Martin Michaeli loves talking about shoes. Especially about where they have taken him. It’s been a long journey. A brief stop in Hurden for a chat about the journey, fashion and life. Tomorrow, the man whose life has largely revolved around shoes will be celebrating his 90th birthday. His wish? “That we all meet again in ten years’ time, for my 100th. I’m still going strong for my age.” The secret to staying young? He’s not giving it away. Just this much: “I’m content; I have a wonderful wife, lovely children and six grandchildren.” And then there’s the joy of work. Michaeli gets up at 5 o’clock every day – otherwise he runs out of time. Slowing down? Not a chance. “I don’t do this because I have to, but because I enjoy it.”

The American Dream

Michaeli, born in Saarbrücken in 1936, trained as a footwear engineer at the footwear college in Pirmasens, which was a highly sought-after institution at the time. The fact that he ended up in this industry at all was down to his father, who ran several shoe shops. “And I was a child of the war. We sat in the air-raid shelter instead of at school. After the war, there was no longer any desire to take my A-levels. So I decided to train as a footwear engineer.” And to head for the USA, too. The American Dream? “Something like that. It was a thing: someone would emigrate to America and come back a rich man.” In the harsh post-war years, the US was for Michaeli what it was for many: a promise. At 21, he packed his suitcase and set sail across the pond. His hopes and dreams were high, his language skills limited. He still has that suitcase today. It stands in front of the table on the terrace in Hurden.

He had no relatives in the USA, no acquaintances; no one was waiting for him. The young shoe engineer worked in various factories, rising from unskilled labourer to plant manager, before eventually returning to Alsace one day. There, he founded his company, Mephisto. It became the largest shoe factory in France. It exported to 80 countries; today, that figure stands at 90.

‘I’m happy; I have a wonderful wife, lovely children and six grandchildren.’

Ideas fill niches

Success always requires new ideas. An example? “Twenty-five years ago, I asked myself: What’s missing from the market? A shoe that’s a cross between an Adidas sports shoe and a street shoe.” The shoe agents weren’t particularly impressed by his designs.

Without further ado, the entrepreneur spent the night designing the Mephisto display for the sports exhibition. “We had the most beautiful stand.” And lo and behold: not only was the model presented to great effect, but it also went on to become the greatest success in the history of sports footwear. Those who had initially been doubtful snapped up the goods from Michaeli. The sceptics were silenced.

If there’s a niche, you have to recognise it. Such niches still exist today, says Michaeli, who has decided to take another in-depth look at the business. He has no other hobbies that might be neglected. “Shoes have always been my main interest.” That said, every now and then he heads to his house in Tenerife – to play golf and enjoy a holiday.

There are two new shoe designs on the table in Hurden. A very soft, multi-layered compound and special shock absorbers ensure they’re comfortable to wear. “It’s like walking on butter. These are already proving to be bestsellers.”

The Green House

Martin Michaeli has lived in Germany, France, the USA and Switzerland. He feels at home wherever he is. He owns a property on Lake Zurich in the canton of Zurich and another in Hurden. He has been living in the Freienbach district for ten years. It took quite a while to find this house. The previous owner had painted it red. Now it’s green. “I couldn’t live in a red house.”

The 89-year-old is happy in Hurden. The property includes a swimming pool, a pond, a jetty and a boat. “My wife loves going out onto the lake in it,” he says. But it hasn’t always looked so lovely there. Michaeli points to the garden. “Everything here used to be bare – no saplings, the boathouse had collapsed, no roses. I’ve done a lot of work, including inside.” He’d spotted the potential straight away.

The neighbourhood has hardly changed over the last decade. “It was all there before. Only one house opposite was newly built.” Everyone knows each other. “Once a year, everyone gets together to eat and drink.” A neighbourhood party.

The thing about happiness

In 2000, Michaeli was awarded France’s highest honour, the ‘Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur’ (‘Knight of the Legion of Honour’). ‘I didn’t receive it because Jacques Chirac liked my face, but because I had created so many jobs.’ On top of that, he was named France’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 1999. ‘I was chosen from among 11,000 self-employed business owners.’ One can certainly be proud of such honours.

However, alongside hard work, diligence and skill, so many successes require one thing above all else: luck. “You have to be lucky. But you also create your own luck through the way you behave. If I go through life grumbling, I won’t win people over. And then I won’t have any luck either.” It’s as simple as that.

‘Shoes have always been my main interest.’

Wine, work and the 100 years

Michaeli has always celebrated his birthday. Tomorrow, then, will be his 90th. First, there’ll be a drinks reception in Hurden, followed by a gathering in the Knights’ Hall at Rapperswil Castle. It’s a venue that holds special significance for the birthday boy. That’s where he had actually planned to marry his wife, Andrea, ten years ago. However, the castle was undergoing refurbishment and renovation work at the time.

Then, on 5 July, the first day of the next ten years. Michaeli has plenty planned for that period. In October, he’s likely to be heading to Bordeaux – a combination of wine tasting and a journey down memory lane. “As a young man, I lived not far from the city for six months.”

A plan for the next decade: work. “80 per cent of the developments, product names and so on still spring from my own imagination,” Michaeli emphasises with a laugh. Enjoying his work keeps him young. “I thrive on it.” And that’s despite the fact that the footwear business has certainly not got any easier in recent years. Michaeli is convinced that he’ll make it to his 100th birthday. He’s got good genes. His uncle lived to be 104.

It was a long journey, and it’s still going on. The shoes were a good fit, and they’ll continue to be so in future.

Author: Michael Wassner