Borovo footwear

Borovo is Croatia's oldest and most iconic shoe manufacturer, with a history deeply intertwined with the industrial development of the region. Founded in 1931 by the Czech entrepreneur Tomáš Baťa (the founder of the global Bata shoe empire) in the town of Vukovar, the company originally served as a manufacturing hub for the Southeast European market. Following World War II, the factory was nationalized under the Yugoslav government and grew into an industrial giant, employing over 22,000 workers at its peak and producing over 20 million pairs of shoes annually.

Today, Borovo is a state-owned joint-stock company headquartered in Vukovar, where it continues to produce its footwear using natural materials and traditional hand-crafted methods. The brand is celebrated for its cultural heritage symbols, such as the 'Startas' canvas sneakers—originally designed for table tennis in 1976—and the 'Borosana' orthopedic work shoes, which became a staple for workers across former Yugoslavia. Despite the challenges of the 1990s conflict, the brand has experienced a modern resurgence, with its retro designs gaining international fashion acclaim in publications like Vogue.