Eduard Meier GmbH, also known as Ed Meier, is a German

shoemaking Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand, often by groups of shoemakers, or '' cordwainers'' (sometimes misidentified as cobblers, who repair shoes rather than make them). In the 18th cen ...

company. Founded in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

in 1596, it is the oldest existing shoemaking company in the world, as well as one of the oldest continuously operating companies in the world. Today, the company's headquarters and main store are located at Palais Arco, Brienner Straße 10, in Munich.

History

EdMeierLieferkutscheResidenzHofgartenstr

The business was founded by Hans Mayr and was first mentioned in 1596. Mayr was selling shoes primarily to the

upper class Upper class in modern societies is the social class composed of people who hold the highest social status. Usually, these are the wealthiest members of class society, and wield the greatest political power. According to this view, the upper cla ...

. The company was purveyor to the Saxon royal house, the

House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen () was a principality in southwestern Germany. Its rulers belonged to the junior House of Hohenzollern#Swabian branch, Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern. The Swabian Hohenzollerns were elevated to princes in 162 ...

, and since 1895 also to the Bavarian royal house, holding a Royal Warrant. Customers could get customized shoes "for every occasion and usage" by

mail order Mail order is the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote methods such as: * Sending an order form in the mail * Placing an order by telephone call ...

. Mayr made wooden replicas of each customer's feet and stored them for at least 30 years so that customers could choose new shoes from an illustrated catalog. At the beginning of the 20th century, Wilhelm Eduard Meier expanded the offering with ready-made high-quality shoes. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the company was rebuilt from ruins by Eduard Meier II who inherited it from his father. To maximize accuracy of fit, Meier used a pedoscope to see feet inside shoes. The result of his examinations were his patent-registered "Peduform" shoes. Today, the company is led by siblings Peter Eduard Meier and Brigitte Meier (13th generation). Besides high-quality, ready-to-wear footwear and bespoke shoes, their offering includes sports and outdoor gear, classic-style clothing and trachten,

leather goods Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...

and accessories. In the city of Munich, they can be delivered by horse-drawn carriage as in former times.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Shoemakers, Meier Manufacturing companies based in Munich Bavarian Royal Warrant holders Saxon Royal Warrant holders 1596 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire Companies established in the 16th century Organizations established in the 1590s German brands Shoe brands Outdoor clothing brands Fashion accessory brands High fashion brands

History

References

Further reading

External links