ABOUT US

History of TAPI from 01-02-1946 to the present day

About us

11 sales markets, over 70 years of tradition, several million pairs of shoes and an innumerable amount of emotions that cannot be compared with anything else.

Meet Tapi, a Polish brand that values family, durability and attention to every detail.

Many years ago we started producing shoes in Jordanów, 60 kilometers from Krakow. We operate here to this day. Over time we have developed the company with our own designers and production lines. We can boast of a permanent team of employees - some of whom have been with us for several decades.

The beginnings and solid foundations of the company were given by grandfather Władysław. His sons, Tadeusz and Piotr, followed in his footsteps, as well as grandchildren Anna, Radosław, Dariusz and Aleksander. Currently, shoes are manufactured by the 3rd generation of the Żur family, who have official education in the shoemaking profession.

What was and is important to us, but also what will be, which is why we are constantly introducing new and increasingly advanced footwear models to our offer and we respect Mother Earth.
Last year we reduced CO2 emissions by over 50%!

We know how important moments are - both everyday and special. Our mission is to create exceptional footwear that will accompany you at every moment.

HISTORY OF THE TAPI BRAND

1946

In fact, the history of the Tapi family company dates back to 1946. It was then that Władysław Żur began his internship at the "Dziechciowski" shoe upper factory in Rabka-Zdrój.

1950

The key moment took place 3 years later. In 1950, Mr. Władysław received the title of apprentice of shoemaking crafts, which allowed him to start producing shoes on his own.
Shortly thereafter, the man who started it all began educating subsequent generations of shoemakers.

RAPID GROWTH

IN
1965 production speeds up. Mr. Władysław buys a thinning machine
leather edge, thanks to which it is able to produce as many as 30 pairs of shoes a day!

Before
Singer sewing machine and the strength of his own hands allowed him to produce daily
maximum 10 pairs.

Just 5 years later, thanks to the purchase of a punch - hydraulic press,
which uses metal knives to cut out elements from leather or rubber - production
Mr. Władysław reaches up to 100 pairs of flip-flops a day!

1973

Tadeusz graduates with a degree in chemical engineering, specializing in tanning, and begins working in a tannery in Zakopane.
Thanks to the knowledge and practice he gained while working as a tanner, Tapi has offered shoes made of the best leathers from the very beginning.

THE NEXT BIG STEP

In 1984, a 3-year construction of a house in Jordanów began, which was to serve as a production plant.
production.

The construction is supervised by Mr. Władysław, who two years earlier handed over the business to his son, Piotr.

At the same time, Władysław's second son, Tadeusz, after obtaining engineering qualifications in the field of tanning technology, works as a manager of a tannery in Zakopane.

TIME OF BIG CHANGES

1991

With the fall of communism, the beginning of the 90s brought enormous changes. On January 15, 1991, Tadeusz and Piotr Żur, sons of Mr. Władysław, established a civil partnership Tapi in Jordanów. The name comes from the names of the founders. Interestingly, Jordanów has a strong pre-war shoemaking tradition. In the local church, there is an altar dedicated to the patrons of shoemaking - Kryspin and Kryspinian. This was not the end of the changes. In the years 1991-1992, Tapi purchased shoemaking machines from the failing NZPS Podhale plant and employed specialists who were left unemployed after the plant went bankrupt.

1994

Tapi starts digital transformation before it was cool!
Already in 1994 we bought the first computers for the accounting department, and a moment later our first mobile phone which you can see in the picture, and we have it to this day. It was expensive, it only worked outside Warsaw and in the center of Białystok - but it was still worth it!

Fair

1997

Mr. Tadeusz Żur at the trade fair stand in 1997 at the international trade fair in Poznań. Thanks to the joint work of Tadeusz and Piotr, the Tapi company is developing dynamically, expanding its reach to new international markets.

1999

The Matrix is coming to cinemas, and computer-aided shoe design is coming to Tapi. Discover our turn-of-the-century collection!

WE WERE APPRECIATED

2007

In 2007, TAPI wins a gold medal at the International Fair in Poznań for the best shoes of the exhibition. All thanks to the 500 model, which combines exceptional lightness of workmanship, softness and comfort. The advantage of the shoes is the sole made of a special material that allows for free bending. The unique shape of the model makes the shoes recommended especially to all drivers. Another advantage of the shoes is the use of a replaceable leather insole. The 500 model can also be safely worn by people with a high instep.

2009

Our Human-Machine interface is enriched with the Swiss ZUND plotter. The plotter is used to cut out elements from leather and textiles.

Thanks to digitalization, our collection is growing at a dizzying pace - now the implementation of a new model is 10 times shorter thanks to the combination of CAD software with our new plotter.

More digital!

2014

The plotter allowed for a rapid expansion of the collection and, consequently, for increasingly shorter production series.
In order to maintain high quality while constantly changing its offer, Tapi has implemented a computerized production monitoring and tracking system.

2020

In 2020, the plant was expanded with a new production line for studded footwear with a sulking machine and other intelligent machines.

2021 - WE CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Thanks to the deep thermal modernization of the building, which was completed in 2021, we reduced CO2 emissions by over 53%, or by 34.24 tons per year. It is exactly as if we planted over 170 trees! How did this happen? We installed over 50 photovoltaic panels, heat pumps, and thanks to heat recovery and compressor recovery, we started recovering heat from production

In the year

2022

We have introduced waterproof trekking footwear with membrane linings and a closed upper construction to our permanent offer. This is proof that we do not stand still, constantly eager to discover new paths. Set off on this adventure with us today!

2024

Tapi focuses on collaboration. In this case, with state-of-the-art collaborative robots that allow us to produce sophisticated shoes with the highest quality and precision.