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Alex Wilson talks us through the benefits of going the extra mile on your next boot purchase

Words by Alex Wilson

Let me bring you back to a moment. To 2013, specifically. I had just returned from a trip to New York City. I’d brought back a pair of Red Wing Classic Moc 6-Inch boots with me. This was shortly after watching One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and deciding I wanted to recreate Jack Nicholson’s Randle McMurphy prisoner chic.  

It wasn’t just the film that piqued my curiosity; it was something about the classic workwear scene in general. You see, shortly after graduating from university, I found myself attempting to evolve my wardrobe. I was looking to step away from the cheap, fast-fashion buys of the past and instead move towards building a closet full of things I’d love forever. I was an adult in the making, starting from the feet up. Red Wing boots seemed like a good first step. 

I remember taking them on their first outing to the pub to a host of mixed reviews from pals who were yet to relinquish either their pointy, highstreet-bought oxfords or their sneaker-only philosophy. They didn’t quite understand the chunky aesthetic. This was, after all, straight off the back of the streamlined trend. Remember that? When everything went narrow. I think it was called ‘tailored’; a tragic misuse of the word. Even shoes lost their space; everything started to look like a pair of leather rulers. There I was, wearing boots built to last forever; boots that will only gain character and a natural patina with the passing years; footwear you can treat and resole rather than simply chuck and replace. And yet the general reaction in that North London boozer could be summed up by the words of one friend: “your shoes are hench and spenny, bruv.” 

Not everyone gets it. They’re investment boots for the long haul. Like fine wine and Pierce Brosnan, they’ve only got more refined over the years. I still have these boots and, unlike anything else I own, they just look better and better, unlike any high street copy or version which would have been replaced indefinitely. ‘Hench’ and ‘spenny’ they may be, but they’re still going. 

Red Wing Heritage’s story goes way back, long before I’d turned my attention to them. They’ve been making the same, iconic shoes since 1905, back when Charles Beckman, a successful local shoe Merchant, founded the company in a small Minnesota town by the name of, you guessed it, Red Wing. The Original boots were built shin-high from a combination of leather, laces, and buckles. They went on to develop boots for oil field workers in 1920 and introduced their first boot for women (the Gloria) in 1926, a silhouette you can still buy today.  

Between 1940 and 1964, the company expanded with the introduction of mobile salesmen that would travel from factory to workplace, making it more convenient for workers to buy their specialty boots. Originally designed for hunting, the Red Wing boots were soon adopted by millions of American workers on account of their all-day comfort and durability. In 1952, Red Wing introduced the Irish Red Setter Sport boot – the 877. Known more familiarly today as the classic Moc Toe, the boot would go on to become Red Wing’s most famous silhouette and colourway.  

Today, the boots have become a staple of the heritage scene and beyond, thanks to their genuine place in Americana history. Not only does the classic silhouette of the Moc Toe transcend seasonal trends but it also provides a comfortable, affordable, and durable footwear option. Now more than ever, it’s important to consider brands that put quality and craftsmanship above fashion trends. Red Wing encourages their customers to look after their boots, and offers an array of care products and resoling options when the time comes. 

Maintaining the sole of a Red Wing boot is an important part of the boot-care routine. The sole offers the boot most of its strength and if excessively worn, can compromise the structure of the upper – it pays to keep them in good condition. Here in the UK, Original Cobblers have been accredited by Red Wing themselves in repairing their iconic footwear in the UK for 7 years now. They’re the only company in the UK with genuine components to do so. The Good Year Welt construction of a Red Wing boot also means that the sole styles are interchangeable, which is ideal if you have spent the time breaking the boots in but would like to use them for a different purpose.  

In these times of reduced social contact, there is a measure of comfort to be found in the routine of preserving our most prized possessions – there’s no reason why your boots shouldn’t be one of them. And when things finally open back up again, they might just start a conversation or two at the local boozer, too. Yet another reason why it’s always a good idea to invest in better. 

Check out the full Red Wing Heritage collection here.