Kevin Von Erich wrestles barefoot in The Iron Claw for a very specific reason. Since releasing in theaters on December 22, 2023, The Iron Claw has cemented itself as one of the best films of the year, and one of, if not the, greatest wrestling movie of all time. Written and directed by Sean Durkin (The Nest, Dead Ringers), The Iron Claw is as much about family tragedy as it is about wrestling told through the eyes of the real-life Von Erich brothers, played by Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Stanley Simons.

Kevin Von Erich (Efron) is the oldest of the bunch and was the one originally expected to perform at the highest level by their relentless coach and father, Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany). The true story of Kevin Von Erich’s wrestling career, and various challenges within it, was mostly captured with great accuracy in The Iron Claw. Although the film was widely considered one of the biggest snubs that should have been nominated for an Oscar, particularly for Efron’s portrayal of Kevin, The Iron Claw has continued to be celebrated for its outstanding quality and harrowing tale.

The Iron Claw’s Depiction Of Kevin Von Erich Wrestling Barefoot Is Accurate

It became an unintentional trademark of the real-life Kevin Von Erich

Like many other accurate aspects of The Iron Claw, Kevin’s barefoot wrestling is true to the real-life wrestling figure. Although the point isn’t overtly addressed in the film, it’s quite clear that Kevin chose to wrestle barefoot throughout his career while many of his opponents, teammates, and brothers did not. The barefoot wrestling style became an unintentional trademark of the real-life Kevin Von Erich’s career, who praised The Iron Claw upon its release.

There was a legend that someone had hidden Kevin’s boots as a joke before a match, so he decided to go out barefoot ever since. According to Wrestling Inc, Kevin cleared the air on the “Talk Is Jericho” podcast, saying, “Well, there are a lot of stories out there, but the truth is I had so many knee surgeries before I even started wrestling, in football. Your boots, they soak sweat, the socks, the leather boots, they get heavy, so I took ’em off one time. Kerry used to do it too and we loved it because you feel like you can fly taking that weight off your feet.”

How Wrestling Barefoot Became Kevin Von Erich’s Trademark

One of Kevin’s sons also wrestles barefoot to continue his legacy

Because of Kevin Von Erich’s knee surgeries, his barefoot style of wrestling became his calling card, one that even his son continues to this day. Marshall Von Erich, who competes as a professional wrestler, steps into the ring barefoot to carry on the legacy of his father. While Kevin’s other son, Ross, is also a professional wrestler, he took the more traditional route of wearing boots, unlike his dad. Even though the myth about someone hiding Kevin’s boots wasn’t true, he still had good reason for wrestling barefoot as seen in The Iron Claw.