The Brand

Behind the WomanPower brand name is a team of brave Danish and Chinese women. WomanPower is a Danish shoe fashion and manufacturing company. Our designs are deeply rooted in Danish Design traditions, flavored with world colors and handcrafted in China in a joyful working environment characterized by centuries of excellent craftsmanship combined with Danish skills driven management principles. 
         

“Our product line has been a long time in the making. I worked and lived several years in China and visited numerous manufacturing facilities before I ended up setting up my own. I was never good at compromising on quality and my shoes have to make a difference both for the customers and for the people I am employing. We create shoes for all women. All women deserve fantastic shoes."

- Ulla Hentze, CEO & Chief Designer 

The Story

Behind the name WomanPower is a very special story about women. In 2007, Ulla went with her 10 years old daughter to China to start a shoe factory. It should not just be cheap shoes – but instead, beautiful quality shoes.  

Since 2005, Ulla has partnered with Chinese shoe factories for large shoe series for both the European, Japanese and Chinese markets. Now the dream of starting her own factory, able to produced hand-sewn shoes, should be realized. The choice fell on the Fujian Province where the daughter went to the local school and quickly got many friends.
 
Ulla started the factory and today, there are eight employees at WomenPowerFactory, run by women. The shoemakers at the factory are skilled craftsmen, and over time they have also become good collaborators for Ulla in other contexts. Ulla also had to learn to be a leader - in Chinese.

The immensely polite Chinese normally doesn´t complain. Something we Danes find very naturally. Therefore, Ulla taught them how to express their opinion and also complain when necessary. And it was sometimes also necessary. When Ulla grabbed the floor scrub and bucket to clean, they complained about this. Cleaning does not make a "director" - the director should take care of her own "director work".  

The combination - Chinese diligence, dexterity, and pride and Danish design and stubbornness - helps to make WomenPowerFactory and our shoes WomanPower Shoes a fantastic project, not just about shoes but respect for women's craft - and for that women should always have the right to decide their style - even if they have problems with their feet. In 2011, the first pair of orthopedic shoes were produced in collaboration with Ulla Hentze and Danish and Chinese orthopedics.