Haflinger USA - About Us

As early as 1898, the dressmaker, Emil Otto sen. a textile handicraft business in Goslar. Emil Otto, great-grandfather of today's managing director, quickly made a name for himself as a producer of high-quality cords and trimmings. Even then, our customers appreciated the natural materials and the precise workmanship in the best craftsmanship tradition.

A short time later, the family business made first-class yarns to produce high quality socks. In exactly these socks Emil Otto stepped on a ski holiday in Austria after a snack at the door of the ski lodge. Of course, the snow immediately soaked his socks. This travel experience inspired Emil to equip the socks made from rolled virgin wool with a sturdy leather sole. The result was not just dry and warm feet, but an innovative product. As a result, began in 1955, the success story of the hut shoe.

The next slippers, which did not yet find their way to the feet of the customers under the name Haflinger, quickly developed in our family business. The company produced exclusively for well-known manufacturers who sold the slippers under their brands. These slippers conquered a permanent place in the homes and hearts of slippers around the world. This was followed by expansions, innovations as well as new creations and the first step towards the Haflinger brand.

Foundation of the Haflinger brand

Due to the ever increasing demand of the products and the penetration of the specialized trade, the founding of the Haflinger brand took place in 1988. Due to the high quality standards and timeless design, the Haflinger brand quickly made a name for itself. The trademark was first registered in Germany, later in Europe, and the brand is now known and protected in many countries around the world. Today, Haflinger stands as a symbol and term for lovingly crafted home and casual shoes made of natural materials.

Gerd Otto Senior, father of the current managing director, who created the name Haflinger with his children, derived from the Haflinger horse, was the originator of the brand itself. What our shoes have in common with our namesake, the mountain horse Haflinger? On the one hand the grace and aesthetics, combined with powerful endurance and longevity. On the other hand, the original naturalness, surefootedness and good, faithful character. Anyone who knows Haflinger knows what friendship and trust mean.

The main headquarters of our traditional company is still located in Goslar in the heart of the original landscape of the northwestern Harz. Inspired by this backdrop and grown up with unique natural experiences, the need for naturalness and quality is closely linked to our family and our employees.

The long-standing textile tradition is today associated with the know-how of shoe production. This is the origin of the worldwide unique Haflinger shoe collection. The guideline is to combine natural foot and groin shapes with natural raw materials as well as design - with the highest demands on the best workmanship.

Back then and today everything in our history revolves around natural materials such as reeled wool from our own production, high-quality wool felt, first-class leather or flexible cork-latex footbeds and their loving workmanship.