Everyday Hero formed from what founder Tobias Hill didn’t see in the boots market—most pieces were too expensive, too detailed, too Western. Rather than seeking out the perfect boot, Tobias took charge and created a more accessible, sleek, Cuban heeled boot. Rock music and clattering sewing machines served as the soundtrack to Tobias’s upbringing, where he played in a band in his twenties and grew up surrounded by his father’s leather atelier in Småland, Sweden. These experiences were catalysts to his own career in leather around a decade ago: he used a shoemaker connection from his father to form Everyday Hero. The pieces draw on rock icons like Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan, and pay tribute of sorts to the jackets and coats his father made. Everyday Hero now has several styles of heeled boots in a range of colors, as well as other apparel like scarves, hats, and tees, which are all available on their site.

Tobias Hill talks to Flaunt about his early career, musical influences, and what’s coming up for EDH. 

When did you first find your affinity for shoemaking?

To be honest, it started at an early age, not specifically the shoemaking part but creating something in leather and suede. I grew up with my dad’s leather atelier and to see how he created custom leatherwear always made a huge impact on me. The shoemaking part came a long in my twenties...Me and my band was all into ‘60s and ‘70s music and aesthetics and I really loved all the nice boots that my musical heroes wore in that era, but I couldn’t find anything similar in the market at that time, so I decided to create my own version of a classic Cuban heel boot, so that’s how I got into the shoemaking business.

How does your passion for music influence your designs and the ethos of your brand?

Music is everything to me, not only in my daily work...it’s a way of living. It influences me all the time in everything I do. If you listen to all the classics ever made, most of them have one thing In common. They are direct, simple, and easy to love, and all of them are kind of built in the same three to four chord foundation with a simple hook. But when you dig into the songs you can find many kinds of different layers, depths, and combinations of the elements included and that’s what makes them interesting, timeless, and lovable. The outcome sounds simple, but it’s a true piece of art. It’s the same thing for me when it comes to building a brand, it has got to be direct, simple, lovable with many different layers and depths, and the product is the hook.

You say that there was always something missing in other boots. What have you found that is now in your designs?

When I started EDH back in 2013, it was hard to find a pair of good-looking Cuban heel boots with the right feel....in a decent price range. It was either the more expensive ones from the big fashion houses or the ones from small independent brands usually founded in, and influenced by, the flamenco dance scene....way too much detail and limited quality in my opinion...but of course for a better price. I wanted to combine that. A nice and clean pair of boots in a really good quality for a decent price, not too much western, not too much flamenco....just like the way Bob Dylan’s boots looked like in 1966. We don’t create a sensation, we bring one back to life.

What are some of the key memories that have inspired your designs?

Of course everything about my relations to music. Playing in different bands throughout the years, finding out about ”new” musical influences, movies, books, etc. and meeting a lot of inspiring people, like-minded or not. I spent 15 years as a fashion buyer and store owner before I started EDH, and that also made a huge impact of my design and how to build a brand.

What can we look forward to from Everyday Hero?

Well, we have some nice collabs coming up during 2023 and of course some new styles. We will also start a kind of custom boot project, all produced and manufactured in Sweden in a very limited edition.

You get to put together your dream band. Who is in it?

That’s a tricky one...But I think this could be a nice supergroup:

Lead singer and rhythm guitar: Steve Marriott

Drums: Mitch Mitchell

Lead Guitar: Duane Allman

Bass: James Jamerson

Keys: Jon Lord