Carité: the strategic evolution of heritage know-how, robotics, and the Ten Toes innovation

Carité is a Portuguese powerhouse that draws its strength from a rich footwear heritage while demonstrating an unyielding commitment to continuous innovation, notably through the recent launch of its Ten Toes line. This new range is precisely engineered to capture the most dynamic segments of the modern, technical footwear market.
As the leading Portuguese company in the FAIST (Factory Innovation for the Footwear Industry) project, a massive initiative designed to propel the national footwear sector to the global forefront by embedding robotics as a non- negotiable operational standard, Carité stands at the epicenter of corporate technological advancement. Here, anthropomorphic robots and sophisticated automated systems are deployed to manage critical production phases that demand supreme precision and repeatability. This technological integration not only maximizes quality and drastically minimizes the margin of error in delicate operations but also ensures a rapid pace of adaptation and a marked increase in overall productivity, securing a durable competitive advantage on the global stage.
The entire production lifecycle of its technical work footwear benefits directly from this level of automation. The process begins with cutting and material preparation, where advanced technical fabrics and components are precisely readied. This is followed by upper assembly, where the top section is meticulously stitched together, incorporating reinforcements and membranes. The next stage, lasting, involves molding the upper over the foot form. The most critical juncture is sole attachment, which, for these high-performance shoes, frequently utilizes direct injection. In this method, the shoe is secured in a mold and the sole material (such as high-density polyurethane) is injected directly onto the upper. This complex step is often fully managed or precisely assisted by robotic units, ensuring the maximum seal and adhesion essential for guaranteed water resistance and durability. Finally, the footwear proceeds to finishing and quality control, where compliance with rigorous technical standards (like EN ISO 20345) is validated with the support of advanced automated inspection systems.
Carité’s unique capacity to seamlessly integrate historical craftsmanship with the innovation of direct injection and the deployment of cutting-edge robotics, coupled with its strategic role as a coordinator of technological projects and its commitment to sustainability, establishes it as a benchmark enterprise. It successfully guarantees tradition, protection, and a highly automated future within the global footwear industry.

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