Rieker

Rieker was founded in 1874 in Tuttlingen, in Germany's Black Forest region, by Heinrich Rieker and Carl Seitz, originally trading as Rieker & Seitz. The company took its current name after Seitz left the business in 1901. Heinrich Rieker died in 1905, and his three sons, Ernst, Heinrich Jr., and Karl, took over, renaming the firm Rieker & Co. in 1907 and expanding its export business into foreign markets through the early 20th century. By the mid-1960s the company employed more than 2,000 workers. Rieker remains family-owned today, now in its sixth generation, and has grown into one of Europe's larger shoe manufacturers, employing around 23,000 people worldwide including its remonte brand. The company's signature is what it markets as Antistress technology: lightweight, cushioned construction intended to reduce foot fatigue over the course of a working day, rather than shoes built primarily around fashion silhouettes.