A review of GEA Waldviertler Rückenwind sneakers
Classic barefoot-adjacent sneakers with cushion
(Note: these shoes were paid for out of pocket and neither of us are receiving any form of compensation for this review.)
I present to you another joint review with the help of my friend George. George is a white leather sneaker kind of guy. Adidas Stan Smith used to be one of his staples until he realized they were causing him problems. I’ve been trying to help him find a suitable wide toe box replacement for a while; just a simple, low-key white sneaker that has enough toe room and a flat, cushioned sole.
This is surprisingly hard to find. That is, until GEA Waldviertler came out with a white version of their leather Rückenwind sneaker. Based on my previous experiences with Waldviertler shoes, I knew the hunt for the elusive white whale of a sneaker was finally over. The only difficulty now was actually getting a pair.
Ordering experience
Waldviertler’s website doesn’t ship to the US, so when I bought my Mustang boots I special ordered them through the German retailer Mbaetz. There were some availability issues when I contacted Mbaetz this time, so George ended up getting the Rückenwind from Waldviertler directly.
For those outside the EU it’s possible to place an order with Waldviertler by emailing them with the model you want, the color, size and width, etc. In these cases Waldviertler only accepts payment via international wire transfer, and your bank will typically tack on a fee to process the transfer. The actual cost of the Rückenwind was lower than I expected because I forgot the price online included the VAT fee (which is somewhere around 20%), and the VAT is taken off for non-EU customers.
The white Rückenwind were still in production so it took a few weeks after sending the wire transfer until they were ready to ship, but once shipped they arrived in a week. The shoes were dispatched by the Österreichische Post (Austrian Post) and delivered by USPS.
Materials, construction, & quality
The Rückenwind is a full-leather sneaker. It has a supple upper and luxurious vegetable tanned lining. The lining around the heel is suede for better grip at the back of the foot and the collar is lightly padded. George says they feel well-made and high-quality.
The cupsole is stitched all the way around to the upper. These sneakers should last quite a while because they can be resoled. Waldviertler offers a resole/repair service in-house, but I’m not sure the cost of shipping would be worth it if you live outside Europe. Theoretically, any cobbler could resole them if they have access to the right materials, but I think cobblers can sometimes be iffy about doing sneakers. If you really want them resoled with the original cupsole you’d need to send them back to Waldviertler.
They come with a removeable footbed that has about 5mm heel elevation. If you decide to take out the footbed I’d recommend replacing it with a foam insole, because underneath is a layer of hard veg tan leather that’s probably not going to be very comfortable to walk on.
Sizing & fit
The Rückenwind is available in sizes 36-48 in certain colors. George got these in size 43 and width G, which is equivalent to US 3E width. His feet are about 272mm long and 104mm wide at the ball of the foot. They’re a pretty good fit—a bit snug at the ball of his foot but not uncomfortably tight. The sizing is about what he’s used to with sneakers but he does wonder if he could’ve gone up a size (which would also make the shoes a little wider). I wish Waldviertler offered more extensive widths on their shoes, especially in the smaller sizes.
Whereas some barefoot brands George tried in the past had “odd fits,” the Rückenwind fits as he expects from a sneaker. For the most part George doesn’t really notice the shoes while he’s wearing them. The only spot he actively feels them is above the pinky toe, where the seam of the upper is. The shoe touches the top of his pinky toes here but doesn’t squeeze them.
Like all Waldviertler shoes, the toe box on these is pretty squarish, which suits George’s foot shape well. This might sound crazy, but even after just one week of wearing these George has noticed his big toe straightening out somewhat.
The sole
The outsole is very nearly flat but the tread is about 2mm thicker at the heel than the forefoot. A few hardcore zero drop shoe purists might notice this (maaaaybe) but I doubt anyone else would. As far as I’m able to measure, the sole seems to be approximately 18mm thick at the heel (not including the footbed)
Due to the materials used, the sole is much firmer and less squishy than most other sneakers. There was some heel slippage initially but this has been going away as the sole breaks in and gains flexibility. These have a low amount of toe spring but not enough to bother George.
I will say there’s one odd thing about the heels on both shoes. Straight out of the box we noticed that the outer edge of both soles looked worn down. I realize now that my Aufwind sneakers have the same thing but I previously assumed it was just normal wear since I bought them used. Not really sure what the reasoning is behind this.
Aesthetics
The Rückenwind is a classic, minimalist sneaker (both in looks and functionality). While these aren’t an exact replica of Stan Smith’s, they’re made from the same basic pattern. Waldviertler offers a variety of colors on this model and makes a high-top version as well.
The sole is off-white and the eyelets are nearly black. George likes the contrast of the eyelets against the brightness of the rest of the shoe. The leather has a pebble grain texture to it, for better or worse.
Final thoughts
George really likes these sneakers. Are they his favorite sneakers ever? That remains to be seen, but so far he’s been very impressed with the quality and comfort of these shoes.
If your feet are moderately wide and you’ve been on the lookout for a well-crafted leather sneaker that’s made to last, with a wide toe box and a (nearly) zero drop sole, the Rückenwind might just become your foot’s new best friend.
