The Origin of Bata Shoes: Often Mistaken for a Local Brand, the Triumph of the Footwear King

Dream - When hearing the Bata brand, most people in Indonesia might think it is a local footwear product. But it's not!

Bata is a company founded by the Bata brothers, namely Tomáš Baťa, Anna Baťa, and Antonín Baťa, on September 21, 1894. According to the official Bata website, they are the eighth generation of a family of shoemakers. Bata was established under the name T&A Bata Shoe Company and registered in the city of Zlín, Czech Republic.

The company initially had only 10 employees and later grew to have 59 employees. Progress began in 1897, when the first steam-powered shoe-making machine was introduced. Bata became one of the first mass shoe manufacturers in Europe.

At that time, the famous shoe model from Bata was the Batovka shoe. This shoe was made from a combination of leather and canvas. The simple and lightweight design of the shoe attracted many enthusiasts because leather shoes still dominated the market at that time, so the innovation of canvas shoes caught the attention of many people.

As it continued to develop, Bata successfully opened its first store in Zlín, Czechoslovakia in 1899. Production continued to increase, reaching 2,200 pairs of shoes per day, making Bata the largest footwear company in Europe in 1905. Along with the increase in production, the number of employees also increased to 600 people in 1912.

In 1919, Bata once again attracted public attention by producing women's shoes made of stitched leather. They also gained many enthusiasts for their men's footwear called Shimmi, which was also made of leather.

After the end of World War I, Bata began to expand to various countries. They established Bataville in France, Bata-Park in Switzerland, Bata-Estate in England, Batadorp in the Netherlands, and Batawa in Canada. In Czechoslovakia itself, there is a village where the Bata factory and its workers are located. In addition to the factory, there are also schools, health clinics, sports facilities, and offices there. The village is called Batavillage.

In 1931, Bata collaborated with NV, Netherlandsch-Indisch, as a shoe importer operating in Tanjung Priok. Its continued existence in Indonesia led Tomáš to establish the Bata shoe factory in the midst of rubber plantations in the Kalibata area, South Jakarta, 6 years after Bata entered Indonesia.

Entering its golden age in 1936, Bata began producing striped canvas sneakers with distinctive rubber toe caps, which became one of the best-selling shoes of all time. These shoes became a favorite among school children in India.

In Indonesia, Bata shoe production began in 1940. On March 24, 1982, PT. Sepatu Bata, TBK was officially listed on the Jakarta Stock Exchange. The second Bata factory was then built in Purwakarta in 1994. Bata Indonesia later obtained import and general distribution permits in 2004.

The 'Back To School' tagline used by Bata in Indonesia has truly become ingrained among mothers who have school-aged children. Bata has produced and attracted many students with a wide range of shoes for boys and girls. The end of the school holiday season has become one of Bata's moments to promote this tagline in order to attract many enthusiasts.

Bata not only holds the license for its own brand, but also for Marie Claire, Comfit, Power, Bubblegummers, North Star, B-First, and Weinbrenner. To this day, Bata shoe products are available in more than 50 countries and have been produced in 26 countries. Billions of pairs of shoes have been produced by Bata throughout its journey as one of the renowned footwear brands.

Report: Erdyandra Tri Sandiva