The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2022 - Issue 32

biteshoes Giedre Jackyte discovers Switzerland-based shoe company Bata’s mission to ‘shoe the world’. Images courtesy of Guiter PR A s Marilyn Monroe famously said, “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.” One of the world’s leading shoemak- ers, Switzerland-based shoe brand Bata, has been changing people’s lives worldwide since the late 19th century. Recent statistics calculate they sell a whopping 150 million pairs of shoes annually, with over five thousand retail outlets in over seventy countries across five continents. The brand became one of Europe’s leading shoe manufacturers in the last few decades thanks to innovative entrepreneurship, mechanisation and competitive pricing. Tomáš Bat’a established the family-owned business in 1894 in Zlín, former Czechoslova- kia, with the headquarters now based in Lau- sanne, Switzerland. Bata has endeavoured to grow strongly with deeply instilled values of family, loyalty and quality. The company com- prises three business units: Bata, Bata Indus- trials (safety shoes) and AW Lab (sports style). The Bata Group has more than 20 brands and labels, including North Star, Power, Bubblegum- mers, Weinbrenner, Sandak, and Toughees. Its traditional ethos include providing customers with the best shoes at the best prices possible globally. As trendsetters and leaders in shoe manufac- turing, Bata looked for ways to expand the com- pany and open more factories at the beginning of the 20th century. 1934 marked a new era for the company as it started to produce women’s, men’s, children’s and athletic shoes. Simultane- ously they were making stockings, slippers and rubber boots. After the death of Tomáš Bat’a, his son, Thomas J Bata took over the company and successfully grew the business further. Moving to Canada in 1939, Thomas established the business there, building a shoe factory and engineering plant in Batawa, Ontario. They lost the Zlín operation and their enterprises in Poland, East Germany, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria when the communists seized Czechoslovakia. In 2007, he received the first Lifetime Achievement Award for his accomplishments as a responsible capitalist. Thomas’ remarkable degree of social responsi- bility and dedication to the Bata family business contributed to the company’s worldwide repu- tation. In September 2008, he passed away in Toronto before his 94th birthday. One of Bata Group’s positive driving forces is ensuring their work positively impacts the communities in which they operate. Undoubt- edly, they are hugely passionate about building relationships with their customers, believing you’ll fall in love with them once you try their shoes. As a company that has been established for over hundred and twenty years, they un- derstand protecting the business’ vision means supporting its employees and providing oppor- tunities for professional and personal growth. As success coach Tony Robbins says, “Happi- ness equals growth”, and Bata’s expansion is equal to their employer’s growth. They proudly share they have always endeavoured to bene- fit and positively impact the broader commu- nities. “From our employees and suppliers to our neighbours and customers, we work hard in partnership with this extended family to create wealth, improve welfare and encourage entrepreneurialism.” Their passion for shoes and shoemaking allow them to design simple to stand-out footwear meeting the needs of ambi- tious, driven and comfort-loving people. The company is also proud of its affordable prices, combining quality, comfortable fashion with cost-effective rates. You can usually tell a person’s style from the shoes they wear, and with a fast-paced lifestyle, everyday comfort plays a huge role. The designs are created with these factors in mind and bring quality from the toes to the heels. With a shoe for every taste, Bata produce jaw-dropping statement pairs designed to impress and express the wearer’s individuality without them breaking the bank. From Europe to Africa and Asia, Bata envisions, makes, markets, distributes and sells its time- less designs. “As well as being a global brand, we are still a private family business. And we’re proud to act like one.” They produce lo- cally and in 21 Bata-owned manufacturing fa- cilities across five continents. The Bata Group understands its growing clientele adapts to the changing times. With an increased demand for shoes due to the new technologies and ways of living, Bata intends to ensure their customers’ needs are met every step of their lives. To do so, their loyal customers can shop in stores and online. As Bata says, their “customers can have it all”. www.bata.com