Beckman Chukkas-9032 (resoled), Beckmans-9411, & Iron Rangers-8086 (dusty).
There aren't many products on the market these days at any price made as well as Redwing boots. The company's Heritage line doesn't come cheap but is made right here in Minnesota by skilled American craftsmen, mostly by hand, who are still paid a livable wage. When they wear out they don't go to the landfill, a good cobbler can resole and rejuvenate them to make them look brand new. This is becoming a true rarity these days.
I bought my first pair of Redwing boots dozen years ago. I remember the day well. It was a dreary, cool Friday evening and after a particularly rough week at work I walked into a local men’s apparel shop called BlackBlue and somewhat reluctantly handed over a couple of my hard-earned Benjamins to Satchel, who was the first to introduce me to the brand. I walked out with the, now discontinued, Beckman Chukka (Style# 9032) as a fortieth birthday present to myself. This was the first pair of well made shoes I ever bought and it was a fortune to me back then.
Although the 9032s are a very nice and well constructed boot, I never really loved them. The chukka was a casual boot with a hard sole so, for me, it occupied a conflicting and hard to define category, somewhere between too dressy and not dressy enough. Although they’ve been resoled (to a more casual white crepe sole), after twelve years, I still have these Beckman chukkas. They’re as comfortable as slippers, and they look virtually brand new.
A few years later I bought a pair of black cherry featherstone Beckmans (style 9411), to celebrate publishing my first novel. I liked these much more than the 9032s, I think because they were a little more rugged. I’ve put countless miles on these 9411s and even wore them on stage in Amsterdam during the first SteemFest. As a matter of fact, their slippery soles nearly made me fall down an entire flight of stairs into the basement of the Tobacco Theater (I think Ned may've witnessed this). I’ve owned the 9411s for almost ten years, they’re still in amazing shape, and fit like a glove.
My third pair were the Iron Ranger in charcoal gray (style 8086) and I purchased these around the time my blog was at peak popularity in late 2016. These Iron Rangers are my beaters. They've have been on my feet as I walked down the streets of New York City, Amsterdam, Lisbon, London, Montreal and lots of other places and have the scuffs to prove it. Each scratch and crease tells a story and holds a memory.
The Beckman Chukka introduced me to the character-building (painful) Redwing boot break in process that can only be experienced to be believed. Long story short, you have to put in the work. The key to, eventually, having the most comfortable and durable boots you’ll ever put on your feet is getting them as snug as you can stand out of the box. In fact, you should always size down a 1/2 size when buying Redwings (if you normally wear a size 10, buy a 9.5).
There's no shortage of creative hair-brained schemes and shortcuts to be found on the interwebs about shortening the break in time -- things like submerging the boots in water and wearing them sopping wet, dousing them with leather conditioner and heating them up with a hairdryer, or spraying the insides with a 50/50 mix of water and rubbing alcohol. These are mostly urban myths that, in the end, would probably ruin your boots.
Redwing boots aren't about shortcuts. The only proper way to break these in is to take your time, you must wear them through the blisters and pain until the leather of the boot and the cork inner sole conforms perfectly to your feet.
All three pairs have been taken good care of and, in turn, have taken care of me. From a young age my dad taught me the proper way to care for leather shoes. Whenever I remove the laces to clean them and apply polish conditioner, and protectant I can't help but think of him. All three pairs of my Redwings stand up to whatever I throw at them and just continue to look better and get more comfortable with age.
Just last week my wife and I took a spontaneous road trip to where the Redwing story began, the flagship store Redwing, Minnesota. After a nice lunch we walked into the store to just browse. I had no intention of buying another pair of boots but, as my wife will attest to, I’m a sucker for a bargain. The town itself seems to have grown around the shoe store and manufacturing facility.
Photo taken from the deck of the restaurant were we had lunch.
Public art to commemorate Redwing's 100th anniversary.
We discovered Redwing sold factory seconds in the basement that are, structurally, the same as the boots they sell at full price but have various minor cosmetic flaws. I found the last pair of Classic Mocs (875s) they had on the shelf in my size and they were $100 off retail price. They had only one small scratch on the right toe. That day I had nothing in particular to celebrate, except possibly that unbelievable deal.
The 875s are the company’s most iconic boot, the one most beloved by those selvedge jean wearing Williamsburg hipsters of yesteryear. Those hipsters may've used a tad too much hair gel back in the day but it didn't inhibit their decision making abilities, because this is a damn good boot. The 875s were the ones I’ve always wanted.
I'm in the throes of the break in process now and can tell you that it becomes exponentially more difficult the older I get. When I was younger, I'd just wear them all day and power through. Thankfully I've learned a few tricks through the years to make the process a little less harmful to my feet, like taking the time to lace the boots as tightly as possible to prevent the foot slippage inside of the boot that causes blisters. I'm also wearing them for a half hour increments, on short walks. If we're running errands I'll wear them but I'm sure to bring a back up pair of shoes just incase the 875s become unbearable.
In about a month, or maybe two, I know this "getting to know you" period will be over and it'll be well worth it. The process will take work, and it will take time. As the old saying goes, "nothing worthwhile comes easy". It makes me smile to own something of such quality, so well-crafted. I can't help but think about all the adventures these boots will join me on -- Ireland, Japan, maybe Paris? Who knows, their story has only just begun. Until then I'll be subjecting myself to a few weeks of pain for a lifetime of pleasure.
~Eric Vance Walton~
Thanks for reading! All for now. Trust your instincts, invest in you, live boldly, and take chances.
(Photos are original.)
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