The Berkemann company was founded in 1885 with headquarters in Hamburg, Germany and all these years deals exclusively with walking and the possibility of reducing and preventing foot problems. The German shoemaking industry has enjoyed international success for more than a century, as it owes this strong reputation to innovation and the commitment, quality of construction, and business acumen of all employees, who today continue to grow and promote the company through tough their work and inspiration creating a strong brand in the business industry.
A company with confidence and a long history, Berkemann manufactures durable and sustainable shoes with a friendly and comfortable fit on the feet, from high-quality materials from European suppliers. All this combined with the skill of Hungarian shoemakers who relied on their ability and experience to produce shoe models that guarantee everyday comfort with soft leather, partially elastic insoles, removable soles, and a whole host of other great features, aiming to offer pleasure in walking and standing.
Just like the founder Heinrich Ad. Berkemann, so the company even today seeks daily to "produce the right shoes in the best quality." Quality and functionality are a product of experience and attention to detail. Just like the founder Heinrich Ad. Berkemann, so the company even today seeks daily to "produce the right shoes in the best quality." Quality and functionality are a product of experience and attention to detail. Berkemann focuses on the needs of consumers and uses the latest knowledge of orthopedic technology to create shoes so that its customers can feel comfortable today and in the future. Berkemann shoes comply with the highest European quality standards and many details are the result of orthopedic research and years of experience, while they are based on the authentic 5-phase sole and the original hand seam that guarantee high comfort and perfect fit.
Models and materials of Berkemann shoes:
Hand seams: skilled workmanship for flexibility and durability.
Many models in the Berkoflex line – the models with removable footbeds – still have a carefully handmade seam. Our shoemakers need c. 45 minutes per model to fix the letter upper to the outsole. Shoe models with hand seams are particularly flexible and durable. Absolutely worth the extra work.
Leather: naturally soft and ecologically produced.
Most of our leather comes from premium Italian tanneries with which we have longstanding partnerships. The quality of the leather plus sustainability in production, for example with closed-loop water systems, in-house wastewater treatment, energy consumption, and international certification, are the criteria by which we choose our leather suppliers. We want the best for all of us.
Poplar: sustainable and ultra-lightweight.
The poplar used by Berkemann is a natural, fast-growing, and therefore highly sustainable raw material, and it comes from European forestry. Ultra-lightweight poplar guarantees easy and comfortable walking and the toe grip function exercises build up your muscles “step by step”. Plus: poplar keeps your feet warm when it's cold, and pleasantly cool when it's hot.
Authentic 5-phase sole for natural walking:
1. Absorbent pressure of the heel
2. Start of bending
3. Support of the parallel arch on the inner side of the foot
4. Support of the transverse arch
5. Bending through the big toe
Berkemann originals: the perfect wooden footwear.
Berkemann originals are icons of the shoemaker’s art and influenced at least one generation because these models with wooden soles, whose roots stretch back to the 1950s, are the core of the Berkemann brand. All wooden soles go through the entire production process from milling the blocks and sanding to gluing, grinding, finishing, and sealing at Berkemann's own wooden sole production plant in Hungary. They are then turned into our iconic Berkemann originals with a whole lot of skill and attention to detail, for example, the nails and screw in the Toeffler models that connect wooden sole and shaft.
Great adjustment options: for a perfect fit.
Each human foot is unique. That is why most of our comfort shoe models have various adjustment options. These range from the standard lacing – our shoes also have a trendy zipper to make it even easier to step in and out of them – to straps with buckles and the handy Velcro fasteners for amazingly easy opening and closing.
Stretch: immediately reduces pressure and rubbing.
The comfort shoe models in the Berkemann Stretch line have partial stretch inserts as well as soft leather. The flexible stretch material relieves uncomfortable pressure on parts of the foot that rub or are in pain, for example as a result of corns, hammertoe, or hallux valgus. Various models tailored to these problems are available in the Berkemann range, with stretch inserts in the forefoot or side of the shoe, and now also models made entirely of this material.
