Feet Up! The Work Boot Thread

[feltfan]

Red and black WESCOs today

Again, the crummy WESCO laces. But the boots are great. No polish used so far. Is there a
polish for that "redwood" color?

 

[pjstrass]

which Wescos are these ? thanks.

 

[feltfan]

which Wescos are these ? thanks.

I assume you're referring to the redwood/black ones? Jobmaster. But with custom color combination.
I got them from the Factory Seconds page, so I don't know all the details. They had scuffs which no one
would notice. But it did cut the price in half.

 

[eClairvaux]

Another pair just arrived, a bit early for fall:
Smokejumper regular height, distressed and red dog leather, Vibram 100, single midsole, rolled top, leather lining.

After owning six pairs over the last three years, I've ordered and sold a few and settle with the one's that fit the best and summarize what I learned from earlier mistakes. So that should be it now with White's until I wear those, my semi-dress and my other flatter Smokejumpers out.

 

[jimmer_5]

Wow, eClairvaux, those Smoke Jumpers look incredible! The two-tone looks great on those ones and White's single sole is just the right thickness - most single soles are too thin for my taste, but not this one.

I am back and forth with the Lace-To-Toe style - I generally prefer the plain toe White's, but you've got me thinking about them again! Is the Red Dog Leather really that red, or is it just the lighting? What kind of heel is that?

 

[eClairvaux]

Thanks Jimmer! Yes, I'd say the red looks just like that in real life. Below is a comparison between brown and red dog, where the red dog was another, already sold pair of White's Farmer/Ranchers.

The heel is the standard heel, I believe they call it "cuban heel". I am not sure you can specify a 90 degree/block-heel for the smokejumpers at all. You could have it lowered by 1 or two "lifts" to get a less pronounced silhouette. However that's what I've done with my other Smokejumpers and this time I wanted the real thing, in all it's extravaganza That's also the reason I wouldn't choose the plain toe. With the plain toe they look just like any work boot, but with this heel, the very articulated heel cup and the lace-to-toe feature they epitomize the north-western work boot. I should mention that it is also quite comfortable to be able to adjust the boot via the laces that way, if you are wearing double E or even triple E (F) sized boots, like me.

 

[feltfan]

Extremely nice Smoke Jumpers. Love that Red Dog leather. Thanks for posting.

 

[29 toter]

Can anyone speak to the ir running narrow or not.

 

[oldcrow82]

The iron rangers are labeled a D width, but I suspect they are closer to a C. It is difficult to say, since you have to size them down to fit properly. It could be the fact that you are wearing a half to whole size smaller shoe that makes them feel narrower.

 

[JanSolo]

The Iron Ranger in last D is defintely NOT for wide feet or for feet that have a high arch. The D last is very waisted around the mid foot

 

[Jack Burton]

I'd have to agree with everyone else, the IR is narrow which I think is great in that I find most shoes are too wide for me. I have high arches and I haven't had any problems, though I wouldn't make a habit of jogging around in IRs. I've done construction work in them around the house but if I were to wear them for a full-time job, they'd need some kind of insole for cushioning. Keep that in mind when you consider the widths as the insole will change the fit slightly. All in all on a generalized scale, I'd say they run .5 to 1 size too large and they are a C width.

 

[JakeHolman]

I have 8 pairs of Redwings and IR (have it in hawthorn) is most probably the narrowest but despite having high arches it fits just fine for me. I found the break-in time with the IR vs. the Beckman to be much less. All-in-all your gonna end up getting both eventually

 

[RP McMurphy]

Hey all!

Not to stray too far off topic, but does anyone know what the sizing is like on the 9161's? Here's a link for pictures: http://www.cultizm.com/product_info.php?info=p669_Red-Wing-Boots-9161D-Round-Toe-Brown-Boomer.html

I own the Iron Rangers in Roughout (cue Great Escape Theme every time you wear those), but I was wondering how the 9161's compare for fit... I may end up with the Beckman's instead.

BTW: I have a pair of Wolverine 1000 miles, but they've taken a SERIOUS beating after only a year and a half... I don't think they're built for the same type of tough work RedWings are. To sum up, if I were taking on a spy ring headquartered in the remote deserts of Algeria... I'd bring the Roughouts. I really think manufacturers need to consider this aspect of consumer advice.



Cheers,

RP

 

[coloradorider]

Red Wing Iron Ranger vs Beckman

Hello,

I own 3 pair of Iron Rangers and the 9011 Beckmans and have recognized there are some excellent comments on this thread. Here are some of my observations based on the the pairs I've owned. I wear an 11.5D in the Heritage Red Wings and wear an 11.5D in Allen Edmonds. I wear a size 12 in most other brands of shoes so the running 1/2 to 1 size smaller is accurate. I try to wear a lightweight or midweight wool sock with these boots and it helps with the comfort. The boots don't come with an insole so volume would be a consideration if you are going to add one.

Hawthorne Muleskinner Iron Ranger 8113 (Roughout) - These are by far the softest leather available in the Iron Ranger line. The break in was immediate for me in these and they compliment most jeans and are very versatile. My local Red Wing dealer indicated these are their most popular color in the IR line just due to the comfort of the leather during break-in.

Amber Harness Iron Ranger 8111 - I had fits with the break in on these boots as they creased across the top of my foot causing some discomfort for probably 10-12 days of wear to break in. See Jan's excellent post comparing the IR leather to the Beckman leather. I use Obenauf's leather oil on this boot with great results.

Black Iron Ranger 8114 - This boot broke in quickly with none of the discomfort I experienced from the 8111. Had I received the 8111 first I might never have bought this boot. I use Obenauf's heavy-duty LP on this boot and have been very happy with the results.

Black Cherry Beckman 9011 - This is a very rich burgundy that I've received a lot of compliments on. It has a nice toe box (bump toe?) and the break in was similar to 8113 since there isn't two layers of leather and associated stitching in the toe to stiffen up the boot. This is still a pretty substantial boot so your mileage during break in will definitely vary.

The OP has already made a decision on this but hopefully this info will help when you decide to purchase another pair.

Cheers

 

[eClairvaux]

tried both, but chose White's Farmer/Ranchers in black chromexel with a block heel instead. Again the footbed made the Red Wings feel "unfinished". pics coming soon...

 

[Jani]

Red wing beckman

Hello there, it's great to read all thoose comments on these great boots. I have one pair of 8111 and I am searching for someone who has experience with J CREW Red Wing Beckman Boots (brown one),seller said that they fit like IR,I usually wear 9.5 to 10US but my IR are size 8.5 so I dont know what size to take. Cant decide also betwen theese J CREW and classic black ones...
Here's the link for brown one:
http://totakethetrain.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/beckman-boots/ .

 

[Parkpiper]

I bought a pair of IR's in the spring and absolutely love them. With the cooler weather I have been wearing them almost every day and they continue to become more comfortable with each mile. Ditto on the downsizing advice. I normally wear a US9 and bought US8.5's and they fit great.

The only problem is....now I want a pair in black. I love the IR's but think I am going to go for the Beckman Boots for something different. What do you think? Will the black Beckman's look more formal?

Thanks!

 

[JakeHolman]

Funnily enough I have the Beckmans in black too. I would say that if you keep them polished then they are more formal - although I guess that is true of most shoes. I've been trying to cultivate a more beat up, been on the road months, type look.

 

[sidquan]

Hey everybody. So I just bought a pair of the Beckmans, black cherry 9011. I can't vouch for the long-term comfort yet since I am very much in the breaking in stage, but they are a really handsome boot. I was considering the Beckman against the Iron Ranger, and I still have a couple of questions that maybe some of you could answer. Basically, my main concern is that I want a versatile boot that could go off-road for a little while if needed and also dress up on the town; either way, something that handles the walking miles ok. Would the Beckman qualify or is the IR more suited to versatility? I do like the rougher tread on the Beckman's sole. These are my first major boot purchase so it is quite possible I am just being too worrisome about scuffing up my pretty new boots. For those with Beckman's, do you find them versatile?

 

[mojoe]

I have a pair of Beckmans in black and find them very versatile. Took a while to break in but once done, very comfortable.
I bought them with the idea of never polishing them, just a bit of conditioner to feed them when required but they are just so nice I'm having second thoughts. I may keep them as a more dressy boot and just continue to use my cut down Corcoran jump boots as my travelling stock.

As far as sizing goes, I bought one half size down from my usual size and the fit was perfect.