DLD Trading AG’s registered office in Muri bei Bern is both inviting and impressive. Luca Goetz and Daniele Varnai were still at school when the “Bierihaus”, a listed building from 1682, burnt down almost entirely in 1984. The two friends remained inseparable throughout their military service and had little interest in hierarchies – something that was hardly conducive to a career in the army.

But the childhood friends had other plans anyway, back then in the late 1980s. “We actually wanted to travel the world,” Goetz recalls. Since they only had enough money for a one-way ticket, the baseball fans (Varnai played for Switzerland’s national team) looked out for ways to grow their travel budget. Because baseball equipment was very much in vogue, they set up DLD Trading. Their business idea was to kit out teams. They discovered Teva through contacts in the USA. Teva’s trekking sandals, which were new at the time, suddenly gave them a foot in the door to the international shoe trade.

But why “DLD”? The founders laugh. “There were three of us: Daniele, Luca and Dean.” Dean bailed out before the company was launched. “But the business cards had already been printed so we stayed DLD.” There was plenty of improvisation in the early years. The office doubled up as the warehouse, with a table and an awful lot of boxes. For a while they rented space with a coffee roaster in Bern. “The products went on the shelves smelling of coffee.” Both still worked half days in their “proper” jobs – Varnai as an engineering draftsman, Goetz in a bank.

Business kicked off in earnest in 2003 with the arrival of UGG boots. The sheepskin boots from Australia were originally popular with surfers in particular. Like Teva, the brand belongs to US-based Deckers Brands and generated record sales. Varnai fetches a specimen: “Cindy Crawford designed this one herself.” DLD was already firmly established by the time the brand took charge of distribution itself. The famous Crocs, originally intended as sailing shoes, also proved to be a hit. “At peak times, there were 24 of us,” Goetz recalls. DLD has had a major influence on footwear fashion in Switzerland. Its founders say it was exciting but also very stressful.

Things have calmed down again since then. The company currently employs 12 people in addition to its logistics operation in Burgdorf. “Everything’s nice and compact here,” DLD’s two managers tell us. While DLD may not be a family business in the traditional sense, you notice straight away that it feels like a family. Goetz and Varnai still have as little time for hierarchies as they did back in their army days. They are not happy with the idea of a photo of just the two of them. If there has to be a photo, it must feature the whole team. “Perhaps during the Monday mealtime?” This is a company tradition, where someone cooks a meal for the whole team each Monday.

And they’re still mainly importing and selling shoes – around half a million pairs a year, in fact. There are ten brands in the range, including Teva, HEYDUDE, TOMS and the aforementioned Crocs. They’re used to people commenting disparagingly on the cult footwear, which is definitely designed for comfort rather than style. “You’re the main importer of ugly shoes,” read one such comment. They look over to the display by the entrance before offering an alternative take on the foam clogs: “They’re extremely comfortable and healthy.” Do they wear “their” shoes themselves though? “Of course, I’ve almost certainly got 130 pairs at home,” Varnai tells us. Goetz always passes his shoes on to his father-in-law.

The sector has changed since the turn of the millennium. Bricks-and-mortar retail outlets have come under pressure, particularly as a result of competition from abroad. Online business accounts for around 30% of their sales and this figure is rising. However, shoe and sports shops are still an important sales outlet, particularly in tourist centres because “customers want to take their shoes with them there and then.” For this reason, DLD operates a fast logistics system that can deliver to anywhere in Switzerland within 24 hours.

Sustainability is also a major topic. “We can spot greenwashing,” Goetz asserts confidently, and you definitely get the feeling that the two founders attach personal importance to sustainability. Longevity, avoiding overproduction, and recycling are the three key principles. Customers are looking more closely these days, they tell us. “A customer once complained that a sole had come off her shoe after 18 years,” Goetz says with a grin. “She threatened to put us on ‘Kassensturz’, Swiss television’s weekly consumer programme. It would have been great advertising, but unfortunately for us, she suddenly changed her mind.”

Shoes that last 1,000 kilometres. Brands that think carefully about production. This, they think, is the future. Goetz fetches a Cotopaxi rucksack. “These are made entirely out of repurposed or recycled nylon. Each one is unique.” A new addition to the range are Kizik’s hands-free shoes, which you can slip on effortlessly and without having to bend down thanks to their patented heel technology. Varnai and Goetz feel both brands have huge potential. Being able to identify trends before everyone else is the secret of their success. Each chance discovery is the result of observation, experience, a keen nose for news and a good helping of courage. “Out of ten ideas, only one works.” Fortunately, ideas are not something they are short of. And how about travelling the world? They’ve never managed to do it. But at least they’ve got the right equipment.