About Iron Boots!
About Us
Iron Boots started in 2015 in Guangzhou, and now we are a small studio with 6 folks in total. Our brand owner, boot designer and maker Kai is also a boot enthusiast, and he started to make his own boots after he realized that there is no such boot in the market that can reach his bars on all fronts. We started in China, and had success in Japan, now launched globally, like United States, Canada, Australia, and Europe. We are a small boutique fully handmade boot brand, but we are very fortunate to have most of our customers come back again and again with more orders.
Construction
Iron Boots are all fully hand made with channelled insole construction. They are all hand welted, hand last, hand bottomed, and also hand-sewn outsole stitch. Our lasts are designed and created by ourselves, and have been refined for a few versions based on customer feedback. We believe great boots should have not only great craftsmanship, great pattern, great last, great leather, but also great aesthetics.
We sourced most of our materials in Europe and North America. We believe it is also a way to pay back to the community here. But when there is no perfect option out there, we will invest to build it ourselves. For example, we have our own branded rubber sole and leather options.
You may also find certain high end dress shoe characters from our boots. For example, our heel block is smaller than most heritage boots, and the waist of our boots is quite narrow.
Another special thing about our boots is that we are not trying to build "heavy tanks". Instead, we want to build boots and shoes that are strong, but also as light weight as possible. We believe not everyone wants or needs to wear heavy duty boots in their day to day commute. So we are trying to remove extra weight in our boots as much as possible, without impacting the quality and longevity.
In detailing the unique aspects of our construction methods, we utilize wool felt as a filling material instead of the traditional cork, and opt for a leather shank in place of steel. The leather lining we use is also of exceptionally high quality, which is the same leather used in luxury bags by some LVMH brands. This leather is not only robust but also remarkably smooth to the touch. Additionally, the cost of our leather lining is substantially high, rivaling that of many upper leathers. Starting from early 2021, all our boots (sold overseas) are using leather for both heel counter and toe puff.
Pick the Right Size
It's critical to pick the right size for MTO / GMTO orders, since those are customized and can't be returned / refund.
Check our Sizing Guide for Iron Boots, and Sizing Guid for Østmo X Iron Boots!