Nanostructured iron oxides can be promising anode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). However, improvement on the rate capability and/or electrochemical cycling stability of iron oxide anode materials remains a key challenge because of their poor electrical conductivities and large volume expansion during cycling. Herein, the vertically aligned arrays of one-dimensional (1D) iron oxide nanotubes with 5.8 wt% carbon have been fabricated by a novel surfactant-free self-corrosion process and subsequent thermal treatment. The as-fabricated nanotube array electrode delivers a reversible capacity of 932 mAh g−1 after 50 charge−discharge cycles at a current of 0.6 A g−1. The electrode still shows a reversible capacity of 610 mAh g−1 even at a very high rate (8.0 A g−1), demonstrating its prominent rate capability. Furthermore, the nanotube array electrode also exhibits the excellent electrochemical cycling stability with a reversible capacity of 880 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at a current of 4 A g−1. The nanotube array electrode with superior lithium storage performance reveals the promising potential as a high-performance anode for LIBs.