Resorcinol-tannin-formaldehyde-latex(RTFL) adhesive was prepared to bond SBR to nylon in reinforced rubber composites. A key factor of adhesive contributes to the adhesion strength between SBR and nylon was the toughness of adhesive itself. Although the stiffness and strength of adhesive film decreased slightly with increasing level of tannin substitution for resorcinol in a standard RFL adhesive, the maximum toughness of adhesive film, which showed yield behavior and high dissipative capacity, was obtain by 60% tannin substitution. However, a marked softening and reduction in toughness occurred at sufficiently high substitution. Also, the adhesive film, which was heat-treated to simulate cure, showed higher strength than the unheated film. Thus, the properties of tannin containing adhesives could be optimized by using 40/60 weight ratio of the resorcinol/tannin in RTFL adhesive composition as well as heat treatment of adhesive film.