Hoffman Boots

Joseph Hoffman brought European boot making expertise to America in 1880 after emigrating from Austria. His sons, born in Minnesota, continued the craft through shoe repair shops across the Upper Midwest.

Andrew Hoffman, one of Joseph's sons, moved to Anaheim, California in 1922 and established a shoe sales and repair shop. This California operation set the foundation for future generations of the Hoffman family in footwear.

John Hoffman, after honorable discharge from the Army in 1960, joined brothers Robert and Joe in purchasing a boot repair and retail store in Placentia, California. The brothers operated this shop until 1973, when they sold the California business and relocated to Kellogg, Idaho.

In Kellogg, the Hoffman brothers opened a new boot repair and sales operation. Within a year, they recognized demand for logging boots with replaceable spikes called calks. In 1974, they produced the first Hoffman boot with calks, developing a replacement calk system that loggers could change themselves. This innovation established Hoffman's reputation in Pacific Northwest logging camps.

The 1980s brought expansion into the utility industry. Hoffman developed boots specifically for lineman work, including a dual steel shank system that became standard in the industry. In 2000, third-generation family members Tom, Jim, and Beth Hoffman purchased the business and added a hunting boot line.

Hoffman produces all boots custom-made to order at their Kellogg, Idaho facility. The company maintains its American manufacturing commitment, using domestically sourced components and labor.

The custom order approach allows Hoffman to build boots to individual specifications rather than maintaining inventory of standard sizes. This method supports the specialized needs of professional workers requiring specific features and fits.

Hoffman's product lines serve three primary markets: logging, utility work, and hunting. Logger boots feature the company's replaceable calk system for traction on logs and steep terrain. Lineman boots incorporate the dual steel shank design for pole climbing safety and support. Hunting boots apply Hoffman's durability standards to backcountry and mountain hunting applications.

The logger boot line remains central to the company's identity, with Hoffman boots common in logging operations throughout the Northwest. Professional timber fallers, reforestation crews, and tree planting operations use Hoffman's calk-equipped boots.

Lineman boots developed for utility workers provide specialized features including electrical hazard protection and climbing performance. The dual steel shank system distributes climbing forces while maintaining boot flex for normal walking.

Hunting boots represent Hoffman's entry into recreational markets while maintaining the construction standards established in professional work boot production.