HAIX stands for the highest quality, but how do we ensure that only flawless materials are processed into the best footwear? As a manufacturer of high-tech shoes for people who perform extraordinary deeds to help others, we attach great importance to maximum quality in the selection of materials – over and above the norm.

Daily in-house checks ensure a consistently high level of production quality. We achieve this high standard by using the best materials in combination with precise quality assurance before, during and after production.

Quality assurance by specialists

Ten employees at the Mainburg headquarters’ quality assurance department scrutinise every part that is processed into HAIX functional shoes. If the material is flawless, it is packed and handed over to the warehouse. That gives the production department approval to process the material.

But it is not just the raw material that has to undergo the strictest checks. Our shoes are continuously checked throughout the production process to see if any damage occurred during processing. If the shoe has defects, it is sorted out and classified as second or third choice. Finally, the end product is thoroughly checked again for any defects. This is how we ensure that only products of impeccable quality are delivered to our heroines and heroes.

Thorough incoming goods inspection using leather as an example

The leather we use at HAIX is different from the conventional leather usually used in shoe production. We exclusively use European bullhide leather from certified suppliers. But why bullhide leather? It has a different structure to conventional cowhide. This is due to the fact that female cattle get pregnant, causing the leather to stretch and contract again and again. This has the disadvantage that the shoes fit well when you buy them, but after intensive use they can widen enormously and no longer offer the perfect fit.

The quality of the leather is ensured during the incoming goods inspection using the latest testing and inspection techniques. First, the thickness of the leather is measured. The optimum thickness for our shoes is 2.5 mm to 2.7 mm. Basically, the harder the material, the more durable and robust the functional shoe will be in the end. To ensure waterproofness, the leather is hydrophobed. Hydrophobing means that the leather is made water-repellent through a special tanning process. As a result, the shoe does not absorb water as quickly, retains its shape longer and is less susceptible to cracking or rapid ageing. The hydrophobicity is verified by means of a wetting test. This involves dipping a piece of leather in water. The shoe must not soak up the water. Only then is it considered to have ‘passed’ the test. The look of the bullhide leather also plays a key role. Does it have holes or any unevenness? Are the different layers or the colour peeling off? The leather is only passed on to production if its look is flawless.

To ensure that heroes around the world wear the highest quality on their feet, we constantly check our materials for quality assurance. Only if a shoe is of high quality can it fulfil its tasks and ensure the safety and comfort of our heroes and heroines in extreme situations.