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Any fans of red wings boots?

Any fans of red wings boots?

I’ve personally have a pair of copper Iron rangers, pair of 9060 Klondike Beckman flat box, 4572 7 inch tall round toe copper rough and tough Limited edition J.Crew collaboration, and a nice pair of 4549 in copper which is like the rover basically
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A solid bootmaker, excellent quality and highly durable.
They still manufacture all of their footwear in Red Wing Minnesota, although to-day, only their Heritage line is fully "U.S. made."
The remainder are either made using foreign material/parts, or assembled from foreign components.
Still, they are an institution in Minnesota, going back over a century, have been supplying the U.S. military since WWII, and they own their own tannery. How many shoemakers can say that?
 
My first "nice" boots were Iron Rangers. The second -Blacksmiths. I was a bit surprised re sizing down to an 11 from my typical 12.5 or 13 in most "dress" shoes. The Iron Rangers to about 40-60 hours of wear to break in. The Blacksmith maybe 20 hours max.

Lots to be happy with, well made, many models made in the USA. Retail stores typically staffed by folks in the know. They clean and condition for free at the store etc.

I am also successfully exploring other brands seeking a bit more value i.e. Wolverine, Thursday, Jack Erwin etc.
 
Red Wings are a good mid range boot, but if you want the best, check out White's handmade boots of Spokane Washington. I owned a pair of their Packers which lasted me for a number of years of hard usage.
They are quite expensive, but longevity, and comfort, make them well worth the price.
 

nemo

Lunatic Fringe
Staff member
Nice collection @Yodascaretaker ! Check yourself in to the Footwear of the Day thread here with a pic.

Got a few pairs, yes I do.

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I have some Blacksmith 3340 that Red Wing recently resoled
An old pair of 9111 Copper Rough and Tough resoled locally with a Vibram Montagne
Beckmans, a couple in Featherstone, 9016 and 9014
The classic 875
... plus others

What have we here?

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tankerjohn

A little poofier than I prefer
I am also successfully exploring other brands seeking a bit more value i.e. Wolverine, Thursday, Jack Erwin etc.
For value, it's tough to beat Thorogood or Carolina, although they mostly do only wedge-soled moc toes and round toed workboots these days since discontinuing their "heritage" lines., (I'm particularly sad about the Thorogood 1892 line. My Dodgevilles are exquisite, and its really too bad I can't get another pair.). Wolverine is fine, but don't pay full price. I'm not as jazzed about Thursday since they seem sort of overpriced for Made in Mexico fashion boots. But I guess they are goodyear welted and decently styled, so I don't know, I'm probably biased because I abhor their obnoxious marketing. I'll second the recommendation for White's - I love my Perry moc toe boots!
 
As a ToolPusher/Rig Manager in the oilfield,

That's what I have to wear everyday... 😊

Presently I have :
* 6 inch king Toe (Safety Toed)
* 8 inch Dynaforce (Steel Toed)
* 11 Inch Pull-On Supersole (Steel Toed)
 
When I worked years ago requiring work boots, I would only buy Red Wing's (USA made). Best work boots ever and they would last forever. Excellent!
Nowadays I still use boots (Western) when I go out. I'm stuck on Tecovas and love them!
Only brand that has perfect sizing and they fit like a glove. (not trying to derail the thread!)
 
A solid bootmaker, excellent quality and highly durable.
They still manufacture all of their footwear in Red Wing Minnesota, although to-day, only their Heritage line is fully "U.S. made."
The remainder are either made using foreign material/parts, or assembled from foreign components.
Still, they are an institution in Minnesota, going back over a century, have been supplying the U.S. military since WWII, and they own their own tannery. How many shoemakers can say that?
Perhaps I spoke too soon. Turns out, they don't manufacture or "assemble" all their footwear in the U.S. That's just what they would like you to believe.

Their Irish Setter brand is almost entirely produced in the Far East (China, Vietnam, Cambodia).

Their Vasque brand, at one time renowned for making quality hiking boots in Italy, are now predominantly made in China.

Their cheaper Worx line has been a total Asian import for years, so no surprise there.

But they're blurring the line with their mid-price shoes and boots e.g. DynaForce, BRNR XP, stating assembled in the U.S. of foreign components. At well over $250 a pair, you're paying for the time and quality of American labour to stitch and glue/welt the parts (usually complete soles and uppers) of the shoe together, lace and box it, but the parts (components), are manufactured/assembled in China, with all that means in terms of quality and longevity. What's the point? Would you buy a Soviet Lada if it was assembled in the U.S.?

The made-in-USA of imported parts model, a step up the globalisation ladder, is significantly better. Red Wing actually stitches, glues and assembles all of the component parts of the uppers (eyelets, lining, padding), builds the sole and footbed from its component parts and welts the uppers. The foreign components and materials are still the Achilles' heel here, but they will last much longer than glued together Chinese-origin boots or shoes.

Finally, the made-in-USA with imported materials model, is about as fully domestic as most companies get these days. The raw materials, leather, rubber-derivatives, metal, thread, etc are imported, then cut moulded, machined into the component parts prior to manufacture. Here, some components, such as laces and eyelets are allowed to be out-sourced, as long as they're U.S. made.

Only the Heritage line, most of the Supersole line, and some of the Traction Tread line is "fully" made in the U.S.A. (of U.S. parts and materials), and considering the restrictive demands of that definition, they are competitively priced in the low two-hundreds to low three-hundreds, U.S.

ps. They have manufacturing facilities in Potosi, Missouri and Daville, Kentucky, in addition to their main plant in Red Wing.
 
I've had 2 pair of Supersole 3507's. The first one lasted me around 8 years. Painful break in period... to the point I was going to give up on them. Fortunately I stuck it out and they became very comfortable. My second set is only around a year old, didn't need as much break in, but I'm not sure these will last as long as the first pair. Still comfortable though.
 
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