When you expect to slip, suddenly, you get a grip.

Welcome to the world of Icebug, where slippery surfaces make it even more fun to get out. Our mission is to get people out more, AND to be a leader in transforming our industry into a fully sustainable one. Therefore, we:

"No one believed in us. They were wrong."

Icebug was founded by a mother and son in 2001 and is still an independent, privately owned company.

When we started the company, our business idea was to sell shoes with dynamic steel studs for good traction. The idea was that the shoes—in addition to keeping feet warm and dry—would save people from the biggest problem of winter: slipping.

At first, no one believed in us. Industry peers said our product wasn't relevant enough, and no one thought we would survive in the long run.

The wow factor saved us.

Even today, the wow factor is our greatest asset. Putting on shoes with any of our grip technologies—the dynamic steel studs on ice, RB9X rubber on wet rocks, or tractor tread in mud—and experiencing traction where you expected to slip is simply unique.

Our wow factor makes our customers love Icebug and happily recommend our products to their friends. With that foundation, we have created shoes with grip as a separate product category, step by step.

Icebug makes shoes that make it easier for people to get out into nature, and for us to continue to exist, we are directly dependent on the well-being of the world around us. At Icebug, all materials and components in each shoe are constantly reviewed to see if they can be replaced by something that—without compromising functionality—is better for the environment.

When we find a suitable solution, we are happy to share it with others. Through our Follow The Footprints initiative, anyone can follow our entire production chain to see what components a product contains and where it is produced. Sharing what others classify as trade secrets may seem controversial, but it is natural for us. If we get other brands to reduce their climate impact by sharing our insights and discoveries, it benefits the whole society—and then it is the right thing to do.

One of Icebug's most important tasks is getting people outdoors. We manufacture products that make it easier to get outside, but we also organize various activities that make it happen. Under the umbrella name Icebug Xperience, we do things we think are fun and invite others to participate – and we do it on a level where everyone feels included and welcome to participate.

For example, on weekdays, we have open lunch runs in the forest outside our office in Jonsered. The Frozen Lake Marathon is the ultimate winter running experience and the three-day event West Coast Trail is where people from all over the world come to run or walk the rocks of Bohuslän for three days.

Icebug – more than just a company

At Icebug, we want a better world and the best workplace.

An essential step towards creating this was taken in 2016 when we moved from downtown Gothenburg to the old factories in Jonsered. We work next to a nature reserve, only 11 minutes by commuter train from Gothenburg Central Station.

Our office is where creativity and well-being are given space and time. We have a yoga studio, changing rooms with shower and sauna, and miles and miles of forest, trails, and lakes. We also have flexible working hours and a very generous wellness allowance. We are alone in Sweden (as far as we know?) with three hours of mandatory weekly exercise during work hours. But don't worry! There is no pressure or requirement for performance. Fresh air and a little movement in your chosen form always make you better and more alert.

Otherwise? We light a fire in our fireplace, argue about which coffee we should have, play table tennis, run, walk, eat a lot of snacks - and work hard but smart. Since 2018, our work has been conducted according to an Icebug version of the Scrum model. Cross-functional teams work together. Agile and dynamic, always focusing on the highest possible value for Icebug.

Icebug is a privately owned company where it’s never far between people or roles. If someone in our customer service needs to know something about a specific shoe model, they can walk a few meters to the person who designed the shoe and ask.

Owners’ Directives Icebug Group 2022

Stakeholders:

While most private companies put the shareholders’ interest solidly first – Icebug choose to highlight Nature, Society, Customers, Employees, Suppliers and People involved in the supply chain. Of course, the shareholders have an important stake, but since Icebug’s business has great impact on so many other groups, all those interests are balanced. With a clear priority: Nature and Society are Icebug’s most important stakeholders.

The vision for Icebug is to be a changemaker for a society where people can thrive on a planet in balance.

This is our North Star on the horizon. It is a moral obligation to guide us in our daily work and our view of what the World needs.

To make best use of Icebug, in the context that we are in with an ongoing climate emergency affecting us all, we instruct the company to work towards systems change. A new paradigm where growth and profit are not prioritized above everything else. Towards a system where business is a driving force to improve the livelihoods of many and is not fueled by exploiting people or exceeding planetary boundaries.

We believe that capitalism can be a strong positive force. However, businesses should be properly reigned in and given fair rules of play that stay within what’s good for people and nature. While those boundaries are still largely absent in the World, we choose to set these boundaries for ourselves. The change is also a change towards a culture where we consume less but have a greater quality of life by connection and experience. We are creating a culture where we value resources and take responsibility for our footprint.

Commitment: To do the right thing – even when it hurts Icebug.

We strive for value creation in three dimensions: For the customer, for Icebug, and for the World. Most of the time, these dimensions are easy to combine. But not always. When there’s a conflict between putting what’s best for Icebug short term over what’s best for the world long term – we go with the world.

This is not about us being perfect. We won’t always know what is right – but when we know what the right thing to do is, we won’t do the opposite. That would be unethical.

We believe in building a society where people can thrive, and we are willing to do more than our part to get the planet in balance. We believe that this is our responsibility, and we are going to use our business to do it.

Financials

Icebug does not have a growth target. But since we make products that meet a legitimate need and add value to peoples’ lives, we will most likely continue to grow anyway. We are not opposed to growth per se - but responsible growth cannot drive consumption. Also, it is essential that our products have a smaller negative footprint than the alternatives.

Our profit target is 10-15% earnings before tax, with the dividend guideline at 10% of the earnings after tax when our cash reserve situation allows. The profit target and the dividend guideline are set to secure financial longevity.

The value derived is also distributed through 1% For the Planet and a profit-sharing program with employees.

How do you become an ambassador for Icebug?

Icebug receives a lot of requests for various types of collaborations. Very fun, of course! To be able to make a decision as quickly as possible, we ask you to submit the information we need.

Icebug reviews all applications and contacts those we want to move forward with. In your application, we want you to provide the following:

Vacancies at Icebug

All vacancies at Icebug are listed here. Our head office is located in Jonsered, just outside Gothenburg, and our Concept store is located in central Gothenburg.