Red Wing boots

" Now to convince the wife to let me spent $215 on boots."

Would she rather you spend that $215 on podiatrist fees? There is no valid rationale for NOT spending whatever funds necessary for items designed to protect non-replaceable body parts which are subjected to stress or less-than-good environments. Work boots (a type of protective gear) are no exception. Nothing is worse than the after effects of ill fitting or badly made footwear. I have first hand experience on this one. Don't compromise your safety and/or comfort on work shoes and boots.

^~~ well said.

Hi,

I have been wearing Red Wings for decades. They last years. And, I am unkind to them. I don't resole because by the time they run thru my hierarchy, the uppers are eaten up as well as the soles. I wind up buying one pair every year.

Year 1 - New boots that sit in closet as 'good boots'
Year 2 - everyday boots I wear to work
Year 3 - Motorcycle boots
Year 4 - Easy farm jobs, yard work, tractor and bulldozer running boots
Year 5 - Dirty farm jobs - chicken pen, horse stalls, cow barn.

That year 5 does them in. Nasty acids that eat past any oil and munch on the leather. I have to go into the pens and barn every day, so that is all for them.

Stan

Apologies for piling on the discussion here, but I would also stress the importance of quality footwear that is comfortable and provides proper protection. They will last longer and not be that much more expensive over time. If your job has you on your feet a lot, they are helping to protect your economic livelihood. As a different example but to the same point I had discussions with friends and experienced myself how a foot/ankle/knee injury can slow one down and then cascade into different problems. One friend busted an ankle and put on an extra 15 lbs over 7-8 months which has never came off. My point is that anything that limits a person's mobility can have other health side effects. That life is challenging enough without enduring poor fitting shoes.

Thanks to all for the help.

wuluf said:

...just don't have Red Wing Feet!

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This is my problem. For some reason Red Wing boots are the only shoe/boot that aggravates my foot neuroma. I've tried 2 pair of RW over the years and had a problem with both. I still have a barely used pair of RW steel toe work boots in my shed that I bought before I retired and haven't worn in years.

Late to the party, but I buy the 240-some odd dollar waterproof slip on steel toes and they are great. I tend to drag my heels so they wear out sooner than most, I believe, but I still get around 1.5-2 years out of them, after which you can send them back to RedWing for resoles.

I prefer oil tanned so you can just hit them with boot oil, but my last pair were the dry tanned and they held up nicely as well.

If you get slip ons try them on in the store and they should be snug but not tight, and the back of the shoe will be a little loose compared to lace ups. Some people never get used to the slip ons for that reason.

Finally the WORX brand are imports, and I believe they are not factory resoleable.

Thanks to all- I pulled the trigger. I got the 606, which are the same as the 607s but they are burgandy. I thought I would only wear black boots, but these look nice. The sole feels incredible, and the uppers are a little stiff, which is to be expected with new leather. I have been walking around at work for two hours and am in love. I splurged and got the upgraded insoles for high arches. I think these feel so good because they actually fit. With normal off the shelf boots I have to go 11.5 so they fit my width. These are 10.5 EE, and I have no slipping front to back like I do with cheap boots. Oh, and here is a little boot porn.

Well done.

Very nice OC. They should get more comfortable as they break in.

Sullybob said:

Very nice OC. They should get more comfortable as they break in.

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Oh, no doubt. The bottoms feel great, and the uppers just have that new leather feel. I have been walking more than normal today, and they are already relaxing a bit.

I found a pair of Red Wings in a real General Store one day. Wore them for years building houses with Habitat for Humanity, remodeling the house, yard work, shoveling snow, etc. learning to ride a motorcycle finally did them in after 7 years of excellent service. One tough boot.

I got a pair of Red Wings with some sort of plasticy/foam sole (953's) that I simply couldn't stand---wore them 2 times and took them back---kicked in another $60 and ordered a pair of 899's (8in high-Vibram sole--USA made). It took nearly a month for them arrive and they came in last Monday--they threw in a can of boot treatment for free.

I oiled them up Mon night---made it through half a day Tues before I went back to my old boots---about an hour on Wed before the switch but then wore them all night at home---skipped Thurs but wore them all night at home---made it through the whole day Fri and then Sat went back to the store and bought orthotic inserts as I have high arches and the boots have very little arch support---wore them all day Sat----now they feel fantastic and are only getting better------and will be great for years to come.

Don't be afraid to break in boots as once they are broken in they will be great---just don't try to push it and blister up your feet---take them off at the first sign of hot spot but stick with it-----just like a leather saddle on a bicycle---break in can be intense but once you do it will be your best friend.

My 13 year old pair of Vasque Sundowners (Italian made)finally gave up the ghost and that's what started all this with the new boots--I would have simply bought another pair if the quality was still there but now, unfortunately, they are made in China---I will avoid Chinese garbage whenever possible.

Nice pair of boots Owen. Just wait, in a month they will feel just great on your feet.

jumper said:

Nice pair of boots Owen. Just wait, in a month they will feel just great on your feet.

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I wore them all day at work yesterday. About 5 hours in I was feeling a little discomfort. I took them off for 15 minutes while I drank some English Breakfast Tea, put them back on, and all was fine. Today is my day off, and we don't wear shoes in the house, but I did wear them out to lunch. The looks are really growing on me. To me they look great at work and out to dinner.

awesome! I really like the looks of those.

don't forget to take them in once a month for the free leather conditioning.

Toothpick said:

awesome! I really like the looks of those.

don't forget to take them in once a month for the free leather conditioning.

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I think I am going to get their burgundy polish with mink oil, too

Friendly piece of advice. Polish is not necessarily a good thing for work boots. This is from a very well reputed Canadian boot manufacturer who makes some if the best (and most expensive) footwear in the world

"We recommend our OK Oil to ensure the long life of your boots. Alternatively, anything that contains all natural ingredients. Please don’t use shoe polish, animal fats or silicone-based products.
Shoe polish clogs the pores of the leather and leather needs to breathe. The only exception to this rule is on our boots that have a “Chrome” finish like on the Beauties, Drivers or Parade/Police boots. These will welcome a good paste or wax and should polish up to a great shine.
You should oil your boots about every 4-6 weeks, depending on the extent of the wear and the elements.

oc_in_fw said:

Thanks to all- I pulled the trigger. I got the 606, which are the same as the 607s but they are burgandy. I thought I would only wear black boots, but these look nice. The sole feels incredible, and the uppers are a little stiff, which is to be expected with new leather. I have been walking around at work for two hours and am in love. I splurged and got the upgraded insoles for high arches. I think these feel so good because they actually fit. With normal off the shelf boots I have to go 11.5 so they fit my width. These are 10.5 EE, and I have no slipping front to back like I do with cheap boots. Oh, and here is a little boot porn.

Click to expand...

Great choice. I have the 2406's(same boot with safety toe) & was amazed how comfortable they are right out of the box. The iconic 875's are nice also, but take a lot more break in.

Acmemfg said:

Friendly piece of advice. Polish is not necessarily a good thing for work boots. This is from a very well reputed Canadian boot manufacturer who makes some if the best (and most expensive) footwear in the world

"We recommend our OK Oil to ensure the long life of your boots. Alternatively, anything that contains all natural ingredients. Please don’t use shoe polish, animal fats or silicone-based products.
Shoe polish clogs the pores of the leather and leather needs to breathe. The only exception to this rule is on our boots that have a “Chrome” finish like on the Beauties, Drivers or Parade/Police boots. These will welcome a good paste or wax and should polish up to a great shine.
You should oil your boots about every 4-6 weeks, depending on the extent of the wear and the elements.

Click to expand...

I just checked their site- it is the Burgundy Boot Cream.