Roots Factory

THE KOWALEWSKI FAMILY

The Kowalewskis are a living legend in Roots culture. Their family is an integral part of the Roots family and history.

Originally from Poland and then Argentina, the Kowalewskis were immersed in leatherwork from an early age. So it was only natural for Jan's sons to follow in their father's footsteps to a career in the leather industry. And together they've played a vital role in Roots' phenomenal growth.

It was Jan Kowalewksi's custom shoe factory that produced the very first negative heel shoes for Roots back in 1973 - even though he was used to making triple-platform leather boots with sequins for rock bands. Today, three of his sons - Richard, Henry and Karl - continue to be at the heart of the Roots leather factory in Toronto. Karl leads the leather style and design work, Richard is the plant's general manager, and Henry is in charge of all aspects of production.

Thanks to the Kowalewskis, old-world craftmanship and quality are alive and well at Roots.

THE LEATHER FACTORY

Do you have any idea of what goes into the process of making our leather goods?

Roots leather shoes, boots, jackets, bags, and accessories are meticulously designed and produced at our Toronto factory under the watchful eyes of the Kowalewskis.

The entire process is carried out by skilled craftspeople, organized into teams. For the most part, they work together in a horseshoe-shape set-up, and different tasks are rotated from person to person. That means that every product gets checked for quality control by more than one person. The employees also get to learn different skills and see the leather goods through the entire process from start to finish.

VIEW A ROOTS LEATHER BAG BEING MADE AT OUR STATE OF THE ART LEATHER FACTORY iN TORONTO