The Bata Brand

I, as with thousands of children had owned one of this shoe brand called Bata. Throughout my school days, it was compulsory to get shoes from Bata and now, learning about this brand, I must share it in my blog.

Bata, the brand perhaps best known in Singapore for its white canvas school shoes, will celebrate its 120th anniversary this year with the reopening of its newly-refurbished flagship store at Peninsula Plaza on Friday (Dec 5). Here are 10 things about the shoe brand.

Singapore's Bata factory opened in 1964 in Telok Blangah. Bata, the brand perhaps best known in Singapore for its white canvas school shoes donned by successive generations of school-going children, will celebrate its 120th anniversary this year with the reopening of its newly-refurbished flagship store at Peninsula Plaza on Friday (Dec 5). While it may be a household name in Singapore, just how much do you know about Bata and its shoes?

Did you know?

1. BATA IS NOT A SINGAPOREAN BRAND
Bata was founded in Zlin, Czechoslovakia. Today, the company operates 40 production facilities in 26 countries and runs 4,600 stores.

2. ‘BATA’ IS SOMEONE’S NAME
Bata got its name from its founder, Tomas Bata, who in 1894 registered the company with his two siblings, Antonin and Anna. It was first known as the T.A. Bata Shoe Company.

3. BATA HAS BEEN IN SINGAPORE FOR 83 YEARS
The first Bata shoe store in Singapore opened in 1931, in the Capitol Building on Stamford Road. It’s still there today, now joined by more than 40 Bata stores.

4. WHY WERE THEY CALLED BM2000 SHOES?
There’s a high chance those of you born in the 1970s and 1980s wore these to school. BM2000 stands for Badminton Master 2000, though the brand tells us the 2000 has no specific meaning. You probably also remember applying white shoe polish on the shoes and hanging them out to dry on Sundays – then dabbing liquid paper to cover over stains as the week progressed. By the way, this model is no longer available in stores.

5. REMEMBER THESE TENNIS SHOES? THEY’RE 78 YEARS OLD
The first pair of Bata Tennis shoes – the iconic pinstriped sneakers with the distinctive rubber toe guard – was made in India in 1936 for students in physical education classes. They are being relaunched in conjunction with Bata’s 120th Anniversary, though you’ll have to make an online reservation to get hold of a pair.

6. MORE THAN HALF A MILLION PAIRS OF SCHOOL SHOES SOLD EACH YEAR HERE
Remember the tagline, “First to Bata then to school”? It still applies today. Each year, Bata Singapore sells more than 650,000 pairs of white canvas shoes.

7. BATA: ONCE WORN BY FLIGHT ATTENDANTS
Flight attendants of Malayan Airways Limited, the precursor of Singapore Airlines, wore Bata shoes when they made their inaugural passenger flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur in 1947. In fact, the flight attendants wore custom Bata shoes from 1947 to 1962.

8. BATA IS ON THE AIRWAVES
Bata has an online radio station that offers a 24-hour mix of hits and international music. Radio Bata World can be heard at Bata’s flagship Peninsula Plaza store, and is also being rolled out in all Bata stores across Singapore. Want more? Download the app on iOS and Android devices.

9. BATA WAS THE FIRST STORE IN SINGAPORE WITH AN ESCALATOR
When the Bata Building on North Bridge Road was renovated in 1966, the outlet was the only store in Singapore with an escalator between its two floors. The escalator’s still there.

10. THERE IS A BATA SHOE MUSEUM IN CANADA
This museum of footwear was opened in 1995 in Toronto, Canada, and now houses an international collection of more than 12,500 shoes and related items spanning 4,500 years of history. The museum’s founding chairman is Mrs Sonja Bata, the daughter-in-law of founder Tomas.