Tatar boots that dates centuries back can be found in the collections of many prominent museums. There, the boots are labeled as originated from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Crimea, Russia, Indonesia, Ukraine, Georgia, Asia, Europe. Although those labels specify the area the boots came from, they do not always accuretly credit the authorship of the unique craftsmanship and technique of the exquisite leatherwork: The boots were created using leather mosaic technique developed and mastered by Volga (Kazan) Tatars. The craftsmanship of Tatar boots was prominent and in demand in 18-early 20th centuries: The trade of Tatar boots was profitable, thus the production of those spread from Kazan-surrounding areas to Central Asia, Siberia, Eastern Europe. Currently, the authentic Tatar boots are produced only in small batches in Kazan suburbs by private individuals and state-owned company “Sahtian”.
State National Museum in Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia.
The biggest collection of Tatar boots are located at “Shoes or No Shoes” Museum in Belgium.
- Tartar boots dated 1582
- Bata Shoes Museum