Huge Disapointment with Red Wing Boots!

[Garth Keel]

I had Red Wing shoes exclusively years ago (25 - 30) and they did take a bit of time to break in.

While on vacation in Las Vegas about 8 years ago, the shoes I was wearing begin to hurt my feet and when you have size 15 feet, that is a big problem.

I found a shoe store and they only had one pair of shoes in my size. It looked like they were designed by that famous designer Bud Tugley. I bought them anyway. They were Merrils and so comfortable they are the only shoes I wear now; I have 6 pairs. It's nice to find a shoe in adult sizes!

[Glenn Clabo]

While on vacation in Las Vegas about 8 years ago, the shoes I was wearing begin to hurt my feet and when you have size 15 feet, that is a big problem.
I found a shoe store and they only had one pair of shoes in my size.

Garth..."size 15 feet"...What made you think they would have more than one pair of snow shoes in Las Vegas?

[Kurt Strandberg]

I have been buying Redwings since 1975 and have yet to be disappointed. I finally had to get rid of a pair that I bought in 1981. I have been through 3 soles and countless heels and it finally got to the point that there was not enough top left to attach a new sole. I am trying out a pair of Wolverine's right now. They are ok, but as soon as they wear out and I make my 90 days at my new job (that is when the boot buying benefit kicks in) I will be returning to Redwing.

When I worked offshore, that is all we wore. They could stand up to the drilling mud for months, it was usually that the leather just got tore up so bad that they had to be replaced. We had a lot of worms come out wearing $20 Wally world specials and after a couple of days we were running tape around them to keep the soles attached, the mud just ate them up.

The thing is you bought them over the internet. To me, buying boots that way is a HUGE mistake. You are about to spend 8+ hours a day in them and buying them sight unseen is just wrong. You need to try them on and make sure they fit your foot and arch.

Personally, I always buy them oversize, I like to wear 2 pair of socks and have never had a lick of problems.

Have you contacted Redwing or the vendor you bought them from?

Same here, I have been wearing Red Wing boots a long time and I have never had a problem with them but I did ask here in Minnesota and maybe it has changed but I was told Red Wing cannot be sold on the internet.

[Chris Padilla]

Interesting...I guess I've never worn such "work shoes/boots" before. I'm a sneaker/running-shoe shoe wearer.... Of course, I've never worked on an oil-rig, or in a mine, or steel mill....

[John Shuk]

I wear Red Wings 5 days a week or more and they hold up great for me. I beat boots pretty hard too.
I would not buy shoes online. I buy my shoes from a good shoe store that lets me try them on and wear them for a bit before I buy. I'd suggest finding a good local store and sticking by them. Every shoe company is not for every foot under the sun. I find Nikes to not be an option for me. Too narrow.

[Vinny Miseo]

I will have to chalk this up to a lesson learned to never buy shoes online... work boots at least!

I bought these boots because they looked a little nicer than plain old work boots but would still be durable.
I can tell that these boots are very durable and will probably last for 5 years, BUT the black marking soles is what kills me.

It is embarassing to have a client come and tell you that you have marked up their new floor with your boots, then have to walk around the rest of the day in your socks. Thank God I had a matching pair of socks on!

[Karl Brogger]

I can't stand hard sole boots. I used to wear Doc Marten's to work, first pair lasted 3 years, second pair a year and a half. The last pair didn't make it a year and I stopped buying them. They were really comfortable though. I bought a pair of Ariat boots two years ago and have been really happy with the comfort and the durability.

[Brent Leonard]

My Grandfather wore Redwings for an entire 50 year Railroad Switchman/Brakeman carreer.
My father wore them for an entire 42 year Railroad Engineer carreer,
My Uncle wore them for an entire 40 year Railroad career.

and I wore them for 12 years as a Railroad Engineer. Now that I'm an office guy, I wear their dress shoes

I found that they,
1: take a LONG time to break in.
2: My feet agreed with only certain models. Some I just couldn't get through the break in.

Redwing will always be my workboot & hunting boot of choice. Support the local store. They WILL take care of you!

[Ted Shrader]

. . . then have to walk around the rest of the day in your socks. Thank God I had a matching pair of socks on!

That's Vinny - - Always looking at the positive!

Ted

[Brian J. Williams]

Bite the bullet and buy a pair of White's Logger/Smokejumpers. They'll cost you at least $400.00, but they're worth it if you work outside. I'm sending in a pair next week to have them rebuilt. The rebuild will cost me about $200.00. Sounds like a lot you say, but I got these boots in 1991, and although I spend more time in the office now, they've gotten a lot of wear, been wet (and dried), been in the woods, on a lot of rock, through several tours in both hot/wet and desert, and have lasted way, WAY longer than any pair of Red Wing's I ever owned. I used to go through a pair of Red Wing's every 9 months or so- they'd just come apart. Not with the White's.

My $0.02 worth.

Brian

[Michael L. Martin]

I didn't see it mentioned here.......but you have to be careful these days, even in the Red Wing store. In the last couple of years Red Wing has "slipped in" an imported line of shoes, and if you're not looking closely, you may end up with the wrong ones. A huge disappointment for me since I've been a Red Wing fan for some thirty years. The store knows I'll have nothing to do with the "imported stuff." You just have to be alert......

[Thomas Bank]

Interesting...I guess I've never worn such "work shoes/boots" before. I'm a sneaker/running-shoe shoe wearer.... Of course, I've never worked on an oil-rig, or in a mine, or steel mill....

Well, I currently have an air cast on my right foot and two broken bones (second and third metatarsal) because I was in my hiking boots instead of the steel toed Red Wings when I went out to the shop to get something and a steel case fell over on my foot.

Granted, I had run out there to get something and it wasn't like I was going to change shoes just for ten minutes in the shop not actually working on something. But I'm usually pretty good about wearing the work boots when I'm actually working out there. Now I'm going to be a lot more aware of such things. Also, the downstairs is the metal and automotive shop, which is different from the upstairs woodshop. But since I've been hobbling around on crutches, I've had two people tell me they had similar injuries from having a soda bottle and a family sized can of green beans on their foot - so it doesn't take the 350# weight that did me in...

[Brent Leonard]

I didn't see it mentioned here.......but you have to be careful these days, even in the Red Wing store. In the last couple of years Red Wing has "slipped in" an imported line of shoes, and if you're not looking closely, you may end up with the wrong ones. A huge disappointment for me since I've been a Red Wing fan for some thirty years. The store knows I'll have nothing to do with the "imported stuff." You just have to be alert......

Yep, I THINK they are the "WORX" line. You can tell for certain by the price difference.

To me it's another example of everything else out there. Cheap Chinese <insert far eastern counrty> CRAP, and quality cannot compete, so the companies that make quality have to reduce/compromise their generations old "quality" to compete with the crap market.

Whether it's tools or boots. With money being harder and harder to make, cheap products appeal to all of us. Unfortunately quality has suffered due to our thirst for "cheap".

[Elijah Fontenot]

I work offshore and they guys out here love thier Redwings!! I purchased a pair and my heels bled and it was terrible for my first hitch out with them. I learned a couple of tricks though.

Try rubbing them down heavy with mink oil and then use a blowdryer on HOT and let that oil soak in. It softens up the leather to tolerable and they will break in. They do take an awful long time to break in though but hey when they do, they will be THE size of your foot.

Good luck!

[Aaron Berk]

I'm on my second pair of steel toe wings and love em. I'll even wear them for casuals when out to dinner with the family. I only buy what I can try on, these are the only feet I've got and I'm gunna take care of em.