Quality Crafted
Canada made boots, built to last.
Manufacturing
Design
Bootmakers since 1932, Tatra Safety Boots & Shoes has developed and crafted quality industrial footwear for work across Canada. Tatra footwear is built from the “ground up”, from heel to toe.
Our manufacturing facilities maintain the highest standards in quality control; in-house and independent testing laboratories ensure that our products provide the highest level of protection, meeting or exceeding CSA Standards.
Tatra’s design department uses the latest software to produce the blueprints required for to develop and produce new styles or the re-invigorate classic designs from the company’s rich history. Our partnership with a local tool and die maker who work alongside Tatra allows us to develop new products, implement new technologies and introduce changes with relative ease.
We are proud of our reputation for our capacity in continued research and innovation to address our customer’s needs, both in safety and casual footwear. Tatra can build a work boot that is durable, comfortable and rugged to handle the toughest terrain, worst winter weather and all heavy industrial work environments. At the same time, Tatra can build convenient, lightweight, and stylish footwear for everyday use in indoor and outdoor settings.
Sourcing
Tatra has a long history with many North American suppliers to ensure the best quality raw materials are secured for the production processes. All material is inspected upon receiving to check for any defects or inconsistencies. All leather product is unwrapped and hung on leather horses to remove creases for better yield. Leather is arranged based on thickness, colour, and finish type to ensure all product is consistent in the production process. Only top-grade full grain leather is used.
Cutting
Leather and other materials needed for the production process are transferred to the cutting department. Using Swing Beam Press and Clicker Presses, leather is carefully inspected and cut to avoid any defects while minimizing material waste. Off-cuts of material are repurposed to other projects. Using this process, Tatra’s operators can complete a hands-on visual check of the material before it can continue to the next stage of production. All material is carefully organized in bins to provide consistency of size, material, and colours for each pair of boots or shoes.
Fitting
The leather from the cutting department is marked and glued to prepare for the fitting process, which is also known as sewing. Tatra footwear is sewn using several types of equipment into what is referred to as the “upper”. Sewing machines such as Zigzags, 1 or 2 needles, and bar tackers are operated by qualified individuals with hands on attention providing quality control at every step of production to ensure you get the best fitting shoe or boot possible. At this step of process, custom additions such as logo heat embossing, embroidery marks, waterproofing, binding, and eyelets or speed laces are installed with consistency using reliable equipment. All product is placed back in the original bins for the next stage of production.
Lasting
Completed “uppers” are transferred to the lasting department to shape and form the footwear according to size and sole style. Heel forming material is added between the layers and heated/cooled to form the heels. Insole material, which protects from punctures through the sole is attached to the plastic last that is shaped to mimic the human foot. The last and insole are then inserted in the upper, both left and right. At this stage, toe caps or internal metatarsal protection is installed onto the toe. The material is then heated, stretched, and cemented around the last onto the insole. Once the leather cools, it holds the form of the last. The last can be removed leaving a boot or shoe with no sole ready for the next stage of production.
Outsoles
Tatra’s sole is a dual density design of Polyurethane midsole directly attached to a Nitrile Rubber Outskin (Pu/Rubber). The rubber outskin is molded into corresponding sizes using one of several ovens at the company’s facility and made available for the polyurethane injection step. At the same time, the bottom of the formed boot or shoe from the lasting process is roughed up using stationary grinders to open the grains of the leather to prepare the footwear for adhesion to the polyurethane. Using a Desma turntable, the formed boot or shoe is fitted onto the machine and the rubber outskin is placed in the duplicate molds, which is centred in place and the polyurethane midsole is injected. The footwear is now ready for cleaning and packing.
Cleaning and Packing
Tatra’s team handles every finished product as it is cleaned, polished, laced, and labelled. At this stage, a quality control inspection of leather, stitching, and sole installation is completed before packing. Pairs are then placed in boxes, which are labelled and ready for shipping or warehousing to be enjoyed by their future feet.
Safety Standards
Tatra footwear meets and exceeds national and international safety standards. Our shoe & boot products are CSA certified, and meet or exceed ASTM standards.
The CSA green patch indicates sole puncture protection with Grade 1 protective toe to withstand impacts up to 125 joules.
Tatra safety footwear meets and exceeds requirements outlined by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
Options
Tatra’s customized footwear can offer you heat resistant stitching, comfortable polyurenthane soles, and dual density polyurethane/rubber (PUR). These are just a few options available to you. Tatra offers full and half standard sizes 4-13 and are looking to expand sizes to accommodate all needs. Within the process, footwear can be adjusted to include the below options.
- Toe covers
- Thermal/water resistant linings
- Puncture-proof sole plate
- Internal metatarsal– flexible
- External metatarsal
- Padded collars
- Side gore– uncovered, covered
- Heat resistant and tear resistant stitching
- Steel toe caps or formed toe caps
- Seam sealing
- D-rings, hooks, eyelets
- Removable insoles
- Outsoles–polyurenthane and dual density polyurethane/rubber (PUR)