRS OF SHOES A DAY.
2018
EXPANSION OF CAPACITIES: NEW AUTOMATIC SOLING MACHINE WITH 30 STATIONS AT THE UEDEM SITE.
2018
ELTEN BECOMES AN EXCLUSIVE SAFETY SHOE PARTNER OF BORUSSIA MÖNCHENGLADBACH AND EQUIPS THE TEAM BEHIND THE TEAM WITH SAFETY SHOES.
2018
ELTEN BECOMES A SPONSOR OF THE MOTORSPORTS TEAM RING POLICE.
2017
NEW FOOT PROTECTION CONCEPT FOR PARTICULARLY DEMANDING FEET.
2017
INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW ESYMMETRIC SERIES. THE SPECIAL ASYMMETRIC OUTSOLE SUPPORTS THE NATURAL MOVEMENT OF THE FOOT WHILE WALKING.
2015
NEW EUROPEAN LOCATION ELTEN SLAVAKIA IN SLOVAKIA.
2015
NEW SERIES WELLMAXX. SAFETY SHOES WITH A REVOLUTIONARY SOLE CORE MADE OF INFINERGY® BY BASF.
2014
INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW SERIES BIOMEX DYNAMICS WITH A SPECIAL OUTSOLE CONCEPT.
2013
INTRODUCTION OF A CONCEPT FOR SEMI-ORTHOPAEDIC INLAY SOLES.
2013
THE INNOVATIVE OUTSOLE DIMENSION PRO WAS DEVELOPED IN COOPERATION WITH SCIENTISTS OF TÜBINGEN UNIVERSITY – FOR MORE COMFORT AND SAFETY ON MODERN INDUSTRIAL FLOORS.
2012
INTRODUCTION OF SAFETY SHOES EQUIPPED WITH THE BOA CLOSURE SYSTEM, REPLACING CUSTOMARY LACES
2011
WITH ITS NEW SERIES L10, ELTEN SETS NEW STANDARDS WHEN IT COMES TO MODERN SAFETY FOOTWEAR.
2008
ELTEN OFFERS ORTHOPAEDIC FOOT PROTECTION ACCORDING TO EN ISO 20345/20347 (DGUV 112-191).
2007
ELTEN INTRODUCES SAFETY SHOES WITH A COMPOSITE TOE CAP
2006
ELTEN ERGO-ACTIVE, THE NEW FIT PROS WITH 4 FEATURE TECHNOLOGY
2005
COOPERATION WITH BRAND MANUFACTURER LOWA
2004
INTRODUCTION OF L-PROTECTION, A NON-METALLIC PENETRATION-RESISTANT MIDSOLE
2003
BIOMEX PROTECTION© FOR THE STABILIZATION OF THE ANKLE JOINTS
2002
CONSTRUCTION OF A MODERN DISTRIBUTION CENTRE IN UEDEM
2001
INTRODUCTION OF THE PATENTED ELTEN SAFETY-GRIP SOLE
2000
INTRODUCTION OF ELTEN ESD-LINE FOR PROTECTION AGAINST ELECTROSTATIC ENDANGERED DEVICES
1995
HEINER VAN ELTEN AND JÖRG VAN ELTEN (FROM 2002) TAKE OVER THE MANAGEMENT AS THE COMPANY FOUNDER’S GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN
1984
DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIRECTLY INJECTED TWO-LAYER SOLE PU/PU
SINCE 1960
USE OF STEEL TOE CAPS TO PROTECT THE TOES
1954
HEINZ VAN ELTEN AND LATER ON ALSO EUGEN VAN ELTEN ARE THE THIRD GENERATION OF THE FAMILY TO RUN THE BUSINESS
1950
HEINRICH VAN ELTEN TAKES OVER THE PATERNAL COMPANY
1947-1949
RECONSTRUCTION OF THE FACTORY AND ADMINISTRATION
1945
COMPLETE DEMOLITION OF THE PRODUCTION FACILITIES AND ADMINISTRATION
SINCE 1920
INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT OF STYLES WHICH FIT THE DEMANDS OF INDUSTRY AND SKILLED TRADES
TOP LEFT: MINING BOOT FROM 1950
UNTEN LINKS: LACED BOOT FROM 1960
RIGHT: ARMED FORCES BOOT FROM 1970
1910
FOUNDATION OF THE SHOE FACTORY IN UEDEM BY JOHANN VAN ELTEN.
THE FIRST ELTEN WORK SHOES MADE OF LEATHER – INSTEAD OF WOOD, AS IT WAS COMMON AT THAT TIME
