Hunter Boot Limited is a British company started in 1856 as a footwear manufacturer (North British Rubber Company). The company is headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, with major offices in Dusseldorf, London and New York. Hunter sells socks, accessories, and bags besides footwear like rubber boots. The company holds different Royal Warrants since they supply waterproof footwear, with Green Wellington boots being the main and well-known product.
Henry Lee Norris and his partner and friend, Spencer Thomas Parmelee, visited Scotland in 1856 to work a Charles Goodyear’s patent for manufacturing Indian rubber boots and overshoes. They started by searching for a suitable factory in Glasgow, and they found one in Castle Mill, Edinburgh. The company was originally named Norris & Co and later North British Rubber Company (Hunter Boot Limited) in September 1857.
The company started with only 4 people to produce rubber shoes but grew to 600 people by 1875 with offices all over. World War I dramatically enhanced the production of Wellington Boots when Hunter Boot Limited was asked to develop sturdy boots that could do well in flooded trenches.
The company made the famous Wellington, Original Green Wellington, in 1955 (the first orthopaedic boot developed by Hunter and launched together with Royal Hunter). Royal hunters remained in Hunter’s market range in 2012. Since 2007, Hunter has been working to produce a global range of boosts, including safety boots.