What is Kennel & Schmenger?

A German footwear house founded in 1918 in Pirmasens by Fritz Kennel, originally under the name Zukunft Schuhfabrik. It took its current name in 1950 when August Albert Schmenger joined. The company designs and develops premium women's shoes and has stayed in family hands for three generations.

What is Kennel & Schmenger known for?

Fit and construction. Each shoe uses around 125 individual parts across roughly 150 production steps, most of it hand work. The range covers leather trainers, slingbacks, ballet flats, sandals, ankle boots and knee boots, using calf, goat and lamb leather from Italian tanneries.

Where can I buy Kennel & Schmenger in the UK?

No.19 Boutique stocks Kennel & Schmenger in Westbourne Arcade, Bournemouth, and online. Sizing runs in European fittings, so trying a pair in-store is worth the trip if you are new to the brand.

Is Kennel & Schmenger true to size?

Sizes are European and generally run true, though the shape varies between the trainers and the more structured court and slingback styles. If you are between sizes or unsure, contact us before ordering and we will talk you through the specific style.

How do I care for Kennel & Schmenger shoes?

Treat them as you would any good leather shoe. Wipe nappa and calf leather with a soft dry cloth, brush suede and nubuck with a suede brush, and use a protector spray before the first wear. The brand uses solvent-free adhesives, so avoid harsh solvent-based cleaners.

Kennel & Schmenger Shoes | UK Stockist

Kennel & Schmenger

A single Kennel & Schmenger shoe is put together from around 125 parts across roughly 150 steps. Fritz Kennel started the business in Pirmasens in 1918 and the family still runs it today. The fit is the point. Our edit leans to leather trainers, Greta slingbacks and the Dream ankle boot, which is what customers come in asking for by name.

We took the brand on because customers kept describing the same problem: a shoe they could wear from morning through to dinner that did not announce itself as a comfort shoe. Kennel & Schmenger is the answer we give them. The reputation rests on the lasts and the fit, and that is the part women notice first.

Trainers lead the edit. Elan in white and silver leather, Nano in white with a pearl finish, Pop in butter nappa with soft pink contrast panels. Alongside them, Sia in pacific navy suede and in skin pink leather, the Vera sandal in soft nubuck, and the Dream ankle boot in black and in grey suede for the colder half of the year.

The house is one of very few still designing and developing its footwear in Pirmasens rather than briefing the work out. Leather is sourced from Italian tanneries that also supply designer houses, and the company joined the Leather Working Group in 2022. Three generations, one family, since 1918.

Come and try a pair on at Westbourne Arcade, Bournemouth. Fit is the whole argument for this brand, and it is worth ten minutes of your afternoon to find out whether it holds.