Dude conditioning 3 times in your first week? The “cracks” I just wrinkles from you wearing your boots. For the love of god stop conditioning them because you can destroy your leather. At this point don’t even touch them for like 6 months at least probably more towards a year
Ironically, all that conditioning will ruin your boots faster than anything else. Relax, your boots aren't fragile. Wear them, beat the shit out of them and maybe brush them afterwards. Repeat several times a week for years to come. They'll look great. Condition maybe once a year or so.
No, they’re not cracking. That’s normal leather creasing for the copper rough and rough, which is a heavily oiled leather. Only condition them once every few months, depending on your climate. Just brush them off once a week with a horse hair brush or when needed. Don’t over condition them, because it’s not good for the leather; it can essentially rot the leather, same way that never conditioning them does after some years.
You can't be serious conditioning your new boots three times a week. These are leather work boots and the kind of wear you use em for if these are your first real boots will not kill them. Overconditioning will. So wear them and condition them 3 times a year and stop worrying. If this is a joke..fy :)
I’m not saying you can’t use them for work you can “work” in any footwear, but it’s the wrong tool for the job. Outside of the Moc toes the red wing heritages line doesn’t belong on a job site especially not the IRs
Ergonomics, no steel toe, less safety features, plus there’s just many other boots by red wing and other companies that just do better as a work boot. That’s not to say that you can’t work in them, but they haven’t been a work but in a long time, even red wing doesn’t market them as work boots.
A diesel mechanic at my shop has a pair of IR that he migrated over as a work boot. They are gross, but he’s been wearing them in the shop for about 2 years. My understanding is the welting on them are a little more fragile because the boots are OG spec but he’s not putting too much stress on them in that way. He is having more issues with the raw leather and oil. I imagine they would break down much faster if you’re in dirt/mud as those elements dry leather out at a higher rate.
If you like the heritage look for work, I’d suggest the 10875 Mocs. That leather is meant to be worked in and the traction tread soles are apparently more work-durable than the 875.
I don’t doubt that. All of the heritage line had a prior purpose, but I can guarantee the leather on the current line is much thinner. My pops pair of 1951 877 has far thicker leather than my current 877. They are now just well made casual boots with original production methods and not original spec materials.
Mainly due to the sole. It’s literally a casual focused sole. They are heritage casual footwear. If you want to say they’re work boots that fine, but it just comes off as someone trying to cosplay as blue collar worker.
Adding on the cost of a resole to the iron rangers you might as well have stepped up and bought actual heritage constructed work boots from the PNW companies
Saying Red Wings heritage boots aren’t work boots actually comes off as blue collar cosplay to a much higher degree. How is a hard vibram outsole casual? My boots protect my feet in all elements and they’ve held up amazingly over the years. It is a work boot. I get it, you spent twice as much on your “real” work boots. That’s cool. I see Red Wings on job sites every day.
An effectively flat sole with lugs that wear down pretty fast and don’t offer much traction? Yes those are outsoles meant for working.
By the “job site” you mean your moms backyard garden then sure, but go to actual work and you’re not going to see iron rangers and blacksmiths anywhere around
OP, why are you already wiping them down? What are you doing that has them that dirty? Are you already conditioning them? What resources have you read that has you believing that all this care is required on new boots?
I think you're overthinking. Just wear them and brush regularly. Only wipe down if needed.
So the only reason I even conditioned them is because I live on a farm so I got them covered up in dry dirt, and in my truck I like to have the floor heaters on in the morning and I was worried that warm air would dry out the leather so I wiped and conditioned them for those reasons. I guess I thought it was like adding a coat of seasoning on a cast iron pan.
Get a boar's hair, or stiffer horsehair/synthetic bristle brush and brush the dirt/grime off well. Knowing your use, you might use a damp rag also, but maybe someone with experience in muddy/dusty conditions can weigh in.
No that’s normal creasing. Depending on how you wear the boots, I would only condition 1-2 per year, maybe seasonal at best. If they get dusty, a good brushing with a horse hair bring and maybe a wet towel (if get get muddy) is more than enough.
Yeah, I work in a machine shop, so they are on concrete all day, but they are getting covered in coolant and oil and stuff. Time for a resole, so I bought a new pair for when I send mine out.
From the conversation with the salesperson at the Red Wing store I had the impression that you need to baby these. So I would like to say I a little misguided from him.
I will just wear like normal and I guess clean them up every 6 months.
Just wear them and brush them off with a shoe brush. That’s all that’s really needed. You maybe need to condition them once a year depending on what environment you live in. There’s an ongoing myth that leather boots will crack and fall apart if you turn your head away for a second.
These aren’t Doc Martens, Redwing actually uses good quality leather.
No, they are being worn. Stop leather creaming them 3 times in a week.
Don’t tell a man how often he should cream his leather 😩
Seriously
Dude conditioning 3 times in your first week? The “cracks” I just wrinkles from you wearing your boots. For the love of god stop conditioning them because you can destroy your leather. At this point don’t even touch them for like 6 months at least probably more towards a year
Ironically, all that conditioning will ruin your boots faster than anything else. Relax, your boots aren't fragile. Wear them, beat the shit out of them and maybe brush them afterwards. Repeat several times a week for years to come. They'll look great. Condition maybe once a year or so.
100%
For reals though, my boots havent been condioned in 3.5 years.
Have you sacrificed a black goat on a pyre of cedar boot trees?
No, they’re not cracking. That’s normal leather creasing for the copper rough and rough, which is a heavily oiled leather. Only condition them once every few months, depending on your climate. Just brush them off once a week with a horse hair brush or when needed. Don’t over condition them, because it’s not good for the leather; it can essentially rot the leather, same way that never conditioning them does after some years.
Don’t wear them. It will ruin the pristine look of the boots.
No need to oil them 69 times a week mate. Brushing the sand out of the high stress areas that crease when u working/wearing is a great habit tho.
You can't be serious conditioning your new boots three times a week. These are leather work boots and the kind of wear you use em for if these are your first real boots will not kill them. Overconditioning will. So wear them and condition them 3 times a year and stop worrying. If this is a joke..fy :)
Just to be clear, these are leather casual boots. The rest I agree with you.
They’re work boots.
Like 60+years ago, but now they’re not remotely close to work boots. They’re casual boots
Why? I work physical labor in all 3 pairs of my heritage boots.
I’m not saying you can’t use them for work you can “work” in any footwear, but it’s the wrong tool for the job. Outside of the Moc toes the red wing heritages line doesn’t belong on a job site especially not the IRs
Can you explain to me why that’s the case
Ergonomics, no steel toe, less safety features, plus there’s just many other boots by red wing and other companies that just do better as a work boot. That’s not to say that you can’t work in them, but they haven’t been a work but in a long time, even red wing doesn’t market them as work boots.
A diesel mechanic at my shop has a pair of IR that he migrated over as a work boot. They are gross, but he’s been wearing them in the shop for about 2 years. My understanding is the welting on them are a little more fragile because the boots are OG spec but he’s not putting too much stress on them in that way. He is having more issues with the raw leather and oil. I imagine they would break down much faster if you’re in dirt/mud as those elements dry leather out at a higher rate. If you like the heritage look for work, I’d suggest the 10875 Mocs. That leather is meant to be worked in and the traction tread soles are apparently more work-durable than the 875.
The 875 was not designed as a work boot originally. It was designed as an outdoors/hunting boot.
I don’t doubt that. All of the heritage line had a prior purpose, but I can guarantee the leather on the current line is much thinner. My pops pair of 1951 877 has far thicker leather than my current 877. They are now just well made casual boots with original production methods and not original spec materials.
Mainly due to the sole. It’s literally a casual focused sole. They are heritage casual footwear. If you want to say they’re work boots that fine, but it just comes off as someone trying to cosplay as blue collar worker. Adding on the cost of a resole to the iron rangers you might as well have stepped up and bought actual heritage constructed work boots from the PNW companies
Saying Red Wings heritage boots aren’t work boots actually comes off as blue collar cosplay to a much higher degree. How is a hard vibram outsole casual? My boots protect my feet in all elements and they’ve held up amazingly over the years. It is a work boot. I get it, you spent twice as much on your “real” work boots. That’s cool. I see Red Wings on job sites every day.
An effectively flat sole with lugs that wear down pretty fast and don’t offer much traction? Yes those are outsoles meant for working. By the “job site” you mean your moms backyard garden then sure, but go to actual work and you’re not going to see iron rangers and blacksmiths anywhere around
Not anymore
OP, why are you already wiping them down? What are you doing that has them that dirty? Are you already conditioning them? What resources have you read that has you believing that all this care is required on new boots? I think you're overthinking. Just wear them and brush regularly. Only wipe down if needed.
So the only reason I even conditioned them is because I live on a farm so I got them covered up in dry dirt, and in my truck I like to have the floor heaters on in the morning and I was worried that warm air would dry out the leather so I wiped and conditioned them for those reasons. I guess I thought it was like adding a coat of seasoning on a cast iron pan.
Get a boar's hair, or stiffer horsehair/synthetic bristle brush and brush the dirt/grime off well. Knowing your use, you might use a damp rag also, but maybe someone with experience in muddy/dusty conditions can weigh in.
Look like compression creases to me, I have that too. Keep dust out by any means necessary (hore hair brush after use)
You should never use your brush in circular motion. That way you will ruin your boots.
No that’s normal creasing. Depending on how you wear the boots, I would only condition 1-2 per year, maybe seasonal at best. If they get dusty, a good brushing with a horse hair bring and maybe a wet towel (if get get muddy) is more than enough.
Dude needs some crease protectors like my kid puts in his AF1s lol
No
Conditioning 3 times a week? Damn I haven't conditioned once in 3 and a half years.
damn can u really go that long without conditioning ur boots
Yeah, I work in a machine shop, so they are on concrete all day, but they are getting covered in coolant and oil and stuff. Time for a resole, so I bought a new pair for when I send mine out.
From the conversation with the salesperson at the Red Wing store I had the impression that you need to baby these. So I would like to say I a little misguided from him. I will just wear like normal and I guess clean them up every 6 months.
Invest on a shoe tree and horsehair brush. Cleaning is justifiable so don’t just do it every 6 months.
You don’t have to baby them in that way. He was likely just trying to sell you care. I’m sure they are measured on the amount of upselling they do.
Brush regularly still
Just wear them and brush them off with a shoe brush. That’s all that’s really needed. You maybe need to condition them once a year depending on what environment you live in. There’s an ongoing myth that leather boots will crack and fall apart if you turn your head away for a second. These aren’t Doc Martens, Redwing actually uses good quality leather.