Red Wing Boots: Are They Worth It? - Men's Iconic American Work Boot Review

Want to stay updated? Sign up here for free:

Want to see more videos? Subscribe to our channel!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gentleman's Gazette
#RedWingBoots #WorkBoots #notsponsored

Our Chosen Styles:

Iron Ranger 8111

This style was originally built for iron miners on the Minnesota Iron Range in the 1930s. Each pair of boots take on a personalized fit through to the cork midsoles and the leather insoles that form to the wearer's feet. The style features a Goodyear welt, a steel shank, and a puritan triple stitch construction. Also, there are brass speed hooks for precise lacing.

This Iron Ranger style is made with a Vibram 430 mini lug sole. According to Red Wing, the Iron Ranger style should fit comfortably tight on your foot while still allowing for enough room for you to freely move your toes. The Iron Ranger style was built on the No. 8 last. This boot designed features a bump toe which allows you to freely move your toes. This style fits a variety of foot shapes and retails for $330.

Classic 6-Inch Moc-Toe

The classic moc-toe has gained a lot of popularity over the years in part because of the Goodyear construction and also, the contrasting sole with Traction Tred. This boot was created using Red Wing's No. 23 last. This was developed in the 1950s and is arguably one of the most popular last styles.

The style provides extra room in the forefoot and instep to be able to fit a wide variety of foot shapes. It is sold by Red Wing in eight different color options and Red Wing actually recommends that you size down ½ to 1 full size when making your selections.

Red Wing Shoe Experience

A number of years ago while I worked for Brooks Brothers, we temporarily sold shoes and boots out of the Red Wing Heritage Collection. At that time, I was offered a sizable discount and I decided to purchase two pairs of boots. The amber-colored Iron Ranger and the light brown 6-inch Classic Moc-Toe.

Out of the box, I distinctly remember noticing the quality and the craftsmanship of the boots. The clean precision mixed with the handmade details was fantastic and the scent of the leather reminded me of the long history of this great brand.

Break-In Period

From the beginning, I was told to make sure that I took time to break in the boots. I thought I was well aware of the process of breaking in shoes as I had been through this process with other footwear purchases. In the end, I found myself wishing that I had taken much more time for this break-in period. I decided to wear my brand new boots to work all day long and I immediately regretted that footwear choice. Over time, my feet got used to the boots, the leather softened, and they have since become some of my favorite boots to wear.

The Big Question: Is it truly worth it? Please find out by watching the video.

14:39 Outfit Rundown

[coolguy]

I love my iron rangers! I can empathize with your break in story because I made the same mistake. They’re a hard break in but they’re worth it once you’re done because they really feel like they’re made for your feet.

[RC-blpm]

I wore red wing leather boots as an industrial electrician in Canada. Typical boots would last a year and the Redwings although they cost double would last about 4. For your average hipster wearing these as part of a fashionable urban waxed moustache lumberjack costume they should last about 30 years.

[basberger]

This video just popped up in my timeline. Your video is great, the calm tone of voice and not rushing through anything makes it so nice to watch.
Unfortunately I will have to buy some Red Wing boots now.

[rainerbuege]

amen to that! had my redwings resoled after 8 years of wear 3years ago and wear them happyly ever since.

[ohwingman]

For years I wore nothing but Lecki boots for work. I never had any problems with them until they sold out to another manufacturer in the late 1960's and the quality slowly went down but the price kept going up. The last pair of Lecki's I had had to be taken back to the place of purchase about once a month for a year because nails kept coming through in the heel area making them virtually unwearable. I wore several different makes of boots for years and I decided based on their reputation to buy a set of Red Wings. Initially, they were okay but after about a month, they were unbelievably uncomfortable so I took them back to the Red Wing store. They looked at them and said nothing was wrong with them but they would replace them free of charge. The second set was about the same. Not bad to start but within a month they were junk. Back to the store once more but this time they essentially told me it was all in my head and they were not prepared to do anything. I bought another pair of boots fro SECO and finished my working career in them without incident. I still have the Red Wings and whenever I try them on they still don't fit right. Would I ever buy another pair if required? Not a chance. Would I ever recommend them to anyone? Nope. You see, for me, Red Wing did not live up to their reputation.

[rygregory]

LOVE leather boots in general. But Red Wings have a special place in my heart.

[runemrick]

I work industrial construction, and as you can imagine, the subject of boots comes up often. Although Redwing is the most expensive common work boot where I live, they are also the cheapest because they far outlast the competition. I have never had less than four years out of a Redwing boot, while my workmates receive only a year with their boots that are worth nearly as much.

[Nochkeinphilosoph]

Can you do a Video about Tom Ford suits?

[SubCityUK]

Excellent video, great details, thorough knowledge. Thank you

[randymoran]

Red wings are solid boots with a great look to them aging look is a plus for me well worth the price ! People complain about price then go buy a pair of brahmas ( walmart) tried them on at a garage sale man did they hurt ! Lol! You get what you pay for!

[charlesbduke]

The only boots I ever got from red wing where measured using their pressure sensitive machine, nearly crippled me. I won't wear steel toes again if my life depended on it.

[betsyrocks]

Short answer: Yes, they are worth it.

[robertogalindo]

Leather laces are for welders, when welding sparks and hot metal bits can melt the regular laces right off the shoe.

[seththomas]

I am a locomotive engineer and I wear Red Wings, been wearing them since i was about 14 on the farm, factory and railroad. I'm 50 now and will wear them till I die.

[ln]

My dad goes to a lot of yard sales, he unknowingly got sold a almost new pair of iron rangers for $20.

[MacCumhaillx]

I'm sticking with Red Wing; my dad has pairs that are well over 30-35 years old that he still wears.

[fastlaneonly]

I’m a Power Engineer in Albert, Canada. I got the steel toe boots, supersole 2.0 to be exact. 400$ but amazing support, beautiful craftsmanship and extremely comfortable especially with the Cork insole. Waterproof and insulated makes working in winter a breeze. Definitely more expensive then the competition but 400% better. I even feel bad about getting them dirty. I’ll be getting the moc toes soon for an everyday use. Thank you for the amazing video I really appreciate the history to this brand I’ve really come to enjoy!

[michaelcannon]

I Had Redwing Boots In The 90s, Working At A Powertrain Location For General Motors. They Are Worth The Money Excellent Quality😃

[harrisonmantooth]

One of my sons works for our local water department. He's on his feet most of the time, only sits while driving. He's usually always working to repair water leaks, knocked over fire hydrants, shutting off water supplies or back on. He wears only the Red Wing brand of boots. They are the only brand he will buy.

[falxonPSN]

I had a pair of red wings that lasted me about 20 years of average wear. The sole fell apart on a caving trip and I sadly had to toss the boots due to weight restrictions. I feel that if I could have gotten them resoled, they could easily have lasted at least another decade.