With a long pedigree of traditional production of high quality trekking and mountaineering footwear, German brand Hanwag has maintained its focus whilst extending its product range. From forest hiking to exploring city streets, new designs have maintained the focus on quality materials and components along with sustained manufacturing craft and skills.
Last summer, I was slogging around the halls at Munich’s Outdoor by ISPO trade show and that great city’s streets and sights for hours and many miles. It was a pair of Hanwag’s lightweight shoes that made light work of soaring temperatures and unyielding surfaces.
Appropriately really, as Hanwag has been designing and manufacturing high quality footwear at its headquarters in Vierkirchen, near Munich, since 1921. All Hanwag footwear is made either with a cemented construction or a traditional, handcrafted, double-stitched construction.
The reasons people go hiking are as many and varied as the different types and shapes of feet that exist. And the Hanwag Banks range is all about ensuring all foot types can walk in comfort, mile after mile. Thanks to its diverse range of fits, with its four different last versions – Normal, Narrow, StraightFit Extra and Bunion for wearers with hallux valgus; simply put, it fits everyone.
For Spring/Summer 21, the new Banks Low is a low-cut version of the Banks classic hiking model, made of the finest nubuck and suede leather, with soft leather or waterproof Gore-Tex membrane lining, plus a new, highly cushioned sole construction. By combining a reinforced PU foam wedge with a high-quality footbed and additional heel to midfoot reinforcement, it offers particularly good cushioning and soft roll-off performance.
For easy entry into the shoe and uncomplicated fit adjustment, Hanwag has designed a special tongue construction – the Futura – that follows the natural anatomy of the foot and stops it from slipping outwards or forming unwanted creases.
Also in the S/S 21 offer, the new lightweight Cliffside GTX is a leisure and travel shoe, with approach-shoe styling, in the Hanwag Travel category at home outdoors, in the office or around town. Made in Europe, these ‘travel sneakers’ are hardwearing, with good shape retention from a combination of oiled and waxed split leather, feature a Gore-Tex lining and can be resoled. Deep lacing allows adjustment to different shapes of feet and provides good support.
Traynor On The Trail 