Our story
From one pair of shoes to a New Zealand original.
Maher began with a simple problem: Glen Maher wanted a pair of shoes with personality, and he could not find them. What started as one man's search for something different became a Kiwi footwear brand known for colour, comfort, small runs and unmistakable character.
How it started
It started with the pair Glen could not find.
Before Maher became a brand, Glen Maher was simply looking for a pair of shoes that felt like him.
He wanted something special. Something sharp. Something with confidence. But nothing felt right. Then, while on his honeymoon in Las Vegas, Glen walked into a shoe store and found the kind of footwear he had been searching for.
That moment stayed with him. If a pair of shoes could make him feel that way, surely other people would feel it too.
The first collection
The first small run.
Not long after, while travelling through China for another business project, Glen came across a shoe fair. He walked in as a shoe lover, not a shoe brand owner, but the idea had already taken hold.
The early days were not polished. Glen had no formal background in footwear retail. He had to find makers, build relationships and convince factories to produce small runs when most were used to large minimum orders.
Eventually, he found people willing to take a chance. The first Maher collection launched with men's shoes only. It was bold, limited and different from what was available in New Zealand at the time.
It sold out within weeks.
A pair of shoes that made him feel that way, surely other people would feel it too.
A Kiwi footwear journey
The Maher timeline.
From a one-pair idea to a nationwide brand. Here are the moments that shaped Maher into what it is today.
2006
Maher begins
A shoe brand for people who want something different.
Glen Maher starts creating bold, comfortable shoes for people who want something different.
First Christchurch store
The first range sells out.
The first collection launches with 32 men's styles. Within weeks, the stock is gone.
Wellington
The brand starts growing.
After the early response in Christchurch, Maher expands into Wellington and continues building momentum.
Dunedin
A big day for the brand and the family.
The Dunedin store opens on the same day Glen's son Hugo is born, making it one of the most personal milestones in the Maher story.
Christchurch Container Mall
The turning point.
After the Christchurch earthquakes, Maher fights for a place in the Container Mall. The store takes off, and the brand moves from a growing local name to a genuine nationwide brand.
Today
Still limited. Still original.
Maher continues to design Kiwi footwear in small runs, with Glen still leading the creative direction each season.
Craft and instinct
A shoe shaped by craft, instinct and intention.
Every Maher shoe begins with materials. Glen spends days searching through markets, looking for textures, colours and finishes that catch his eye. At that stage, he may not know exactly what the material will become, but he knows when something has potential.
From there, the design starts to take shape. The last, the upper, the materials and the details all have to work together. The goal is always the same: a shoe that feels comfortable, looks original and carries the Maher personality.
Maher's long-standing relationships with makers are a key part of that process. Many of the people involved have worked with the brand for years, helping keep the quality consistent and the production personal.
Quality
Lessons learned, standards kept.
Maher's quality has been shaped by experience. Over the years, Glen has learned what works, what does not, and what should never make it onto the shelf.
Today, Maher works with trusted makers who understand the standard expected from every pair. If a style does not meet that standard, it does not stay.
Comfort, materials, stitching, finish and feel all matter. Because when someone chooses Maher, they are not just buying another pair of shoes. They are buying something personal.
What's next
Born in Aotearoa, shared with the world.
Maher is proudly designed in New Zealand, but the ambition has grown beyond New Zealand stores. As more customers discover the brand online, Maher is moving into its next chapter: a Kiwi-designed footwear brand with a global audience, still built around the same principles that started it all.
Small runs. Original design. Real comfort. Shoes for people who walk their own way.