28. August 2007  
Stuttgart, Crailsheim  
Artistic Gymnastics

A world class shoe parade to wow you!

'IWA' - partner of the world elite for a quarter of a century
"IWA Gymnastics", the internationally renowned manufacturers of gym shoes from Crailsheim, is attracting attention at the forthcoming top event of the year, the 40th EnBW Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart with a special WCh edition to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
The company, which markets its products worldwide, has even created unique national designs for an imposing number of the national teams...

'I W A Gymnastics'
- Partner of Champions - Partner of GYMmedia INTERNATIONAL


Limited edition IWA-Shoes for the gymnastics world champions 
IWA Gymnastics presents its WCh Special Collection 

„Our own 25th anniversary as well as the gymnastics world championships in Stuttgart all in one year - of course we had to do something extraordinary to celebrate!" - says Dieter WAHL,  IWA-CEO from Crailsheim. " Eight nations will wear shoes in their national colours, especially designed for them, for their competitions.".

25 years ago Ilse and Alfred Wahl founded the company and concentrated on producing and marketing gymnastics shoes.
Today, IWA Gymnastics is one of the leading manufacturers and biggest names in the world of artistic gymnastics.

IWA exclusivity ... with the national stripes!
At the forthcoming world championships, many teams will once again be wearing IWA shoes.
For eight countries the manufacturer from Crailsheim even has an exclusive supply agreement.
In addition to the German hosts, Russia, Belorussia, Latvia, Rumania, Switzerland, Slovakia and Ukraine will compete in limited edition artistic gymnastics shoes designed especially for them.
„The WCh is taking place practically outside our front door, so of course I wanted to create something special for our teams“, says Dieter Wahl.

About a year ago Wahl, a trained shoe designer, made the first sketches, discarded them, redesigned them and played around with the materials.
„It was my idea from the very beginning to feature the national colours.“

The question was merely how to apply the clours to the shoe attractively and in particular durably without changing the perfect characteristics and the weight of the shoe dramatically.
The solution was found about half a year ago. There was an active exchange of e-mails and designs before the new  "IWA National Stripe" was given the OK:
With shinig colours, imbossed stars for the champions and a mix of materials which adapts perfectly to the shoe.
„For the limited edition WCH shoes we have removed the red IWA stripe and concentrate entirely on the national stripes and the gold IWA logo."

In the last few weeks the new WCh collection was presented by IWA to the various WCh teams and functionaries.
„The reactions were very positive  and everybody looks forwrd to competing in their new shoes.“

Dieter WAHL,
- IWA-CEO:
'... WCh outside our own front door, we had to do something exceptional!'

The limited edition shoes wont go on sale to the public till later. "At the moment, we do not have the production capacity to manage this," Dieter Wahl says, clearly please by the considerable demand for IWA shoes in the run up to the WCH.. 
At the WCh in Stuttgart, IWA will present its products at a stand of its own, at which the national shoes can be inspected.
The specially designed WCh Fan Flag showing the German medal hopefuls Katja Abel, Oksana Chusovitina, Philipp Boy, Thomas Andergassen and Fabian Hambüchen will also be available there.
OF course both the German national teams will also be competing wearing the new IWA shoes.
- gymmedia -


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