Red wing heritage boots

S

stevieman16

Joined
Nov 9, 2011
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Looking at buying my first pair of red wing boots I'm looking at the iron ranger boots or the 1907 has anyone have any input in a different brand of boots that are just as nice, I own a pair of Justin workboots but they are hell on feet
Thanks,
Steven.
 
I am a die hard red wing boots wearer i have 3 pairs of the basic non steel toed boots cant remember the model but wear them every day i also wear the steel toe king toe when my work requires me to wear the safety toe boots i rotate the basic on a daily basis and have had the first pair resoled. I tried Danner tinners not sure if they are still available they where just as much as comfortable as my red wings but didnt last nearly as long i contacted their customer service about getting them resoled and reworked and had zero response from them. So as comfort goes i like the red wings and danner, and red wings customer service is top notch not so much on Danner. I have also used wolverine boots and found them not to be that comfortable. I stand on my feet on concrete at construction sites for 8 to 12 hrs a day usually summer and winter and have been for roughly 20 yrs and plan on just sticking with my red wings. Hope that helps
 
I think you will find the 1907 more comfortable than the Iron Ranger due to the sole difference but the sole will wear faster as well. The Wolverine 1000 Mile boot is often mentioned as an alternative to the Iron Ranger. I've never had a pair of the 1000 Miles but have toured the factory in Rockford where they are made and they are very well made boots.

The Chippewa Classic is a well made and comfortable boot but the Vibram Gumlite soles wear fast like the 1907's will. Chippewa makes the Katahdin Iron Works Engineer boot for LL Bean that is styled very much like the Iron Ranger. I presently have 4 different styles of Chippewa boots and have always been happy with them but for about the same price I would still go for the Iron Ranger over the Katahdin or Chippewa Classic. Frye has similar styles as the Iron Ranger and 1907 and they are comfortable boots but not in the same league as the Red Wings. I have a couple of Frye Dakotas that I purchased in a closeout that like very much but I would not pay retail for them over the Red Wings because they are made in China now and just aren't as durable.

Alden makes a great boot and they have styles similar to the Iron Ranger but they are considerably more expensive. Unless you manage to find the Aldens at the same price as the Iron Ranger I would again go for the Iron Ranger.
 
You spend a lot of time on your feet. If you have a redwing store close by stop in and check some out in person they will fix you up right. It may cost a bit more to go to the small red wing store but for a comfortable boot I can work 12 hours in it is worth it.
 
I had a pair for about a decade until my arch collapsed and my foot went up a whole size. Really solid boot. Are you looking for super built? A more laid back and very comfortable boot non steel toe is Blundstone, not quite the support of Red Wing but they are very lightweight and comfortable!

blundstone.jpg
 
I'm looking for a good set of boots that will last me a while, in the area I work in I do not have to have steel to boots or boots at all they just have to be full leather, I have always been a boot kind of guy so I was browsing around, and found red wing boots, have always heard of them but never really considered them. I have owned a lot of work boots trying to find the right pair, and haven't yet! (Ariat, Justin, rocky, wolverine, and a lot of others I can't remember the ariats were comfortable but only lasted about a year, and I always kept the cleaned and oiled. I would rather spend the 200-300 dollars for a great pair of boots then that will last 2-3 years then pay 165 every 6 months
 
Red Wings or Doc Martins are the way to go. The only problems with Docs are they don't make half sizes. I never owned another pair after I went beyond a size 10 foot.
 
I have worn a pair of my doc martins in the past couple of days to give my feet a break they are lick nice going out shoes but I can't stand the boots I have now and don't want to destroy a good pair of shoes
 
I have Red Wings and my son has Doc Martin both are very comfortable and will wear well. The stock number on mine is 86300, they are water proof and have an aluminum toe.
 
Redwings are great but only if you spend the big bucks for the american made boots for about half the price you can get a pair of Union made 100% made in America thorogood boots look into them you'll never want another brand
thorogood-moc-toe-boots.jpg
 
I have a pair of #8146 (below) and a pair of #8196, and they are worth every penny. Take good care of the leather and they'll last forever.

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I got a pair of iron rangers last year. Best pair of boots I've ever bought. They take a little time to break in but once they do they are super comfortable. I'm a physical therapy student (a month away from finishing my degree) and have spent many hours standing on them. Had 10.5 hour shifts with a long standing commute on the bus and my feet were super comfortable. I don't think you can go wrong. As mentioned, just take the time to care for the leather and they won't let you down :)
 
I work 8 hour days but when overtime rolls around its 10 hour shift I went this weekend to 2 different red wing stores and got fitted and they are awesome but at the stores they were 284.99 plus tax so I got the fit I wanted and I have found them from online retailers for 240-255 minus tax + free shipping but the iron rangers seem to run a half size large for me.
 
stevieman16 said:
Just got a screaming deal, got 20% off, no tax and free shipping, and ended up being $207.06
Click to expand...

Excellent! The 1907's don't need the break in time like the Iron Rangers and similar boots. There is nothing more comfortable than a crepe wedge sole IMO. There is always some trade-off between durability and comfort but I will take a re-sole every once in a while over barking dogs.

For those fans of traditional styled boots I recently learned from an industry source that Chippewa has come out with a heritage line of boots to compete with the Red Wing Heritage line. I viewed some photos of the Service Boot and the Homestead Boot from the line and they are impressive and like other Chippewa's are made in the US of A. The Homestead is the same style as the Iron Ranger and reported to be the LL Bean Katahdin done right and the photos seem to indicate just that. They also have a wedge soled boot much like the 1907. Now all I need is a price war between Red Wing and Chippewa over the heritage lines.
 
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