Dunlop Boots

Dunlop Protective Footwear has a long history dating back to 1888 when John Boyd Dunlop invented the pneumatic tire. The protective footwear division was officially established in 1927 in collaboration with the Liverpool Rubber Co Ltd. Over the decades, the brand became synonymous with durable, high-performance waterproof boots, particularly for professional sectors like agriculture, food processing, and industry.

In 1996, the Dutch company Hevea B.V. (founded in 1904) acquired the Dunlop boot brand, merging its own expertise in rubber and polyurethane (Purofort) with the global recognition of the Dunlop name. Today, the company operates as a global leader in the safety boot market. While the brand is British in origin, its modern headquarters and core operations are based in the Netherlands. Manufacturing is strategically distributed across three main locations: Raalte (Netherlands), Leiria (Portugal), and Havre de Grace (USA), ensuring high-quality production for over 50 countries.

Ownership of the brand has transitioned through various investment phases. In September 2024, the EQT Mid Market Europe fund agreed to sell its majority stake to Gilde Equity Management (GEM), a Dutch private equity firm, solidifying the brand's Dutch-led leadership into 2026 and beyond.