Heated footwear brand Hotronic announces expansion push in North American retail segment Hotronic, a producer of various foot comfort and warmth solutions, is looking to add more retail locations across the US and Canadian markets, allowing it to better attend to customer concerns.

Hotronic, a leading brand of comfort and warmth solutions for active feet, has announced that it is expanding its retail network in the US and Canadian markets. Hotronic produces foot warmers, heated socks, and boot and glove dryers, with a stated goal of keeping feet warmer for longer.

Hotronic is part of the Wintersteiger Group, an international machinery and plant engineering group founded in 1953 by Johann Wintersteiger. The Wintersteiger Group is known for its long-standing expertise in ski equipment. The group’s acquisition of Hotronic in 2014 complements this expertise, with many of Hotronic’s products made for use in harsh environments such as skiing. Hotronic has sponsored several athletes, such as skiers, equestrians, and mountain climbers, and it has supplied equipment for multiple medal-winning national ski teams. Furthermore, Hotronic products are also well-suited for outdoor work such as construction and other pursuits in cold climates, such as mountaineering, and hunting.

Hotronic places a lot of focus on battery technology, using an industry-leading battery brand that is optimized to work in cold weather. Cheaper battery brands may stop working properly at low temperatures, leaving the wearer without any warming for their feet. Additionally, Hotronic heat socks feature a double cuff design that retains more heat around the battery, and the heating elements are properly located to deliver heat to the areas that need it.

It is constantly researching different batteries and monitors for new technological developments, testing them with a third-party lab in Switzerland. Some of these technologies include more advanced electronic connections and different types of heating elements.

Both Hotronic and the Wintersteiger Group operate on a business-to-business (B2B) basis, and Hotronic products can be purchased at specialty shoe and outdoor sports stores, as well as outdoor workwear stores. According to Ryan Eittreim, retail product manager at Hotronic and Wintersteiger Group, one of its requirements for retail partners is that they have brick and mortar storefronts to provide direct customer service.

Eittreim adds that this requirement is due to the fact that Hotronic products are very winter-specific and are mostly found in niche stores such as ski shops and outdoor equipment retailers. If there are any questions, problems or warranty issues, customers can go into any store that sells Hotronic products, regardless of whether they bought it there or not, and Hotronic will help the dealer take care of the concerns, as part of its comprehensive customer service offering.

“For example, even if a customer purchased our products while on a ski trip in Colorado, if they go home to Florida and encounter any issue with the product or lose the battery, they can head to any of our dealers in Florida and they will take care of it,” Eittreim says. “By expanding our retail partnership network, Hotronic will be able to reach and serve more customers, wherever they are.”

Media contact: 

Name: Tracy Beers

Email: tracy.beers@wintersteiger.com