STEPPER BROCHURE 2026

I AM MORE

CONTENTS

• OUR STORY – YOUR COMFORT GERMAN MASTER OPTICIAN FIT COMFORT CHARACTERISTICS MATERIALS WORLD FIT • OUR BRAND FAMILY STEPPER Origin STEPPER Spirit STEPPER Start

OUR STORY - YOUR COMFORT Creating Frames That Fit Since 1970.

First and foremost, STEPPER EYEWEAR creates frames to meet individual’s fitting requirements for optimal vision correction.

Our merits have been achieved by producing outstanding frames via a close professional relationship with opticians for over fifty years.

A fusion of optical expertise, materials innovation, design flair and a belief in creating better eyewear, benefits spectacle wearers across the world.

Ask your eyecare professional about STEPPER EYEWEAR.

GERMAN MASTER OPTICIAN

Hans Stepper’s father opened an optical shop in Stuttgart, Germany in 1936. After working in his father’s practice as a very young man, Hans was encouraged by the German frame manufacturer Metzler to pursue his interest in frame design.

“Around this time the best frames I was fitting came from the German company Marwitz & Hauser.’

‘Their product was much more expensive than others and (as a young lad) I was reluctant to offer these (in my mind) difficult-tosell glasses. However, I soon discovered that once the customer had tried them on, the reaction was “They fit so comfortably!” and in most cases the frame was sold.”

Following this advice, Hans moved to Finland where he designed frames for Instrumentarium where he could develop his skills and knowledge.

’’I soon became interested in frame design which led to Metzler International employing me as a trainee in their design studio who, in turn, recommended me to Instrumentarium, then the leading optical chain in Finland, to have my own studio in Helsinki for handmade eyewear with jewellery applications for their affluent clientele.”

-Hans Stepper

To obtain a Master’s degree in optics, Hans returned to Germany. Once qualified, and when not in optical practice, Hans worked once a week designing frames for Metzler.

During this time, it became clear to Hans maximising the fit of a frame would require a material that works with the contours of the face in a shape that remained stable.

Three generations of the Stepper family are now part of the STEPPER EYEWEAR team: Hans Stepper, Saskia Stepper and Aila Stepper.

“Comfort comes from understanding the anatomy of the face and creating a frame that works in harmony with the contours.” - Hans Stepper A customer of the practice Hans worked in, owned a factory in the evolving injection moulding industry. Together they created a company to explore Hans’s design and manufacture ideas.

Work began refining moulds and materials, with the first ‘Origin’ frames being commercially available in 1970.

STEPPER Origin frames quickly developed an excellent reputation for fit. Not only did they feel good, but they looked good too.

Their visual appeal only added to their popularity.

Today, STEPPER frames remain true to the commitment to providing frames that best meet the ophthalmic needs and style wants of the wearer.

STEPPER EYEWEAR frames are sold in over 60 countries. It remains one of the few true ophthalmic companies and it grows, year on year. Frames continue to be designed from the ‘Original German Design’ concept.

FIT The Purpose of a Frame When choosing your new frame, you should understand that a frame’s primary purpose is to hold your prescribed lenses correctly before your eyes.

When you first put on your spectacles, the lenses should be in the optimal position for your vision correction.

Once in place, your spectacles should stay in place.

Eyecare Professionals Understand Fit Eyecare professionals are qualified in understanding which frames will work with your prescription and face.

They recognise good frame fitting is critical in holding the prescribed lenses correctly before your eyes. Once a suitable frame is selected, they will adjust the frame to match your individual fitting requirements.

Time spent in frame consultation will result in eyewear that improves the performance of your lenses, enhancing the benefits of your vision correction.

A badly fitting frame compromises good vision.

How To Recognise That Your Frame Doesn’t Fit:

Value Professional Advice

• Pressure points on the nose • Soreness around the ear • Frame marks on the face at contact points • Movement of a frame requiring frequent repositioning • Poor vision due to suboptimal positioning of the prescribed lenses • Unnatural head movement to see through the correct part of the lens

A part of your frame selection process, STEPPER EYEWEAR recommends you discuss the following with your eyecare professional:

Incorrect Frame Fit If you need to regularly readjust your spectacle’s position (for example, pushing them up the bridge of your nose) this could be due to: • Your frame poorly matches your facial anatomy • Your frame has been incorrectly adjusted • Your frame fitting adjustment has moved over time

• Fit • Comfort • Lightness • Hypoallergenic properties • Suitability for your lens requirements

COMFORT Good comfort should last for as long as you wear your spectacles.

During your frame consultation, finding a frame shape to suit your face, colouring to work with your skin tone, and designs to match your style are important. But, to find a frame you will want to wear every day, these should be considered secondary to comfort.

Your eyecare professional has the expertise to assist you in frame selection that will improve comfort.

Lighter Lenses and Frames Consider the impact of your frame weight, particularly when investing in lighter lenses.

When upgrading to lighter lenses, complement this with a lightweight frame. This will maximize the weight advantage of your lenses.

For every STEPPER EYEWEAR frame we show its weight for comparison.

Sensitive Skin and Skin Allergies Skin can be sensitive to any material and prolonged skin contact, for example wearing spectacles, can lead to reaction and discomfort.

The TX5, TX3, Titanium and Stainless Steel, used in our frames, have advantageous hypoallergenic properties over other popular frame materials that can include nickel in their construction.

If you have skin allergies, ask your eyecare professional to advise you on frames that can work best for you.

CHARACTERISTICS Through design, material choice, manufacturing process and innovation, STEPPER EYEWEAR endeavours to fulfill seven key product characteristics.

Design Principles: • The overall frame curve • The temple opening angle at the lug • The temple curve • Pantoscopic angle • Temple tip bending angle and inside-outside curve • Strength and flexibility of the frame material We create frames for eyecare professionals with comfort and fit benefits for their clients - this focus will never change.

The comfort and fit of STEPPER EYEWEAR is our principle differentiator and the reason for its success. The most important function of an ophthalmic frame is to hold a pair of lenses correctly and comfortably before the eyes with the utmost precision and comfort.

“ A face is three dimensional; therefore, we design & manufacture frames in three dimensions.’’

-Hans Stepper

MATERIALS TX5 TX5 is a state-of-the-art material for premium plastic frames, allowing the essential requirements of comfort and fit.

This aromatic, transparent co-polyamide is ideal for creating eyewear. It combines minimal weight with high strength, impact strength and high transparency.

TX5 frames are manufactured using our own moulding process which evolves through constant refinement.

They look and feel different to a regular, acetate plastic frame as the moulding technology allows three-dimensional shaping that helps to reduce the weight and thickness.

Another benefit is the shape remains constant, even in hot environments.

Frames made of TX5 surpass user requirements for superior optical frames.

These are: • High stability and impact strength stronger allows for a thinner frame • Harder for greater scratch resistance • High transparency for clear designs • Good memory properties reducing • Minimum weight (specific gravity 1.04g/cm3 - almost as light as water) 25% lighter than acetate plastic • Endless colouring possibilities • Hypoallergenic properties (TX5 is ISO 10993 certified for long term harmless skin contact and biocompatibility)

TX5

TITANIUM

STAINLESS STEEL

The key reasons STEPPER EYEWEAR choose

Often used in contemporary jewellery due its strength and ability to be worked into many shapes, stainless steel makes both practical and elegant eyewear.

Titanium:

• LIGHTNESS Titanium and Beta-Titanium are 4.45 to 4.69 g/cm3. (Nickel Silver and Monel are 8.8 to 8.96g/cm3.)

• CORROSION RESISTANCE 100% resistant against any aggressive liquids such as saltwater, sweat, mineral and organic acids.

• HYPOALLERGENIC The most significant property as all other commonly used frame materials contain nickel.

BETA-TITANIUM Beta-Titanium offers an elasticity for frames with thin wires/sheet fronts, ultrathin/flexible temples and end pieces and temples that do not require a thick, threedimensional cross-section.

Most rimless frames’ components are made of Beta-Titanium, where flexibility is required to protect the lenses from breaking.

It is known to be both durable and tarnish resistant, and although not considered hypoallergenic, most people find they have no allergies to this metal.

A tough metal, stainless steel eyewear resists scratching to maintain its good looks.

WORLD FIT WHOEVER YOU ARE. WHEREVER YOU ARE. To assist in finding the right fit for you, we have identified our frames as European Fit, Asian Fit, African Fit and Alpha Fit. With roots in optical dispensing there is a preoccupation with comfort and fit with bridge and face shape data collected from different ethnicities all over the globe.

A good fit on the nose is derived from knowledge on the best fitting angles for gender and ethnicity. This involves more knowledge in comfort and fit than simply just the nose.

Our face profile knowledge ensures every frame fits almost unnoticed, minimising slip and pressure against the head and ears. This is vital with TX5 frames where a comfortable fit on the nose can be identified by looking for gaps between the wearer’s nose and the frame.

There should be no gaps visible.

STEPPER EYEWEAR World Fit • European Fit • Asian Fit • African fit • Alpha Fit

EUROPEAN FIT

Front Curve

Nose Width

Nose Fit

Head Width

Ear Width

Face Adapted Pantoscopic Angle

NEW PHOTO? PHOTO? EU EU FIT NEW FIT

Front Curve

More Curved

Nose Width

Median

Nose Fit

Higher

Head Width

Narrower

Ear Width

Narrower

Face Adapted Pantoscopic Angle

Larger

AFRICAN FIT

Front Curve

Nose Width

Nose Fit

Head Width

Ear Width

Face Adapted Pantoscopic Angle

Front Curve

Less Curved

Nose Width

Wider

Nose Fit

Lower

Head Width

Wider

Ear Width

Narrower

Face Adapted Pantoscopic Angle

Smaller

ASIAN FIT

Front Curve

Nose Width

Nose Fit

Head Width

Ear Width

Face Adapted Pantoscopic Angle

Front Curve

Less Curved

Nose Width

Narrower

Nose Fit

Higher + Pads

Head Width

Wider

Ear Width

Wider

Face Adapted Pantoscopic Angle

Smaller

ALPHA FIT

Age Related Paediatric Facial Anthropometric Design

Age

0-4

4-6

6-8

8 - 10

11 - 14

Crest Height

Splay

Angle of Side

0

2

3

5

Pupillary Distance

OUR BRAND FAMILY • STEPPER EYEWEAR STEPPER Origin STEPPER Spirit STEPPER Start Which brand is for you?

STEPPER Origin Fitting eyewear for healthy eyecare.

Ask your eyecare professional to recommend a frame that best meets your eyecare needs and there’s a good chance they will answer ‘STEPPER’.

The STEPPER Origin brand has been providing exceptional fit since 1970 and the frames are worn by millions. A success and longevity resulting from a frame design and manufacture philosophy created by Hans Stepper, German Master Optician.

The ‘original’ STEPPER Origin was created to hold prescribed lenses correctly before the eye, all day, every day with outstanding fit, comfort, and attractive styling.

Created in hypoallergenic Titanium and TX5; STEPPER Origin frames sit lightly on the wearer and minimise skin reactions.

Over 70 years of professional knowledge and more than 50 years of frame fitting data allows STEPPER Origin to produce ophthalmic eyewear with significant wearer benefits.

Advanced manufacturing, combined with applied technology, using ‘best for purpose materials’ to hold the lenses correctly before the eye, results in the optimum visual outcome.

Eyecare professionals recognise the ophthalmic benefits of STEPPER Origin frames and recommend them in clinics across the globe.

True to our original eyewear concept since 1970.

Feeling better wearing STEPPER Origin.

STEPPER Spirit Discover fashion eyewear that is as good for you as it looks.

STEPPER Spirit is an authentic ophthalmic brand that understands eyecare can work in harmony with individual style.

Look great and feel great in a frame that reflects your personality. Enjoy a lifestyle in eyewear that complements your life and your style.

Utilising ‘face-friendly’ TX5, Titanium and Stainless Steel in anatomically correct designs ensure beauty is more than skin deep and offers exceptional wellbeing.

Always at the forefront of style direction, a STEPPER Spirit frame will hold your lenses perfectly so you can be confident following trends won’t leave your eyesight compromised.

STEPPER Spirit brings more substance to style.

STEPPER Start

Children’s Eyewear Created from Science.

STEPPER Start frames have been designed and manufactured using new empirical research into children’s developing facial features.

Building on its professional approach to frame design, STEPPER EYEWEAR has worked closely with one of the world’s leading authorities on paediatric eyecare: Dr Alicia Thompson, to create frames that significantly advance and improve children’s eyecare.

After completing her extensive and acclaimed research, Dr Thompson has shared her findings with STEPPER EYEWEAR and worked with the brand to develop frames with outstanding fitting characteristics for children.

Using these measurements STEPPER EYEWEAR has worked on new designs. Starting with the facial dimensions as the base, new frame shapes have emerged. Once the fundamental designs were agreed, aesthetic appeal could be applied.

A significant benefit of stable-fitting frames is their suitability for myopia management lenses. As a result, the child can experience optimal optical performance, clear vision, comfort, and safety.

STEPPER EYEWEAR believes this unique frame development process, helps the eyecare professional deliver the best possible vision correction outcomes for children.

OUR BRAND FAMILY AND YOU Within our extensive brand family of quality, comfortable eyewear there’s a frame perfect for you.

STEPPER Origin Wearers: • Have a contemporary-classic aesthetic • Are confident in decisions • Like brands that deliver • Seek quality • Believe in good value • Appreciate reliability STEPPER Spirit Wearers: • Enjoy trying new things • Are spontaneous and active • Like standing out in a crowd • Have a keen sense of style and believe eyewear says a lot about you • Dress to fit their attitude to Life • Look for what´s fun and exciting

STEPPER Start Wearers: • Are born to be their best • Want to play • Enjoy reading, creating, and exploring • Love to learn and discover • Look for new ideas • Are carefree

ASK YOUR EYECARE PROFESSIONAL FOR STEPPER EYEWEAR STEPPER EYEWEAR is driven by a different vision of frame making.

We believe a frame is not a vehicle to hold a logo.

We see a frame as a device to hold prescribed lenses correctly, to the measurements of the eyecare professional, benefitting optimal vision with day-long comfort in a style that reflects the personality of the wearer.

Try on a STEPPER EYEWEAR frame to understand.

The Perfect Fit

www.steppereyewear.com