Are Redwing boots worth the money?

[maroonandwhite]

My wife wants to get me a nice pair of lace up work boots for Christmas but obviously needs me to pick them out. I have never owned anything but Georgia Boot slip ons so I am hoping to get some advice on what to look at/for. The Redwing's have the reputation but also the high price. I would be looking for an 8" boot.

[peejman]

How long do $100 boots last for you and what wears out first? If you wear the soles out but the upper is still in decent shape, the Redwings can be resoled and will last a long time. If you kill the uppers, they'll still last longer than cheap boots. You also have to consider the weight and comfort. If you wear them all day, every day, that makes a big difference long term.

[maroonandwhite]

Good questions. I hardly ever wear out the Uppers or outside of the boot. The Georgia boots I buy are worn everyday and usually last me a year maybe two until the sole wears out (Just guessing, I can't remember when these were bought). I have flat feet so comfort and support are very important. I'm not too rough on them other than dirt and mud.

[GlockSpock]

I love Redwings. I don't pay for them, work does, but I would probably buy them even if they money came out of my own pocket. I find them very comfortable (the non steel toed versions), and they last a very long time too.

[gregintenn]

I usually get 3-4 years out of a pair of Red Wings. 1 year is a good life for other brands.

[maroonandwhite]

Wow that pretty good! Any info on what it costs to resole them?

[gregintenn]

My tops are usually shot at that time as well. I'd guess around $40 for a resole, but that is strictly a guess. A call to your local shoe repair store would probably in order to know for sure.

[Lumber_Jack]

I have had good luck with Chippewa but Red Wing is probably a little better. Boots don't last 6-8 months regardless of brand, and I've had them all. Red wing, Chippewa, Justin, Rocky, etc. I have up and bought custom built.

Sounds to me with your light use, Red wings would last you a very long time. I had a pair of cowboy boots resoled that cost about $80, so I'd assume any stitched leather sole would cost similarly.

[leroy]

I'm a round man that weighs in the neighborhood of 300 lbs; always wuz. In the "old days" i used to work lots of 12 hour days climbing on red iron, wading in fly ash (...very hard on everything...), water, mud, and coal dust; all walkin and climbing a mile or two a day. I always wore redwings (....the 8 to 12 inch lineman type laceups or the moc toe laceups; depending on the mood...). The redwings were the only boots that i could stand up in all day and that would actually last over a couple of years in that type of use. I always put a pair of spenco insoles in the boots; and my feet were always fine. They were the only boots that would keep their shape and not break down in the arches from the heavy load i put on them. We worked lots of rough jobs in which these boots were worn every day, six (...sometimes seven...) days a week for months. Most any other boot would wear out and get way out of shape pretty quickly. The redwings always held up. When the redwings needed re-soling; the cost used to be in the neighborhood of $35. I've never had a pair of White's packers; but i suspect they are the next step up from the redwings. The problem is that the price will more than double with them. I've tried the "good" Danners. They did not fit my feet as well as the redwings. Redwings are an excellent boot. I think that they are the best of the "ready made" boots. They are well worth the money.

Hope this helps a bit.
leroy Edited November 15, 2012 by leroy

[Good_Steward]

[quote name='CZ9MM' timestamp='1353018215' post='846205']
I love Redwings. I don't pay for them, work does, but I would probably buy them even if they money came out of my own pocket. I find them very comfortable (the non steel toed versions), and they last a very long time too.
[/quote]

Even the steel toes are comfortable. Worth the price. That being said, Georgia Boot is a fantastic boot in any size. Love the "Comfort Core" insoles.

[RED333]

I have had Redwings. good boot, would wear the sole out before the uppers.
I have had just about every brand there is.
I have worn nothing but boots for near 30 years, even to go out on dates and now
with my OL to go out to eat.
For the past 5 or 6 years I buy boot a wally world, cheap, 30 to 40 bucks.
They last 1.5 to 2 years, all I do is replace laces.
I work in kitchens repairing cooking gear. the grease, oil and chemicals used to clean eat the boots up.
The boots I buy last as I said, and then I replace them.
I spend 100 dollars every 2.5 to 3 years.
Buy the 100 dollar boots If you want, I dont.

[Sam1]

They are worth every penny. Got a set of lineman boots for wildland firefighting, wore them for about 3-4 years and they still have a good 75% of life left in them.

[Guest Big-A]

They are great boots but very heavy so if you stay on your feet for long your feet start to feel it. They are built like a sherman tank made to last

[maroonandwhite]

Well as long as they have good soles and support I can get used to the weight. I had to wear steel toes for a while at one job so I got used to it.

[Spook]

I have had these for about 3 years and only wear them occasionally. Wonderful fit, comfortable, rugged and very waterproof. My son has the steel toed version and wears them alot with no complaints. The MSRP on the link is high.. I paid $125 for mine. Can't believe they've gone up that much. But the quality is there. Got mine at French's.

http://www.redwingshoes.com/red-wing-shoe/1170-red-wing-shoes/1170-red-wing-mens-11-inch-pull-on-boot-brown

[UncleJak]

I switched to Bates 3 years ago and haven't looked back.

[Guest Wildogre]

I had a pair of Redwings that lasted about 10 years in general use. I have a pair of Danner GoDevils that I wore just about everyday for about seven years and still have. You get what you pay for in boots.

I would buy the Redwings or Danners again if I needed a good pair of boots.

[56FordGuy]

I've gone through 5 pairs of Red Wing boots in 6 years. I have a worn out set now, and will be buying something else.

They all fail the same way. The leather on top of the steel toe used to wear through first, within the first 6 months. I started applying Tuff Toe to the last few pairs, that stopped most of that. The tope would last at least as long as the rest of the boot. Aside from that issue, the sole and inner lining where the steel toe is would wear out at about the same pace. The steel toe would start tearing up socks, so there was no point in having them resoled.

I'm very unimpressed. I expect more than a year to 14 months out of a pair of expensive boots.

[RichardR]

I switched to Altama boots years ago & won't ever go back to Redwings.

[Daniel]

Lowa Zephyr GTX mids

[MacGyver]

How are those White's holding up, Neil?

[Guest TankerHC]

I have been wearing the same pair of Redwing Classics since 2001 regularly, last longer than any pair of boots I ever wore in the military. Company bought them for me and all I have ever done is replaced the soles (Always with vibrams). the uppers look like they are going to last forever.

[Tncobra]

I have two pair of the classics. One pair sit unused as the other pair have lasted near twenty years. I don't use them as work boots, just regular foot wear. The soles are the best on the market.

[ShamGlock]

I've never had a pair, but they are all that my Dad will wear. He works 12 hour days building tug boats. I worked with him for two summers in high school and I can tell you he puts them through any torture test you can imagine. Welding, cutting, grinding, standing in muddy, diesel filled, sloppy water, they take it all. We were very hard up when I was a kid and when it was time for my Dad to get new boots Mom always found a way to make sure they were Red Wings because she knew how hard he worked in them and it was truly the only thing I ever heard my Dad ask for when I was a kid.

[maroonandwhite]

All great testimonials guys! Thanks for the info. Looks like ill be getting red wings.