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 DGUV-RULE 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

20. September 2023 / Jette from the ELTEN team
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