The Pirmasens-based shoe manufacturer Caprice Schuhproduktion GmbH & Co. KG took over Peter Kaiser around a year ago. Now the first plans for the shoe brand are becoming known.
Peter Kaiser’s first collection under the shoe manufacturer, which is part of the Detmold-based Wortmann Group, will be available for SS25 in Europe-wide specialist retailers from January, the city of Pirmasens announced on Thursday, where not only Caprices sits, but also Peter Kaiser deep is rooted. The company has already won 700 retail partners for the collection. A Peter Kaiser outlet is also scheduled to open in March.
“We will bring Peter Kaiser back to where Peter Kaiser belongs,” said Jürgen Cölsch, managing partner at Caprice.
In the first step, the brand’s pumps were revised without abandoning the brand’s classic orientation. In addition to the existing range, other models such as sneakers, sportier ballerinas, party shoes and sandals were also included. There are also matching bags. For FW25/26, stretch leather boots and double-face lambskin shoes will also be included in the range.
Even after the takeover, there should be a clear separation between the Caprice and Peter Kaiser brands. Caprice is represented in the middle segment with a recommended retail price of 69 to 100 euros for leather shoes, while Peter Kaiser is established in the higher-end luxury segment with recommended retail prices of 130 to 180 euros. The lines have separate prototype development and sample production in Pirmasens as well as different production teams at the Asian locations. In addition, a separate representative base was set up for Peter Kaiser within the group, which can partly use the Caprice sales network as a “link to the 4,000 shoe retail customers,” according to the statement.
“Peter Kaiser represents a good piece of proud Pirmasens history – we consider ourselves extremely fortunate that the tradition, which is unparalleled in the industry, is being continued at the location,” said Pirmasens Mayor Markus Zwick.
Peter Kaiser’s history in Pirmasens goes back to 1838, when the namesake “founded the first German shoe factory,” according to the statement. At the end of 2020, the company filed for bankruptcy as a result of the pandemic. A few months later, managing director Stefan Frank took over shares together with investors Hans-Joachim and Gisa Sander. They secured the brands and assets and planned a restart. This new start only really began at the end of last year with the takeover by Caprice.