DONKEY PUNCHER BOOTS 8" / EZO SHIKA DEERSKIN BURNT DARK BROWN

The John Lofgren Bootmaker Donkey Puncher is a heavily built logger-style boot. The Donkey Puncher is renowned for being incredibly comfortable right out of the box. The uppers are beautifully executed by the same master Japanese craftsman that's been sewing our uppers from the start of our brand. The boots are visually stunning and aesthetically pleasing. The Donkey Puncher name was derived from the steam engine operator known as a Steam Donkey used in the American logging industry around the turn of the century. Ezo Shika are Japanese deer that live in Japan's northern Hokkaido region. Larger than all other Shika subspecies, this deer lives an extra rugged life in mostly snowy areas. For centuries the indigenous Ainu people have hunted them as a major food source and armorers incorporated the robust deerskin into samurai armor. Today deerskin can still be found being used in making kendo and kyudo bogu. To make our boots using Ezo Shika deerskin two layers must be used. The liner being an oiled tanned leather, and the outer shell being a waxed finished tanning that's burnished. The Ezo Shika are wild deer and the leather is not corrected at all. The natural grain will especially appeal to leather enthusiasts.