Red Wing Heritage Boots

[4runnerteq]

Hate you no fit. I wore my Asolos all day at work all week and out playing in the snow today. Starting to break in nicely. Not a drop of water inside. I really am beginning to love them. I've had them 3 years and this is the most they've been worn. Still got plenty of breaking in left. I saddle soap them about every other time I wear.

 

[Hilldweller]

Yeah, I was bummed. I wanted a pair of somewhat "normal" boots that fit. Oh well.

Got called out at 0-dark-thirty this morning for a SAR operation for a missing kid.
Mud, fog, drizzle, steep slopes, and cold. Just nasty.
I wore the Irish Setters and a pair of heavy wool socks. They did pretty good --- maybe they'll break in a bit better. But the synthetics don't ever really seem to break in...
We found the kid, btw.

 

[4runnerteq]

Good you found kid.

 

[Shoeman]

Well, I went to the Red Wing store and it was a failure.

The Braddock device doesn't agree with me on the term "fit". It says you're size X and size X crushes my toes together and shoves them into the wedge-shaped front of the boot.
Sorry, but my feet aren't shaped that way...
ouch
So he brings out something called a King Toe and I tried them on. Not too bad for the right foot but too narrow for the left. They were a D width because he says that a wide width will be too big around.
Right. That's my whole point. They don't have wide boots that aren't fat boots.

Back to the beginning for me.
Hope yours fit, Jackie.
And thanks again, Shoeman. You tried.

For point of reference, Shoeman, this is what I wear most of the time. That fits:
http://www.vivobarefoot.com/us/mens/gobi-ii-suede-light-brown-mens?colour=Lt Brown
http://www.lemsshoes.com/Mens-Boulder-Boot-Brown_p_87.html
These are cut to fit a foot shape, not try to make a foot fit a boot shape...
I want these in a more robust build. Then I can declare victory.

For some reason I never saw a reply notification for this. Sorry the RW try did not work out. It would have been interesting to see what the Brannock showed for your arch vs. toe length measurements. From the sounds of it you have the old "long arch short toes" foot shape. If you ever get a chance to, try on a pair of Corcoran jump boots. They use the "Munson" last, which has very firm heel fit but has good room in the toe box. It looks like RW is building a Heritage boot using that last now from what I just saw doing a quick google. The rep for that stuff is going to visit me Weds this week, and I'll ask him if they are available. I have a pair of Corcorans I had built for me in an A width many years ago in the old WW2 brown, and other than the soles being dead flat and hard as a rock I love the damn things.
Looking at the links you posted, I see the boots that work for you are very soft and relatively formless. That kind of shoe is very easy on the feet and forgiving of odd foot shapes. It'll be tough to get that sort of feel out of a more structured and harder boot. But keep trying, you'll stumble across something someday.

 

[Hilldweller]

I've tried a couple of boots built on the Munson Army Last and they were narrow up front, wide in the heel, and too big around the ankle/shin.

It's the basic shape of the boot to start with. Can't understand why most companies won't make a boot that's shaped like a foot....

 

[WESBC]

I have a few pairs of Red Wings... and a few others also:

LL Bean Katahdin Iron Works, Wolverine 1000 Miles (Tan, Rust, & Black), Red Wing Beckman's (Black Cherry & Cigars), Red Wing Heritage 6" - 9106 & 1907.

 

[mortonm]

I have a few pairs of Red Wings... and a few others also:

LL Bean Katahdin Iron Works, Wolverine 1000 Miles (Tan, Rust, & Black), Red Wing Beckman's (Black Cherry & Cigars), Red Wing Heritage 6" - 9106 & 1907.

How do you like the Cigar Beckmans (9016) I am torn between these and a pair of the blacksmiths

 

[WESBC]

Love the Beckmans. I do use these boots at work (office/construction) so the commando sole gives me a little more traction.

 

[mortonm]

Love the mmBeckmans. I do use these boots at work (office/construction) so the commando sole gives me a little more traction.

Thanks, they are a touch dressier as well.

 

[ChadHahn]

Are you familiar with Russell Moccasin?
I tried to have them build me a custom pair of these: http://www.russellmoccasin.com/minimalist-thula-thula/

I got a pair of these yesterday. They were in their sale PDF and were a pair that was ordered but not picked up for whatever reason. At first they weren't that comfortable and I was hesitant to wear them out of the house. Then I wore them down to the park and walked around in them for about an hour. Already they are starting to get more comfortable. I've heard so many horror stories about their shoes arriving and not fitting that I was worried about ordering them. So far so good though.

Chad

 

[Hilldweller]

I got a pair of these yesterday. They were in their sale PDF and were a pair that was ordered but not picked up for whatever reason. At first they weren't that comfortable and I was hesitant to wear them out of the house. Then I wore them down to the park and walked around in them for about an hour. Already they are starting to get more comfortable. I've heard so many horror stories about their shoes arriving and not fitting that I was worried about ordering them. So far so good though.

Chad

Ha!
Good for you. They're great boots, maybe the best... ...if they fit.
They just don't know how to really custom make a boot. They take the Munson Army Last as the gospel and build a boot around it in what they figure is your size. They only make allowance for one foot bigger than the other, not shoe volume or ankle/shin circumference or heel size.

What size are they? Maybe they were mine...

 

[ChadHahn]

8 1/2 EEEE. Minimulist Thula Thula. I got them for my upcoming trip to Africa. I also figure that since the Sonoran desert seems a lot like Southern Africa, they would be good for hiking around here too. The only problem with them seems to be that the heel was too large, but after a few days of wearing them they seem to be forming to my foot pretty well.

Chad

 

[Hilldweller]

8 1/2 EEEE. Minimulist Thula Thula. I got them for my upcoming trip to Africa. I also figure that since the Sonoran desert seems a lot like Southern Africa, they would be good for hiking around here too. The only problem with them seems to be that the heel was too large, but after a few days of wearing them they seem to be forming to my foot pretty well.

Chad

Not mine then...

I use stick-on heel thingies for shoes that need the additional padding to fit. They're on the rack in Walgreens/CVS/TractorSupply and other fine retailers. The "gel" ones seem to cling better.
They make a world of difference.

 

[ChadHahn]

I was going to get some of the heel things, but they seem to be forming to my foot pretty well.

Chad

 

[Hilldweller]

I was going to get some of the heel things, but they seem to be forming to my foot pretty well.

Chad

Jealous.
You got the boots I wanted....
ho hum

The ones I ordered were the full waterproof leather.
The leather was so soft. Like baby butt soft. Butter.