“In the future, sustainability will have the same standard for fashion and shoes that organic food already has,” says Christoph Mayer: The trained shoemaker from Thalheim near Wels has been working for the “Think!” shoe brand since 2014, which is based in Kopfing (ref . Schärding) is located. The topic of sustainability is slowly reaching the breadth of society, says Mayer: “But we are pioneers because we have been offering sustainable women’s and men’s shoes for more than 30 years.”
While other providers would include one or two sustainable or vegan models in their range to match the spirit of the times, “Think!” a “pioneer of sustainability”. In the future, this message will also be conveyed to the outside world via new channels: So far, social media presence has been neglected. That is about to change, also with a new manager at the helm: In mid-October, Mayer, who, among other things, built up international sales, will replace brand founder Martin Koller at the helm. The handover has been planned for two years, says Koller, who will soon be 60. However, he will remain with the company in an advisory capacity and for the creative processes and intends to gradually withdraw.
European materials only
“Think!” has been part of the Styrian shoe retailer Legero since 2000. In Kopfing, 60 employees are responsible for the development of new models (sports, casual, cork, indoor shoes), the production of prototypes and the repair service: Because once in a shoe’s life, the sole of a “Think!” shoe can be replaced. In the past financial year (as of December 31), sales of EUR 30 million were achieved (2020: EUR 24 million, 2019: EUR 29 million). 500,000 pairs of shoes are sold annually via the online shop and specialist retailers. In addition to Austria, they are represented in Switzerland and Germany and, to a lesser extent, in the USA and Canada. “We only use European materials and only have them manufactured in Europe,” says Koller. As a result, the CO2 emissions are much lower than with competitors who have their products manufactured in Asia.
Source: Nachrichten
