About ilmia
“May we introduce ourselves? We are ilmia.”
ilmia? ilmia!
ilmia has been around for over a century—and yet we’re as modern as ever in every aspect of what we do: design, quality, and production are exactly as you’d expect today. Our sustainable manufacturing takes place in Europe, our certified handcrafted processes ensure exceptional finish, and our shoes always make a flawless impression. ilmia embodies a rich heritage of shoemaking craftsmanship. Guided by our motto, “Future through Heritage,” we continually design and develop new models that customers around the world love.
The team
We are Mirjam & Hans-Martin. With a genuine love for sneakers, we carry on ilmia’s proud, long-standing tradition.
Future through origin
Our history goes back to 1819 when sneakers didn’t even exist. Herrmann and, later, his son Paul Hoffmann first crafted work shoes and riding boots. With their masterful skills and pioneering spirit they left the first footprints of the ilmia story on the world.
Beginnings 1819 in Stadtilm
The company was founded in 1819 in Stadtilm, now part of Thuringia, Germany, by the passionate leather craftsman Hermann Hoffmann.
Made in Germany
The original workshop stood on the banks of the Ilm River, which flows through the town and inspired the name ilmia.
In 1848, Paul Hoffmann took over the company and expanded its range of products.
In 1898, Paul Hoffmann & Co. Leather Works officially adopted the “ilmia” brand name. At that time, the workshop specialized in crafting street shoes and durable work boots.
The Schuhfabrik Paul Hoffmann GmbH & Co. KG manufactured riding boots and the very first sports boots.
From 1930 onward, ilmia specialized in producing sports shoes. In the decades that followed, athletic footwear became a cornerstone of our production.
From 1940, ilmia’s sports shoe lineup expanded to include running shoes and the inaugural casual sneakers.
The fall of the Berlin Wall brought significant challenges for ilmia. Until then, ilmia had been a renowned maker of sports and football shoes in the GDR.
From 1989 to 1998, ilmia sought its place in reunified Germany and an open Europe. In 1998, production in Stadtilm was closed due to economic difficulties.
In 2003, the brand was revived—first in Berlin and later, where it remains today, in Switzerland. ilmia stands apart from the mass market, embodying a long heritage of shoemaking craftsmanship. Guided by our motto “Future through Heritage,” we design and develop new models that we present to customers across Europe, the USA, and Japan.
