View source for Iron shoes

{{languages}}
{{armor
  |color=metal color
  |name=iron shoes
  |appearance=hard shoes
  |cost=16
  |slot=boots
  |ac=2
  |weight=50
  |material=iron
}}

A pair of '''iron shoes''' is a set of [[boots]] that appear in ''[[NetHack]]''. They are naturally made of [[iron]], and appear as '''hard shoes''' when unidentified.

==Generation==
In addition to random generation, general [[store]]s, used armor dealerships and antique weapon outlets can sell iron shoes.

Live [[Dwarf (monster attribute)|dwarves]] have a {{frac|6|7}} chance of [[monster starting inventory|generating with]] iron shoes, and [[Uruk-hai]] have a {{frac|3}} chance of generating with them.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|417|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=Uruk-hai armor and weapons}}{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|370|version=NetHack 3.6.7}} [[Orc-captain]]s have a {{frac|2}} chance of being generated with Uruk-hai armor, giving them an effective {{frac|6}} chance of generating with the boots.{{refsrc|src/makemon.c|402|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=switch for orc-captains}}

[[Player monster]]s on the [[Astral Plane]] have an effective ~4.68% chance of generating with iron shoes.{{refsrc|src/mplayer.c|134|version=NetHack 3.6.7|comment=<code>special</code> is only set to true when generating player monsters on the Astral Plane}}{{refsrc|src/mplayer.c|294|version=NetHack 3.6.7|name=mk_mplayer_armor|comment=this line requires <code>if (special)</code> and selects boots from all available types listed in objects.c}}

==Description==
While worn, a pair of iron shoes grants 2 base [[AC]], and protects a character against a [[xan]]'s [[Wounded legs|leg-wounding]] sting {{frac|2|5}} of the time.{{refsrc|src/mhitu.c|1220|version=NetHack 3.6.7}}

==Strategy==
Iron shoes and [[high boots]] are the only boots to grant 2 base AC: iron shoes are much easier to find, particularly in the [[Gnomish Mines]], but weigh more and incur a small [[spellcasting]] penalty. They are additionally vulnerable to [[erosion]] by rusting and corrosion, which among other things can make encounters with [[rust monster]]s annoying.

In the early phases of the game, melee roles with low interest in spells and casters looking to prioritize AC will likely grab one of the many pairs of iron shoes they encounter in the Mines, and may swap them for high or low boots as necessary. Their spellcasting penalty is low enough that a character can usually retain comfortably low spell failure rates if they are the only metallic armor worn.

==History==
Iron shoes first appear in [[NetHack 3.0.0]].

==Variants==
Some variants rename the hard shoes used by dwarves to '''dwarvish boots''', which may also grant an AC bonus to dwarves that wear them (including [[Dwarf (starting race)|dwarven]] characters), and are otherwise the same as iron shoes; other variants may additionally repurpose the iron shoes given to Uruk-hai into [[orcish boots]], which may also grant an AC bonus to orcs that wear them (including [[Orc (starting race)|orcish]] characters).

===dNetHack===
In [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[notnotdNetHack]], the pair of iron shoes is simply known as a '''pair of shoes''' and retains its unidentified appearance.

A pair of shoes grants 1 base AC and 1 [[DR]] while worn, and have a base [[Object materials (dNetHack)|object material]] of iron - a pair of shoes always displays its material when identified, even with the default material.

Several monsters can generate with a pair of shoes:<!--non-exhaustive-->

* [[Storm giant]]s are generated with a pair of iron shoes.
* [[Master Kaen]] is generated with a cursed +4 pair of iron shoes that have the holy, consecrated, unholy, and desecrated [[Object properties#Offensive|object properties]].
* [[Eclavdra]], the [[quest leader]] for the [[Drow Racial quest]] and [[Hedrow shared quest]], is generated with a blessed and erodeproofed +0 pair of [[silver]] shoes.
* [[Sister T'eirastra]], the [[Drow Healer quest]] leader, is generated with a blue-colored blessed pair of [[cloth]] shoes.
* [[Pen'a mendicant]]s are generated with a blue-colored blessed pair of [[cloth]] shoes.
* [[Neferet the Green]] is generated with a blessed and erodeproofed +5 pair of silver shoes.
* [[Nurse]]s that are generated in the [[Anachrononaut quest]] and [[Android quest]] are generated with a +7 white-colored pair of cloth shoes.

===xNetHack===
[[xNetHack]] renames iron shoes to "dwarvish boots" and retains the odds of Uruk-hai generating with them, with a comment in makemon.c suggesting that they stole their boots from dwarves.

===EvilHack===
In [[EvilHack]], iron shoes are renamed to dwarvish boots and grant a +1 AC bonus to dwarves that wear them, while Uruk-hai and other [[Orc (monster class)|orcs]] are instead given orcish boots, which grant a +1 AC bonus to orcs wearing them.

[[Croesus]] has a {{frac|2}} chance of generating with a set of [[Gold (material)|gold]] dwarvish boots.

A pair of dwarvish boots can be created at a [[Forge (dungeon feature)|forge]] by combining a [[dwarvish short sword]] and a pair of [[Gauntlets (EvilHack)|gauntlets]].

===SlashTHEM===
In [[SlashTHEM]], the [[militant cleric]] of the rebel party that serves as [[quest nemeses]] for the default [[Noble quest]] will generate with iron shoes.

===Hack'EM===
[[Hack'EM]] splits iron shoes into dwarvish and orcish boots similar to EvilHack.

[[Upgrading]] a pair of [[high boots]] will produce a pair of dwarvish boots. As in EvilHack, a pair of dwarvish boots can be created at a forge by combining a dwarvish short sword and a pair of gauntlets.

==References==
<references/>
{{nethack-367}}
[[Category:Boots]]