The optimist Dagfinn Klaveness

Perfect fit, good lasts and top quality. Such were the shoes Dagfinn Klaveness decided to manufacture when he started the firm in 1957. At this time Norwegian shoe factories were losing out to competition from low-cost countries. Businesses were being closed down all over the country. The daily newspaper “Aftenposten” therefore noticed the new firm in Sandefjord. Under the headline “There are still optimists among us”, the newspaper marvelled at this man who refused to give up. Now we know how this story ended.

Today Klaveness has businesses in a number of countries and sells more shoes than ever. We believe that this is because we have held on to our original idea: to make shoes that feet would choose – footwear with a perfect fit, good lasts and top quality..


Klaveness expands

Klaveness Skofabrikk started exporting to Sweden in 1968. We have become a market leader in Sweden under the name of Hästen, a brand that is more than one hundred years old. In 1988 Klaveness established a factory in Portugal. This factory is today an efficient, quality-conscious and forward-looking production unit.

In 1992 we started production of orthopaedic footwear and have since then invested considerably on developing and marketing this line of products. Through close cooperation with research environments, orthopaedic firms and users, Klaveness has developed unique competence in the field of orthopaedic footwear.

In 1996 we strengthened our Scandinavian sales and distribution system with the acquisition of the Swedish company Ortholine AB. After a name change in January 2002, this company is now called Klaveness Medical AB. Klaveness Medical Ab is responsible for the sale and distribution of the Medical product range ( for all markets except the UK and Ireland. The UK and Ireland are served by Klaveness UK in Leicester, England.

In January 2002 a new factory was established in Elblag, Poland: a top modern unit within international shoe manufactoring.

In July 2002 Klaveness UK was established, with headquarters in Leicester.

Today Klaveness has 150 employees in these five different companies. Klaveness offers a full range of quality footwear, from good, comfortablehigh street footwear to medical and orthopaedic custom-made solutions..

Ownership and management