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At Roots, we have a warm spot for our leather goods. And not just because of the international acclaim that Roots Genuine Leather products have long attracted. We’re proud of the products and the way we make them. We’re proud of the people who design and manufacture them and where it all takes place. Every Roots Genuine Leather product is made in our state-of-the art factory in Toronto. It’s operated by the Kowalewski family, well-known for three generations of old-world craftsmanship. The Kowalewskis are also justly famous for their seminal role in the evolution of Roots dating back to our earliest days. In 1973, when Michael Budman and Don Green were laying the foundation for Roots, they went looking for someone who could make the shoe that would launch the business. They had the good fortune of meeting Jan Kowalewski who had a small family business, Boa Shoe Company, on College Street. Working with leather, especially making shoes, was in his blood. It was part of his family tradition. The first store opened on August 15, 1973 in Toronto on Yonge Street. The shoes proved an instant hit. Within weeks, Roots was selling hundreds of pairs every day. To keep up with demand, bigger, more modern production facilities were needed. In October 1973, Jan, who worked with his sons, moved Boa Shoe Company to Sorauren Avenue in the city’s High Park area. They increased production of the Roots negative-heel shoes and quickly every square inch of the place was humming with production. For a while, there were even four or five sewers working in Michael and Don’s office. By this point, Michael and Don had bought Boa and made it a part of Roots. The dedication of Jan and his sons Richard, Henry and Karl and their mastery of leather craftsmanship were key ingredients in the phenomenal success of Roots. So successful were the shoes that within half a year, there was a need yet again to move to larger premises. In May 1974, Michael, Don, the Kowalewskis, and the rest of the Roots team moved across town to 1203 Caledonia Road in the northwestern part of Toronto. Within a few years, the factory was producing not only shoes but also a wide range of leather products including boots, bags, jackets and accessories. At one point, the factory was making 2,000 pairs of shoes a day, and even made Beaver Canoes. In 1984, the factory moved down the street to its present location at 1162 Caledonia Road where today some 200 people make Roots Genuine Leather products. Products that continue to contribute so much to the reputation of Roots. In keeping with the Roots heritage and their own time-honoured family tradition, Richard, Henry and Karl Kowalewski are there every day, as they have been for the past 32 years, pursuing their passion for working with leather and overseeing production of so much of what makes Roots… Roots.
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