About
The Griffin 8.5" Plain Toe Boots are heritage work boots manufactured by Rolling Dub Trio, a Japanese footwear company based in Tokyo. Standing at 8.5 inches in height, these boots feature a plain toe design with Italian tea core horsebutt leather uppers and traditional construction methods including two-row stitchdown and 360 flat welts.
About
The Griffin 8.5" Plain Toe Boots are heritage work boots manufactured by Rolling Dub Trio, a Japanese footwear company based in Tokyo. Standing at 8.5 inches in height, these boots feature a plain toe design with Italian tea core horsebutt leather uppers and traditional construction methods including two-row stitchdown and 360 flat welts.
Rolling Dub Trio produces the Griffin boots in small batches at The Boots Factory workshop in Asakusa, Tokyo's traditional leatherworking district. The company, founded by Katsuya Tokunaga in 2003, specializes in heritage-style footwear that combines vintage Americana aesthetics with Japanese craftsmanship, using premium materials sourced from the United States, Italy, and Japan.
Design and Construction
The Griffin 8.5" Plain Toe Boots are built on a custom modified Munson last called the J-Munson-N last, featuring a D-width standard fit with a slightly tapered forefoot. This last design accommodates the typical East Asian foot shape while maintaining the classic work boot silhouette that Rolling Dub Trio is known for.
Construction utilizes old world methods including two-row stitchdown and 360 flat welts, techniques that allow the boots to be fully rebuildable and recraftable over time. The boots feature custom "THE BOOTS FACTORY" rubber cork outsoles and heels, providing durability while maintaining the aesthetic of traditional work boot soles.
Hardware consists of tonal antiqued brass components, including a combination of four eyelets and five speed hooks with one final top eyelet. The boots are finished with rawhide laces and feature heavy, precise stitchwork with cleanly cut uppers that demonstrate the Japanese attention to detail in construction.
Materials
Horsebutt Leather
The Griffin boots utilize Italian tea core horsebutt leather that is hand-selected and given a final oil treatment in Japan before being cut and sewn. This leather is sourced from Maryam tannery, located in Santa Croce sull'Arno, Tuscany, Italy, known for their centuries-old vegetable tanning expertise.
Horsebutt leather offers exceptional characteristics for heritage footwear applications. The material has a thickness of 6oz (2.4mm) ± 0.3mm with medium firmness, providing durability while allowing for proper break-in over time. The TPR finish applied by Maryam consists of a mixture of oil, wax, and resin that gives the leather a lustrous appearance from the beginning while supporting the aging process.
The vegetable tanning process used by Maryam employs natural tannins from trees, following traditional methods that have been refined over centuries. This process creates leather with a full grain structure that develops character and patina through wear, making each pair of Griffin boots unique as they age.
Construction Materials
The boots feature a full kip leather lining that provides comfort and moisture management while maintaining the boot's shape over time. The custom rubber cork outsoles and heels are manufactured specifically for Rolling Dub Trio at The Boots Factory, designed to complement the heritage aesthetic while providing modern performance characteristics.
Sizing and Fit
Rolling Dub Trio sizing for the Griffin boots runs differently from typical American footwear sizing. The recommended sizing is to go down one full size from Brannock measurement, though customers with particularly wide feet may only need to size down 0.5 from their Brannock size.
The J-Munson-N last used for the Griffin boots creates a shape that is longer, rounder, and narrower than most American work boots. The boots are designed to accommodate the flatter East Asian foot shape and do not feature the strong arch support characteristic of many American heritage boot makers.
The horsebutt leather initially presents as quite stiff but relaxes over time as it breaks in and takes the shape of the wearer's foot. The leather's characteristics allow it to form appealing rolls as it wears in, differing from the tighter creases that aged cowhide typically develops.
Availability
The Griffin 8.5" Plain Toe Boots are available in both Black Horsebutt and Brown Horsebutt variants. Rolling Dub Trio produces these boots in small batches, which means availability can be limited and they are frequently out of stock at retailers.
The boots are available through several authorized retailers including Standard & Strange, Burgundschild, and other heritage footwear specialists. Rolling Dub Trio also operates an official flagship store in Asakusa, Tokyo, and maintains an online presence through THE BOOTS SHOP ONLINE, their official e-commerce platform.
Due to the small-batch production methodology and the specialized nature of the horsebutt leather sourcing, prospective buyers often need to sign up for restock notifications at retailers to be informed when new inventory becomes available.
References
Standard & Strange. "Rolling Dub Trio Griffin 8.5" Plain Toe Boots - Black Horsebutt". Accessed September 18, 2025.
Standard & Strange. "Rolling Dub Trio Griffin 8.5" Plain Toe Boots - Brown Horsebutt". Accessed September 18, 2025.
Standard & Strange. "Rolling Dub Trio Collection". Accessed September 18, 2025.
THE BOOTS SHOP ONLINE. Official Rolling Dub Trio store. Accessed September 18, 2025.
RM Leather Supply. "Maryam - Horserump TPR - Veg Tanned Premium Horse Butt Leather". Accessed September 18, 2025.
Conceria Maryam. "Maryam — Ancient Tannery of Santa Croce sull'Arno". Accessed September 18, 2025.
Bliskavka, Mikhail. "A Visit to Maryam Tannery". Medium, accessed September 18, 2025.
