The Nokian Footwear story began in 1898, when a group of Finnish business men decided to establish the company Suomen Gummitehdas Oy (Finnish Rubber Works Ltd) in Helsinki. After operating for a few years, the factory began to produce high quality rubber galoshes, which competed successfully against Russian imports. As production grew, the factory was moved from Helsinki to Nokia. Soon the rubber company began to highlight the name Nokia, communicating Finnishness, in its marketing. Demand for the company’s products grew strongly and the rubber boot became a utility item for the whole nation.

Every Nokian Footwear rubber boot is manufactured carefully by hand from dozens of parts. Manufacturing a rubber boot is a multi-stage process that requires experience, precision and manual skills. Only a few companies in the world have such expertise. Nokian Footwear’s products are made by the world’s most respected professionals, mainly in Central Europe. Finnish footwear designers have close control over production, from the choice of rubber compound all the way to retail outlet shelf.