In 1895, in the town of Gislaved, brothers Carl and Wilhelm Gislow began manufacturing rubber tires for the burgeoning automotive industry.
The quality and durability of the brothers’ rubber led them to create a footwear range - rugged yet stylish, to fit Sweden’s harsh seasons and landscapes, both in nature and in the city. They became famous for their all-weather rubber boots and iconic Swedish galoshes. Gislaved’s hard-wearing products became the go-to shoes for workers, forest rangers, sailors and even the Swedish army. Moving onto rubber-soled sports shoes, Gislaved’s popularity began to spread for their clean and simple Swedish design, as well as for their rugged functionality.