From military operations to mountaineering: Bangladeshi safety shoes protect workers everywhere
The company had decided to invest in both Vietnam and Bangladesh at the same time. However, investing in Bangladesh paid off, as the footwear industry requires far more workers than electronics manufacturing, Tony Hsieh, operations manager of the company, told The Business Standard.
Established in 1953 as Fujian-Taiwan Leather Factory, Golden Chang Industrial Company Ltd eventually developed a sustained focus on functional and safety footwear. It is now one of the world's largest manufacturers in the sector.
The company had decided to invest in both Vietnam and Bangladesh at the same time. However, investing in Bangladesh paid off, as the footwear industry requires far more workers than electronics manufacturing, Tony Hsieh, operations manager of the company, told The Business Standard.
"The decision to invest in Bangladesh later proved to be the right and better choice," Hsieh told TBS at the company's Karnaphuli EPZ factory earlier this month. "Our operations in Vietnam have contracted due to high wages, difficulties in recruiting workers, high taxes, and rising ancillary costs. In contrast, our operations in Bangladesh have expanded."
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The company has been producing specialised safety footwear in Bangladesh for nearly 18 years for global brands ranging from Timberland to Ariat.
Footwear made in Golden Chang's Bangladesh factories is now being used in some of the world's most hazardous workplaces—from armed forces personnel engaged in combat operations, sailors and mountaineers to workers in deep underground mines and heavy industrial plants, and even cowboy boots worn by horse-racing jockeys.
The company operates four factories—two in Chattogram's Karnaphuli Export Processing Zone (EPZ) and two in Cumilla EPZ—producing around 1 crore pairs of shoes a year.
Products made by around 12,500 Bangladeshi workers in these factories generated $251.27 million in export earnings for the country in the last fiscal year.
From deep mines to the mountains
According to company data, the Taiwan-based investor operates two factories under the name Xin Chang Shoes (BD) Ltd in Karnaphuli EPZ. It has two more factories in Cumilla EPZ under the names Xin Chang and Golden Chang Shoes (BD) Ltd.
The factories manufacture protective footwear and various footwear components, including leather uppers, rubber and plastic footwear, waterproof shoes and boots, and aluminum-toe safety footwear. Their main focus is safety and functional footwear.
For example, Timberland's premium waterproof outdoor boots are used as durable safety footwear in construction work. Ariat produces premium cowboy boots, specialised riding boots, and footwear for use on farms and in heavy industrial facilities.
Of the 50 lakh pairs of shoes produced at the two Karnaphuli EPZ factories, 50% was for Timberland and 30% for Ariat.
At the two Cumilla EPZ factories, 70% of the 50 lakh pairs of shoes were produced for Wolverine World Wide. The brand is known for safety footwear designed to protect workers engaged in hazardous industries, including oil and gas extraction, chemical plants, and deep underground mining.
In addition to these brands, Golden Chang's Bangladeshi factories produce footwear for Helly Hansen, a Norwegian brand known for high-quality waterproof protective footwear for sailors, mountaineers, and industrial workers.
They also manufacture military and tactical boots for Belleville, a US brand and trusted supplier to the US armed forces, as well as products for military footwear brand 5.11 Tactical and brands including Carhartt, Kodiak, Dan Post, and Pepra.
Md Arifur Rahman, manager of HR and compliance at Xin Chang Shoes (BD) Ltd, the footwear manufacturer at Karnaphuli EPZ, told The Business Standard, "The premium safety shoe brands manufactured at our factories sell for $150-$300 a pair at the consumer level. Our four factories produce 10 million pairs of shoes annually."
Top Bangladeshi exporter to US
An analysis of NBR data for fiscal year 2023-24 showed that Golden Chang Shoes was among the top five Bangladeshi exporters to the United States.
During that fiscal year, 71% of the company's total export earnings, or $100 million, came from the US market. Its products are also exported to markets in Canada, Europe, and Asia.
According to data from the Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza), the company began generating export earnings from its Cumilla EPZ factory with just $3.21 million in exports in fiscal year 2009-10.
Its export earnings have increased steadily since then, reaching $106.93 million in FY2016-17 and $251.27 million in FY2025-26.
According to Export Promotion Bureau data, Bangladesh earned a total of $433.59 million from exports of specialised boots or safety footwear made of rubber soles and pure leather in the last fiscal year.
Of this, the Golden Chang group alone accounted for $251.27 million, meaning the company contributed around 58% of the country's exports of the product.
Labor-intensive industry
According to Bepza data, the company started its first factory in Bangladesh under the name Xin Chang Shoes in Cumilla EPZ in July 2009, with an investment of $1.16 million and 14 employees.
It has expanded continuously since then. The company is currently constructing another factory building at Karnaphuli EPZ.
As of August this year, its total investment across four factories in Bangladesh had reached $102.35 million, creating employment for 12,462 Bangladeshis.
Rapidly expanding global market.
Market research reports by Fortune Business Insights, Grand View Research, Mordor Intelligence, and Research and Markets show that the global industrial safety footwear market is expanding rapidly.
The market, currently estimated at between $12 billion and $13.8 billion, is projected to reach between $16 billion and $27 billion by 2030-2034, according to the reports.
