Wish List Gift #1 - Iron Ranger Boots

With the Holidays upon us, I thought I'd share some of what I hope someone is buying me for Christmas, Hanukkah or whatever. Simply for being me.

Red Wing Iron Ranger Boots -

I love these boots. Similar to the Russet Service shoe worn early in World War 2. The Iron Ranger has a cap toe much like it, but with speed laces, which I appreciate. Originally sold by Red Wing in 1953, the Iron Rangers are a welcome re-issue to their line up. The cap toe, and variety of leathers to chose from, makes picking up a pair of these an easy decision. Check 'em out below:



And here's this years limited model, for J. Crew:


Here's a picture of the Russet Service Shoe, which the Iron Ranger looks much like (Different sole):

Red Wing Gentleman Travelers

About a year ago, I purchased a pair of Red Wing boots. Specifically, they were the Gentlemen Traveler series, in Black Cherry "Chromexcel" leather. This leather was made by the Horween company in Chicago Illinois. The ironic part about all this was the fact that these boots were not at the time available for purchase in the United States. They were made in Red Wing, Minnesota, of leather made by a company in Chicago, Illinois, and I had to purchase them from a website based in Germany. Isn't globalization grand? Here is a picture of the boots new, from the website I purchased them from - Cultizm.

New:
Here's a few photos of my pair, which have been worn for a year, in all sorts of different weather:


The initial break-in period lasted a few weeks, and did cause some foot pain. However, once the boots were broken in, they became quite comfortable, and I can wear them all day without any issues whatsoever. The leather is purported to be waterproof, and while I doubt that, I have managed to keep my feet dry in rain, snow and slush. If only they had speed lace eyelets, they'd be perfect.