The company impressed in the “Excellence in Business to Consumer” category with the ALBATROS AER55 IMPULSE BLACK BLUE LOW. The safety shoe combines uncompromising safety and an innovative cushion- ing concept with a sporty, fresh look that can hardly be distinguished from a modern, trendy leisure shoe.

The AER55 IMPULSE BLACK BLUE LOW safety shoe scores technically with its innovative, double-foamed IMPULSE.FOAM midsole, which gives the wearer back up to 55% of their energy. Visually, it impresses with the seamlessly applied 3D textile fabric in the color combination black-blue. The TPU toe cap and heel pro- tector protects the upper from excessive wear and tear. Color-contrasting loops on the tongue and heel make it easier to put on and form an additional design element. Just like the AER55 lettering on the inside, which completes the dynamic look of the sporty safety shoe.
“With this remarkable product, which to a large extent corresponds to the desire of many consumers to be fashionably dressed in the workplace, the brand stands out from the competition at the same time,” said the jury’s reasoning.
The PUMA SAFETY CHARGE GREEN LOW was also able to convince and received the “Winner” award. It convinced the jury of experts with its sporty design combined with unparalleled safety. With a seamlessly applied upper made of Safety Knit in a striking color scheme and a sporty look, the shoe feels like a second skin for the wearer. The two-tone sole made of innovative IMPULSE.FOAM with an energy return of up to 55% supports the sporty look.
“We are very pleased about this award and see it as a confirmation that we at ISM are developing market- relevant products that offer real added value for those who wear our products. That we also develop good, modern design is also regularly confirmed by an independent party,” says Michael Rolfe, Head of Develop- ment at ISM.
The top-class and interdisciplinary jury of experts for the German Innovation Award embodies a wide range of specialist knowledge, including: from the areas of product design, marketing, IT, technology history, physics, patent consulting and financial services. “With this range of expertise, we guarantee an individual, neutral and professional assessment,” emphasizes Lutz Dietzold, Managing Director of the German Design Council.
“User focus is an essential criterion in the evaluation. It is the distinguishing feature of the German Innovation Award,”
explains Dietzold. “Many companies involve future users in product and design devel- opment at an early stage. In doing so, they rely on appropriate methods such as ›Design Thinking‹ or ›Lean Startup‹ in order to recognize real customer needs and to develop economically relevant products based on them. “
A total of 680 submissions from German and international companies from a wide variety of industries were accepted for the German Innovation Award 2021, including many well-known brands as well as hid- den champions and start-ups.

The German Innovation Award is given in a total of 40 categories, divided into two competition classes: “Excellence in Business to Consumer” and “Excellence in Business to Business”. In addition, a winner was determined in the special category ›Design Thinking‹. The ›Design Thinking‹ category bears the name of the method, but of course products that have been developed using other agile approaches that also focus on the user are also considered here.
“In fact, even admission to the competition is an award,” says Dietzold. “Only those who meet all of the criteria put together by the expert committees will be nominated for this internationally renowned award and invited to participate.” The German Innovation Award has been presented annually by the German De- sign Council since 2018.
German Design Councel
The German Design Council has been the world’s leading competence center for communication and knowledge transfer in the field of design, branding and innovation since 1953. With international offers, youth development and memberships, he is part of the global design community and has always contrib- uted to establishing exchange and networks worldwide. The German Design Council networks its members and numerous other international design and branding experts through events, congresses, competitions, jury meetings and expert groups, promotes discourse and provides important impulses for the global econ- omy. Its membership currently includes more than 340 companies.
About ISM Heinrich Krämer GmbH & Co. KG:
With its 90-year company history, the family-run company ISM Heinrich Krämer GmbH & Co. KG is today one of the leading international manufacturers of safety shoes, workwear and outdoor fashion. This offers a full range of work and leisure clothing, a perfectly coordinated global supply chain and customer-oriented service: The ALBATROS®, FOOTGUARD® and PUMA SAFETY® brands are sold worldwide from the Westphalian town of Lippstadt. A team of 85 people now works hand-in-hand to ensure that everything runs smoothly. With bundled market and brand compe- tence, ISM has been generating sustainable growth in the third generation to this day.