Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Engineer Boots, Harness Boots...

ShadowBoxer

Familiar Face
Messages
65
Location
Los Angeles, California
Hi,
Thanks, that is basically what I did.

Coated the boots in some boot moisturizer (they really absorbed it fast! They were a lot more dry than I thought), then put in some shoe trees that just barely fit. However before the trees, I put in some high instep supportive insoles. Then squeezed in the shoetrees. Let them sit out in the sun for two afternoons.

Two days later, I am wearing them.
Popped them on this afternoon and took an initial assessment; Yeah, that is better. I can still feel something but it's better.
After that I completely forgot about them.

I actually only thought about the tightness right now, at the end of the day. I did not even notice it and they feel fine right now after about ten hours so far, mostly walking up and down hills covered in grass.
I think that fixed them.
 

Fifty150

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,787
Location
The Barbary Coast
tightness across the top of the right foot

I hope they will stretch out a bit.


I hope that those work out for you. You could try taking them to a cobbler. Some cobblers have tools for stretching shoes and boots.



Tonight, I wore these Red Wing. A quick trip to The Bar. I just don't wear them enough. The fit and feel is great. It's made with a leather insole that's molded perfectly to my foot. Solid construction. Well made.

The cork sole is good for walking in civilized society. Good for going down hallways with carpeting, to get to the coffee machine. Excellent for cubicle dwellers who hang out by the water cooler. Not exactly what I want when I am on a motorcycle, and need to plant both feet on the asphalt. Surely not for dirt or loose gravel. I like them. Fine when I ride the bus.

The roughout is a beautiful leather. Feels really nice to have the grain side of the leather on the inside of the shoe. At the same time, I don't like suede, nubuck, and roughout because they are so hard to care for. You have to be very careful about not getting them dirty. Motor oil, BBQ sauce, blood, urine, vomit, kitchen grease, chewing gum, honey, personal lube, body paint...... it all soaks in, and you will never get it out. That suede shampoo only goes so far. A brass brush barely scratches the surface. Those erasers are only good for 3rd grade math homework. Real life wear and tear can never be cleaned off. Your shoes will show your shame.​














IMG_20250807_001359752~2.jpg
IMG_20250807_002338349~2.jpg
IMG_20250806_234319962~2.jpg
IMG_20250807_002645971~2.jpg



 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
26,263
Location
London, UK
Red Wing Amsterdam still has model no. 2990 & 2991 listed. The same boot. Different leather and color.









Never had a chance to handle these in person, but the sole looks very much like the one on my Iron Rangers. Much lower profile than the raised heel on my 2996s. Whereas the latter is a style I would consider to be very "American", these lower heels remind me much more of the heels on 50s/60s British motorcycle boots. Both styles have a root in horse-riding boots on either side of the Atlantic, albeit the US boots also had the original Engineer boot purpose as part of the design as well before they were adopted by motorcyclists. UK mc boots tend to have a more direct relationship to earlier horse-riding boots, which I suspect accounts for the greater commonality of the zip up the back and closer fit than what we regard as an Engineer boot.
 

Fifty150

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,787
Location
The Barbary Coast
the sole looks very much like the one on my Iron Rangers





The cork sole. They don't offer it anymore. Iron Ranger and Blacksmith used to use them.

I like them. They feel really good for city use. Marble lobbies, carpeted floors, dance floors, sidewalks, tile........ Maybe not so good for off-road use.









1754973231474.png
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
26,263
Location
London, UK
The cork sole. They don't offer it anymore. Iron Ranger and Blacksmith used to use them.

I like them. They feel really good for city use. Marble lobbies, carpeted floors, dance floors, sidewalks, tile........ Maybe not so good for off-road use.










Yes, after thirteen years of hard wear I'm looking now at having my Iron Rangers resoled for the Winter, and have discovered this means I'll have to go over to the Vibram minilugs as they put on them now. I'm ok with the low profile of the minilugs (I'd be looking for something else entirely had Redwing switched to a full, deep commando type sole), though I hope they prove to be as hard wearing as these. I was initially only going to do the heels as the soles otherwise still look good externally, but they feel a bit 'hard' now, and I suspect the cork bed has compressed hard over the years. If the Vibram doesn't get me at least another decade, I might go crazy and get some Lennon-style, thick leather soles on them thereafter.
 

Fifty150

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,787
Location
The Barbary Coast
I don't know if you have the option of a Red Wing resole. Here in The USA, I can bring my shoes to a Red Wing store, and they will ship it back to the factory or a Red Wing partner cobbler. I keep looking at the option to dye the shoes black. It would be nice (to me) to have a blacked out pair of Moc toes or an Iron Ranger. All black leather, stitching, welt, sole......... Then I could polish it and pretend that it's a dress shoe when I wear a suit.


1755051362429.png


If you don't get a factory resole, then a cobbler could do anything you want. I have seen UK cobblers on YouTube. Although a "celebrity" cobbler may charge more, and take longer.







 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
26,263
Location
London, UK
I don't know if you have the option of a Red Wing resole. Here in The USA, I can bring my shoes to a Red Wing store, and they will ship it back to the factory or a Red Wing partner cobbler. I keep looking at the option to dye the shoes black. It would be nice (to me) to have a blacked out pair of Moc toes or an Iron Ranger. All black leather, stitching, welt, sole......... Then I could polish it and pretend that it's a dress shoe when I wear a suit.




If you don't get a factory resole, then a cobbler could do anything you want. I have seen UK cobblers on YouTube. Although a "celebrity" cobbler may charge more, and take longer.








I suspect a factory redo would be silly money from the UK, but there are half a dozen RedWing specialists online who'll do a full resole and thorough clean for +/- GBP100, which doesn't seem bad if I get a dozen or so years out of them.

I know what you mean the attraction of a polished version. I've often won my IRs with moleskins and a tweed jacket (collar and tie as well) in the office. I know they're really designed after a work boot, but if they did a version that could take a shine I'd love that. Ideally in an oxblood/burgundy (the universal leather colour, imo - goes with earthtones as well as it does blacks/greys). A smooth toecap and heelstrap, with grained leather on the other parts would be superb.
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
26,263
Location
London, UK
My small collection.

Bright Shoemakers Vulture Boot in Brown CXL

Lofgren - originally veg tan, but handdyed black.

View attachment 723194
View attachment 723196
View attachment 723197


Those Brights look really nice. I've been cruising their website for the last couple of years.... if I can get our household finances into an easier place to be over the next couple of years, I might well look at taking the wife on holiday to Copenhagen, with a trip to the Bright store as, eh..... an added side bonus. ;-)
 

Facini

New in Town
Messages
34
the CXL batch on those Vultures really are quite something of a patina monster! Can’t wait to see what they look like on a year or so. @Edward you won’t regret it! Copenhagen is a lovely place and the guys in Wardrobe 19 are some nice guys.
 

Herrvallmo

One Too Many
Messages
1,115
Location
Sweden
the CXL batch on those Vultures really are quite something of a patina monster! Can’t wait to see what they look like on a year or so. @Edward you won’t regret it! Copenhagen is a lovely place and the guys in Wardrobe 19 are some nice guys.
Indeed! I really need to put in some miles in my pair hah :D
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
26,263
Location
London, UK
the CXL batch on those Vultures really are quite something of a patina monster! Can’t wait to see what they look like on a year or so. @Edward you won’t regret it! Copenhagen is a lovely place and the guys in Wardrobe 19 are some nice guys.

I spent a weekend in Copenhagen in 2001 courtesy of a big law firm that invited me over to do a presentation, sadly not been back since. Too long!
 

Forum statistics

Threads
114,448
Messages
3,174,801
Members
58,286
Latest member
kaanchkaglass
Top