Red Wing Shoes
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So I've complained before about my Red Wing leather footbeds breaking in in a lumpy way in every single pair i have. I've been too stubborn to admit that these may just not be for my feet, or that maybe I got the wrong size. Every pair bothers my left big toe and I've even considered removing it for a better fit. I'm far too invested in my 5 pairs to give up just yet.
I'm a 10D brannock, wear a 10 in all sneakers and I go with a 9D in Last 8, Last 23, Last 45, and a 9.5D Last 210. My toes are about a finger width away from the tip and all are pretty snug on the ball of my foot (at the widest part of the boot) when breaking in, but relax eventually and don't put pressure on the inside or outside. The left big toe, however, never seems to get the right 'print'. Maybe i have an impingement I should get checked, or maybe its just a quirk of construction and the outside edge where the welt is stitched beneath the slab of leather is just not allowing my toe to compress that area. I think I'll try doing the soak-and-wear on a pair to see if it sets that print better.Any ideas?
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What exactly bothers your toe? You said they have ample space on the sides? I’m a 10D on a brannock, and I wear a 9.5ee in my redwing mic toes. That gives me a perfect fit when new, then they break in a little and feel too big, then a little more break in makes them feel perfect again.
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@Go-For-Chill Iike i was saying, it feels like there is a ridge along the edge of the leather slab footbed that is not allowing my toe to compress the leather/cork. I probably just need to go with a Wide, regardless of my brannock measurement D. Can never have too much toe space...
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@WhiskeySandwich I started with a D width, but I felt like I was always walking on the welt. Might be what you’re experiencing?
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@Go-For-Chill yeah its not like the upper leather is flexing so much that my foot is hanging out beyond the footbed, but it does feel like i'm on the welt.
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This was posted to Reddit as some of the 2025 lineup from redwing. wish the price wasn't so high for the engineers. hard to justify paying that much for red wings. the 8060 pecos are supposed to look like the 8168 in abilene
#2996 Engineer $550 : Black Klondike
#4585 Logger $370 : Briar Oil Slick, Black Oil Slick
#8060 Pecos $370 : Hawthorne Muleskinner
#2949 Roughneck $330 : Black (Oil Slick ?)
2 new Moc toe colors: Chocolate Muleskinner & Dusty Blue Abilene
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@Luijim78 correct. engineers. klondike is red wings teacore leather as well
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@Luijim78 i believe i read somewhere that red wing had to relearn how to make certain models including engineers. so it would make sense for them to add new model numbers because they would not be exactly the same as an older model
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@WhiskeySandwich
Don’t know if this helps, but here are my 10d 8833s next to my 9.5ee 1907s. Weirdly, on the 10d my big toe sits almost dead center of the toe box, but on the 9.5ee it’s exactly where it should be. -
@Go-For-Chill thanks man. That def got me thinking I might need some wides.
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Also, my 1907s are a lot wider than the others on the 23 last. Explains why my 1907 is my best fitting pair. 23 and 8 last tho, def need a wide
"The greatest obstacle to living is expectancy, which hangs upon tomorrow and loses today...The whole future lies in uncertainty: Live immediately."
-Seneca -
My 875s today
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@WhiskeySandwich for what it’s worth I’m a 10D brannock and my 1907s are a 9.5D. They fit me pretty well. Pretty much every other boot brand I’m a 9 in.
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@WhiskeySandwich said in Red Wing Shoes:
So I've complained before about my Red Wing leather footbeds breaking in in a lumpy way in every single pair i have. I've been too stubborn to admit that these may just not be for my feet, or that maybe I got the wrong size. Every pair bothers my left big toe and I've even considered removing it for a better fit. I'm far too invested in my 5 pairs to give up just yet.
I'm a 10D brannock, wear a 10 in all sneakers and I go with a 9D in Last 8, Last 23, Last 45, and a 9.5D Last 210. My toes are about a finger width away from the tip and all are pretty snug on the ball of my foot (at the widest part of the boot) when breaking in, but relax eventually and don't put pressure on the inside or outside. The left big toe, however, never seems to get the right 'print'. Maybe i have an impingement I should get checked, or maybe its just a quirk of construction and the outside edge where the welt is stitched beneath the slab of leather is just not allowing my toe to compress that area. I think I'll try doing the soak-and-wear on a pair to see if it sets that print better.Any ideas?
I had a similar issue with a pair of Blacksmith I bought used. I put a leather & foam insole in and they are much better now.
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@NickD yeah I’ve tried that but they take up too much volume. I guess I’m just waaaay late to the realization that I’ve been in the camp that buys small in hopes of break-in being the answer. I do think red wings are just narrow as fuck for D width shoes. I’m thinking a wide in RW is better for my D feet. I also cant stand having an extra inch of toe room just for the look of a fashionable toe shape. Why don’t manufacturers just make shoes shaped like a human foot? Lol
