Manufacture of handcrafted insoles, footbeds, orthopedic insole systems and shoe care products made from natural materials
Schelchen GmbH (pedag international)
Königs WusterhausenNew on Amplifa
About pedag international
Under the pedag international brand, Schelchen GmbH distributes and produces premium products for feet and shoes. At the Königs Wusterhausen site near Berlin, insoles and footbeds are crafted by hand, mainly from natural materials such as leather, cotton terry, wool, recycled cork, jute felt, bamboo and sisal. The portfolio also includes gel insoles, activated-carbon insoles against foot odor, thermal insoles and winter footbeds, as well as shoe trees, laces and shoehorns. With Professional ORTHO SYSTEMS, the company offers a modular system for custom-fit orthopedic insoles: a foot scanner records the footprint and pressure distribution, and from blanks, pelottes, heel wedges and compensation plates the individual insole is created, using thermoplastically formable PP plastics, soft foams and microfiber velour. The company's own shoe and leather care products are developed together with specialist laboratories and are preferably produced water-based and solvent-free. Customers include shoe retail, orthopedic shoemakers, podiatry and end consumers in more than 50 countries; the company also produces its own shoe care line for Tamaris.
- Site
- Königs Wusterhausen
- Processes
- Handcrafted insoles and footbeds (handwork), Production of orthopedic insoles (Professional ORTHO SYSTEMS, captured by foot scanner, modular, Thermoplastic forming of PP plastic (blanks for orthopedic insoles), Development and production of shoe care products (cleaning foam, cream, waterproofing agent, spray), Processing of natural materials for insoles, Handcrafted insoles and footbeds, Shoe and leather care (own formulation development with specialist laboratories), Shoe accessories (shoe trees, laces, shoehorns)
- Materials
- Leather (natural leather), Cotton terry, Wool (100% wool), Recycled cork, Lambskin, Jute felt, Bamboo, Sisal
- Certificates
- DIN EN ISO 13485, APMA seal (product certification, US podiatrists' association), IHK Cottbus seal 'Excellent Training Quality', Brandenburg Training Prize, APMA seal (products)
- Founded
- 1955
- Industries
- Retail (shoe retail/specialty retail), Orthopedic shoemaking, Podiatry, E-commerce/consumers
- 01
Raw material selection (leather, natural materials, plastics)
- 02
Foot measurement / scanning (ORTHO SYSTEMS)
- 03
Handcrafted production of insoles and footbeds
- 04
Thermoplastic forming of PP blanks for orthopedic insoles
- 05
Shoe care formulation development with specialist laboratories
- 06
Product inspection
- 07
Distribution via specialist retail, PoS systems and online shop
Site
Königs Wusterhausen
DEProduction and administration
- Materials
- Leather, cotton terry, wool, cork, jute felt, bamboo, sisal, lambskin, PP plastic, foams, gel
- Foot scanner for footprint and pressure analysis (ORTHO SYSTEMS)
- Handcrafted production of insoles and footbeds
Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handcrafted insoles and footbeds (handwork)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Leather, Cotton terry, Wool, Recycled cork, Jute felt, Bamboo, Sisal, Lambskin, Gel, Felt, Activated carbon |
| Production of orthopedic insoles (Professional ORTHO SYSTEMS, captured by foot scanner, modularEngineering | – | – | – | – | PP plastic, Soft foam, Microfiber velour, Memory foam, nora® material, Cowhide leather, Activated carbon (pedag carbon) |
| Thermoplastic forming of PP plastic (blanks for orthopedic insoles)Plastics | – | – | – | – | PP plastic |
| Development and production of shoe care products (cleaning foam, cream, waterproofing agent, spray)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Lanolin, Carnauba wax, Beeswax, Olive oil, Aloe vera |
| Processing of natural materials for insolesAssembly | – | – | – | – | Leather, Cotton, Jute felt, Bamboo, Sisal |
1 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foot scanner (digital measuring technology for footprint and pressure analysis) | pedag | – | – | – | Königs Wusterhausen |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
The quality management system is certified to DIN EN ISO 13485; numerous products carry the APMA seal of the US podiatrists' association. Quality is ensured through continuous product inspection, high-quality raw materials and cooperation with orthopedists and shoe technicians.
| Evidence | Königs Wusterhausen |
|---|---|
| DIN EN ISO 13485 | |
| APMA seal (products) | |
| IHK Cottbus seal 'Excellent Training Quality' | |
| Brandenburg Training Prize |
History
- 1955
Hartmut Schelchen begins selling insoles and shoe care accessories.
- 1965
Start of in-house production of the first insoles in a former cowshed in Berlin-Charlottenburg.
- 1969
Export business abroad begins.
- 1971
Relocation to Berlin-Schöneberg.
- 1976
Renaming of HS Schuhbedarf to the pedag international brand (from Latin 'pedes').
- 1987
The wellness concept becomes the basis of the pedag brand's guiding principles.
- 1993
Relocation to Königs Wusterhausen; introduction of the premium footbed pedag Viva®.
- 1998
Range extended to include own shoe trees and laces.
- 1999
World premiere of the first winter footbed pedag SOLAR PLUS (today pedag Viva® Winter).
- 2003
Introduction of the self-developed leather and shoe care products.
- 2018
25 years of pedag Viva®, new logo and the third generation joins the family business.