Kyle Long, Author at Stridewise

The Beckman, Red Wing Heritage's line of just-a-little-dressy leather boots, has made its triumphant return to stores after being discontinued in 2018. And boot nerds like me worldwide are thrilled. Red Wing Heritage is best known for boots modeled after classic American work boots, like the Iron Ranger and the Classic Moc. That means they tend to be pretty chunky so that you can (theoretically) have room for dynamic movement. The Beckman always stood out for being their best-established alternative: it looks like the plain-toe Blacksmith boot, but it has a sleeker, lower profile toe. That makes it easier to wear with slimmer jeans or even dress up to business casual. Further Reading 5 Best Red Wing Boots For Men 2024 (Chosen by Red Wing Employees!) We hit up the Red Wing store to speak with the experts and collectors to find the best Red Wing boots.Learn more → But it's still a super tough boot that boasts all the other features typical of Red Wing Heritage: timeless good looks that fit into any decade of fashion, resoleable and water-resistant Goodyear welt construction, and the hallowed "Made in America" label. Re-released in September 2024 and revamped in three hues of full grain "Excalibur" leather from Red Wing's own tannery SB Foot, the Beckman is now available for $399. The Black Cherry, Cigar, and Black colors are all available. Background: Red Wing Beckman We're big fans of Red Wing at Stridewise; in fact, in the very first month of this site's operation in 2018, Editor-in-Chief Nick interviewed the CEO of their Japanese office to learn why this brand can so easily build fanbases all over the world, no matter how far removed they are from Minnesota's iron mines. The Beckman is named in honor of the company's founder, Charles Beckman, who established it in 1905. At the time, Red Wing was mostly selling knee-high boots for oil workers and iron miners in the nearby Mesabi Iron Range. (Hence the name of their bestselling Iron Ranger boot.) Although Red Wing is one of the most popular and influential American boot brands of all time, with the Iron Ranger and Classic Moc regularly sported by celebrities from Ryan Gosling to Drake, the Beckman boot didn't quite get enough sales to justify its existence during the leaner years of the late 2010s and early 2020s, when Red Wing launched and discontinued several models to try and meet the public's increasing demand for the dressier work boot. (Examples of these attempts include the Williston, Sheldon, and Merchant.) This was also a time when many direct-to-consumer boot brands were eating into Red Wing's share of the market with digital advertising and sleeker designs — two areas where Red Wing didn't have a ton of experience. Red Wing themselves never stated an official reason for the Beckman's discontinuation, so we're just guessing here. But the dust has settled from the boot wars of the 2010s and the Great Red Wing Cyber Attack of 2020, and the company now has the space and resources to resurrect one of its most beloved models. We couldn't be more grateful. The old (left) and new (right) Beckman soles. 3 Changes to Expect From the Relaunched Beckmans What else is new? A couple of teeny tiny upgrades have been made to the model, but don't worry: nothing that will make you yearn for the old one. The Outsole The main thing to note is that the updated Beckmans are made with Vibram's Gro-cord outsole, a type of rubber made with crushed cord for anti-slip properties. (Another reason this sole is known for its use during the World Wars is that mixing cord with the rubber helped make up for rubber shortages.) If you're a fan of boondockers, you'll probably be thinking of the corded soles that Gro-cord is modeled after and which were standard issue on many seminal boots of the 20th century, like the U.S.N. Field Shoe. (See our video we filmed in Indonesia with Onderhoud to get a look at one of the world's most beloved reproductions of the Field Shoe.) The Eyelets The top three eyelets have been swapped for speed hooks at the top of the shaft to make it easier to put on in a rush. The Toebox And while the Beckman was already known as the sleeker Red Wing, the new Beckman features a slimmer toe box that further "elevates the style." The Beckman in SB Foot's Excalibur Leathers The Beckman relaunched in three shades of what they call Excalibur leather: Black Cherry (9419), Black (9423), and Brown Cigar (9422). We picked up one of the Black Cherry models ourselves to see if it lived up to the title that one Redditor gave it: "patina machine." Wrapping Up There's no escaping the impact that Red Wing Heritage has had and continues to have in the boot industry, both in the United States and around the globe. Yet while some boot lovers have found the brand seductive, it's been a long time since they've been able to grab a model with a more modern, more versatile, and less work booty vibe. Until now... now... now... With the re-emergence of this icon, we're hoping a new market has opened (or reopened) for the brand and that this important and historic offering remains on their shelves for the foreseeable future. Grab the Beckman at Red Wing Heritage for $399.Images courtesy of Red Wing Heritage

Kyle Long

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Kyle Long

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