Bata Shoes Deals, Specials & Catalogues

Founded in the Czech Republic 124 years ago, Bata has grown into a successful global brand.

Bata started out as a family business founded by siblings Tomas, Antonin, and Anna Bata in 1894 in the Czech Republic. The family had been involved in the shoemaking business for years. Owing to financial difficulties in 1895, Tomas came up with the idea to start sewing and selling shoes made from canvas instead of more expensive leather. The shoes became very popular and grew the company from 10 to 50 employees. In 1897, Bata introduced the Batovsky leather and canvas shoe that was popular among workers, thanks to its comfort and style. Bata’s success led to the company opening its first store in the town of Zlin in 1899. In the years following World War 1, Bata survived the economic slump by dropping its prices and offering stock options to its employees, among other survival strategies, and by the 1920s and 1930s, the company was entering its golden age and was a well-known brand name. The company had established offices in more than 30 countries and had 5,300 stores throughout Europe and North America. By the 1970s, Bata was becoming known for the Wilson by Bata athletic shoes that became popular among basketball players, most notably Magic Johnson. The company’s fashion credentials also grew in the 1990s, with features in magazines such as Vogue and music icons such as Kurt Cobain being seen in Bata shoes.

In South Africa, Bata is most known for the Toughees brand worn by millions of school children. The shoes were first launched for the local market in 1954, becoming an instant success in the market. Their durability soon saw them being in demand around the world. There are currently 50 Bata stores in South Africa.

Bata markets over 400 million pairs of shoes every year.