Leida Kikka, who happened to work in a shoe factory, has managed shoe production in Tartu for almost 30 years through difficulties. Samelin's story is also the story of Leida Kikka's journey towards her dream. In other words, a story about how to maintain shoe production in a small town on the edge of Europe, then survive in the outsourcing world, and finally find its niche. Today, the company’s primary objective is the manufacture and distribution of footwear of the SAMELIN brand.
Leida Kikka has recalled that after the privatization of the factory, the beginning was difficult. “The warehouse was full of horrible products. There were no materials or orders.” The factory was on the verge of bankruptcy when it received its first orders from companies in Italy, who ordered ski and hiking boots. The company has remained faithful to the production of special technology footwear to this day.
A breakthrough came in 2017, when the company began producing military footwear to various NATO troops. The most popular is the model M77.
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