This company has been planned to be introduced in the kingdom in the year 1981 with the name of The Saudi Shoe Company. to manufacture safety shoe in the kingdom joint venture with wolverine world wide (Hush-Puppy Shoes), Under the group of Al Rushaid Investment Company. This is first safety shoe manufacturing company in the kingdom. Factory was ready and machineries and equipment were installed in the year 1982.

The first intake of the employees has resumed in June 1982 and trial production was started with the facility of direct vulcanizing process. Second intake of the employees has resumed in July 1982. Then regular production was started with minimum 8 trolleys (96 Pairs) a day. Then it grew up to 16 trolleys (192 pairs) a day for long time. The company was producing only two styles in three different colors in the beginning:
Chukka boot And Pull-on boot

The stuck on process was introduced with torridly machine in 1985 but production was not on regular basis. Regular production was started after two years i.e. 1986 with #31 (Black) and #32 (beige) unit sole. Sole roughing machine was added for stuck on unit sole roughing for good bond strength.

First extension was done in 1988 when new raw material and finished goods store was made both stores were in one divided by fence in the middle and connected with the factory by two passages, one for raw material another for finished goods.

First 18 station direct injection machine was added to the production in 1996 with # 37 single density direct injection moulded polyurethane sole and heel and # 39 dual density direct injection moulded polyurethane sole and heel and. Direct vulcanizing process was eliminated gradually when direct injection moulding production was regularized. Strobel insole stitched with upper was introduced in the year 1997. The # 56 nitrile rubber skin to PU sole and # 57 nitrile rubber skin to PU sole with anti-scuff toe was introduced in the year 1998.

The company has been certified by the ISO 9001 in the year of 1996 and still continuing the certification. Then the company became member of SATRA in the year of 1998 and continuing till date. The 12 station direct injection moulding machine was added in the year 1998 to produce single density Polyurethane unit sole with heel.

Big expansion was made by establishing plant no.2, a big employees’ canteen, and a separate finished goods store added with customer services and purchase offices. This plant produces stuck-on processed shoes and boots.

Then 30 station DESMA direct injection dual density machine was added in the year 2006 WITH # 59 dual density direct injected moulded sole with heel.

The company name was changed from The Saudi Shoe Co. to Saudi Leather Industries Company. (SLIC) In the year 2007.

New administration building was constructed in the year 2014 and all offices were shifted in new building. The plant 1 is merged in the place of old administration block.

A (40) stations GUSBI direct PU soling compound pouring machine was added. It gave the company higher productivity and higher flexibility. The machine was installed. Apart from the production, our testing lab is also upgraded by adding some equipment, such as testing antistatic properties in the year 2010 and recently added a big machine to test EH properties on the high voltage of 18,000 volts in 2015. The production capacity of the SLIC has grown to 720,000 pairs annually. Non-metallic safety shoes were introduced by using composite toe caps for safety shoes. In addition, EH (Electric Hazard) protection safety footwear were introduced. The company continues on the path of progress and a lot of goals, commitments, and achievements to stand with the rapid changes in sales and marketing strategies.

The company joined the framework agreement with the General Authority for Military Industries to supply military and sports footwear, contributing significantly to increasing the local content in these product categories.

Additionally, safety shoes were included in the mandatory list of national products, which supports the government entities' procurement of locally made goods and reinforces the company’s position as a trusted national supplier.

As part of its industrial expansion, the company also initiated the local production of sports footwear, reflecting its commitment to continuous development and meeting market needs.

To meet the increased demand for Safety, Military, Casual, and Sports Footwear, the company expanded its production facilities by incorporating new, fully automated machinery and equipment. In 2024, a second DESMA fully automatic 30-station direct injection machine was installed, equipped with an automatic robot for roughing, spraying, and midsole attaching.

Several other new automated machines for the cementing process were also introduced, such as fully automated toe lasting machines, side and heel lasting machines, heat setters, roughing machines, cement drying machines with conveyor belts, sole pressing machines, and chiller units with conveyor belts.

This modernization allows for increased efficiency and higher output to meet the growing market demand. Our overall production capacity has now increased from 720,000 pairs/ year in 2015 to 2,600,000 pairs/ year in 2024.

To increase the production, a third DESMA fully automatic 30-station direct injection machine was purchased with additional features, such as recycling PU spews and reusing them. This state-of-the-art machine is being installed.