Important stages in our history

1969
Roland Rieker founds the RICOSTA childen's shoe factory in Donaueschingen.

1978
The PEPINO, the great little shoes from RICOSTA, brand is introduced and offers first shoes in the sizes 17 to 28.

1993
RICOSTA is awarded the German Leather Goods Prize for the first time.

1994
RICOSTA becomes the first shoe manufacturer to introduce the polyurethane sole which does not contain any bonding agents harmful to health. It is foamed direct onto the upper and makes RICOSTA shoes extremely hard-wearing, light and flexible. This patented process is regarded as a pioneering achievement in industrial shoe production.

1999 
RICOSTA becomes the Europe's first children's shoe manufacturer to be certified compliant with Eco-Audit Regulations (EMAS) and DIN EN ISO 14001 and is awarded the German Leather Goods Prize yet again.

2003 
The company is awarded the German Leather Goods Prize for the third time. The prize-winning shoe is the world's first children's shoe to be developed in accordance with sports medical findings.

2005 
The WMS Children's Feet Campaign, the largest international investigation into foot movement data on children aged between 3 and 13 years, is assisted and promoted by RICOSTA.

2007
RICOSTA is awarded the German Leather Goods Prize for the fourth time. As well as the colour and design of the prize-winning shoe, the design of the sole gains high marks.

2009
For the 5th time RICOSTA wins the German prize for leather goods and shoes. Designer Gerhard Gaiß jr. convinced the jury with an imaginative designed PEPINO-shoe with see-through PVC inlays and a rainbow-coloured sole.

Today
Our company operates production shops in Germany, Hungary and Poland, employs about 660 people full time and produce about 2 million pairs of shoes a year. By February 2009 a total of 70 million shoes had been distributed worldwide.

Tomorrow
RICOSTA will continue to offer quality without compromise and seek a dialogue with its customers.