YDS: Turkey’s largest military bootmaker reads the cold-weather lessons of Ukraine
For most European armies the lesson of Ukraine has been counted in shells and air defence interceptors. For YDS, an Ankara-based bootmaker formally registered as Yakupoğlu Tekstil ve Deri Sanayi Ticaret A.Ş., the war has changed something smaller and far more frequently replaced: what procurement officers ask for when they order combat footwear.
General Manager Levent Gülcan told Turkish outlet Defensehere in March 2026 that since 2022 customers have shifted towards suppliers able to show proven durability in wet and cold conditions, rather than laboratory compliance alone. He framed the requirement around load: a soldier carrying a backpack, helmet and ballistic vest is moving 30 to 35 kilograms across difficult terrain, and the boot is the component that decides whether that soldier stays mobile. The company says it is preparing new tender samples on that basis.
What YDS brought to SAHA 2026
At SAHA 2026 in Istanbul (5-9 May) the company showed military and professional boots alongside uniforms, ballistic vests, ballistic eyewear, tents, textile products and saddlery equipment. Its catalogue also includes cold-climate boots, the Combatbot boot family, plate carriers, backpacks and field accessories. YDS reports exports to 55 countries.
Scale, with caveats
The firm traces its roots to a leather trading business opened in Isparta in 1927 and moved into footwear after relocating to Ankara in 1971. Its English-language corporate material cites 100,000 m² of enclosed production space, around 1,500 employees, more than 30 engineers and USD 150 million of investment. Published annual capacity figures range from 4 million to 6 million pairs depending on the source and date; no independently verified current figure is publicly available.
YDS describes itself as the largest boot supplier to the Turkish Armed Forces and the General Directorate of Security (national police). Its trade association profile lists European armed forces among past customers, including the British Army.
Why it matters to NATO buyers
Footwear is a consumable. Armies replace boots on a cycle measured in months, not decades, so the supplier base has to absorb surge demand when force structures grow. Several European NATO members are expanding reserves and conscript intakes; that raises volume requirements for individual equipment at the same time as cold-weather performance has moved up the specification list. A Turkish supplier already inside the NATO supply culture, with a domestic military customer of the size of the Turkish Armed Forces as its base load, is positioned for exactly that kind of tender.
FAQ
What does YDS stand for?
Yakupoğlu Deri Sanayi. The full trade name is Yakupoğlu Tekstil ve Deri Sanayi Ticaret A.Ş.
Where is YDS based?
Ankara, Türkiye.
Which markets does YDS export to?
The company reports exports to 55 countries, with European, Middle Eastern, Central Asian and African customers named in its profiles.
Company profile: YDS
