In episode #13 of Home Gym History, Rob discusses a long-forgotten piece of gym equipment history.
The Iron Boots first came around in the early 1900s and were a prominent piece of equipment people used for many years. Pretty suddenly, though, their popularity halted as other innovations came to market. However, this sort of contraption is forcefully coming back!
You can listen to this episode on Garage Gym Radio, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Episode Outline
- (1:49) The first Iron Boots
- (4:29) Who invented them?
- (5:07) How were they used?
- (8:21) Improvements made over time
- (11:02) Modern contraptions
- (19:18) Why are they coming back?
- (21:00) Cost comparisons with vintage included
- (23:36) Products that never came back
Also, did Spud Inc. miss out? He did confirm that it was him. Check out the clip below that is at the end of this episode.
Sources
Special thanks to Beltfed Strength for crafting the leather straps for Rob’s York Health Shoes. https://www.beltfedstrength.com/
Animal House Fitness Monkey Feet https://animalhousefitness.com/
Equipment on Amazon with Monkey Feet in Title (***NOT actually Animal House Fitness Monkey Feet)
Freak Athlete Tri-Flexor https://freakathleteessentials.com/products/tri-flexor
Golden Era Bookworm. “Golden Era Iron Boots! The Oldest Iron Boots in History!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV4KBgERPPU
Heffernan, Conor. “Iron Boots: The Slimming, Trimming, Shaping Equipment that the Fitness Industry Forgot About”
Iron Man Magazine
- 1959, April-May Marcy Deluxe Professional Bodybuilding Equipment, Chrome Leg Curl & Extension Machine p. 4
Kensui Fitness ANKR, https://kensuifitness.com/products/ankr
Strength and Health Magazine
- 1938, April – York “Iron Boot” p. 38
- 1950, April – Leg Press Machine p. 34 and Deep Knee Bend Stand p. 36
- 1960, March – York Health Shoes p. 63
Follow
- Visit vintageweightspgh.com for additional information on vintage weights.
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- Subscribe to Garage Gym Radio
- Stay in the loop with all things home gym by subscribing to Knurled News
- Also, make sure to check out Rob’s video on how to use health shoes (below)