PROMO
FOLLOWING IN THE FAMILY FOOTSTEPS TEXT: IRA HÄUSSLER
ILLUSTRATIONS: BETH WALROND
Founded in a world that now seems far removed from ours, the first years of the company’s history were also those of a country coming to terms with the physical and mental legacy of two World Wars – and one in which the innovative spirit of shoe salesman PAUL RÖSELER made all the difference. Unsatisfied with what was available in terms of women’s shoes, he fashioned models from straps of fabric, discarded gas masks,
T H E »SO L E« O F O UR COMPANY IS AND ALWAY S W IL L BE OUR C R AF T.
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and painstakingly collected pieces of wood. »KLÄPPERCHEN«, a sandal for the modern woman of her time, were modeled by his partner, HILDE RÖSELER, who wore a size 4 ½. They were such a success that Hilde, overwhelmed by the demand on her shop, had to call police reinforcements. The ara company, however, which was officially founded in 1949, soon adapted to the demand and soon outgrew the potato storage shed, which served as its first production site. Focusing exclusively on women’s shoes from the beginning, the growing team moved into its first factory site in Langenfeld, NorthrhineWestfalia, where the company’s headquarters are still located, and doubled production from 200 to 400 pairs per day. All the men of the Röseler family who have been at the helm of the company
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