The History of the Factory

The art of shoemaking has a long tradition in Aurland, and the story behind the iconic Aurland shoe goes back in time. The shoemaking profession here has roots that date back to the 1880s. At that time, farmers sewed their own shoes, which were known as ‘loda shoes’. A loda shoe was simple to make and was a common shoe type amongst the Norwegian farming community. At its peak, during the period between 1930 and 1970 there were 19 factories employing around 100 workers making Aurland shoes. The 100 employees were only the men, whilst the ladies cleaned, accepted orders, and kept accounts. Although the 1930s were marked by economic downturns, there was optimism in Aurland with a new shoe on the market. However, the end of the 1960s – saw a tougher time for the shoe industry in Norway and increased competition led to the closure of shoe factories across the whole country. This also had a knock-on effect on shoe production in Aurland. In a short time those 19 factories were reduced to just a few. Despite many leaving the shoe making industry, there was one person who tried to keep the shoe making profession alive with the Aurland shoe. Ansgar Wangen, his wife Eldbjørg and their son Svein Odar, have been the only producers of the Aurland shoe since 1989. In 2008 the business was transferred to other local owners and was registered in the Economusèe in 2009, as the only business of its kind in Northern Europe. Today Aurlandsskoen is 100% owned by Norway’s best, previously known as Flåm AS.