Inside Red Wing Boots NYC Store | America’s Most Iconic Boot Brand

In this episode of The Best Places to Buy Boots in New York City, we’re visiting the Manhattan headquarters of what may very well be America’s most iconic and best-known heritage boot brand: Red Wing.

I was met by the store manager, Christian, to learn the tips and tricks you only get when you visit a store and talk to a real-life person about the products. That included a super in-depth look at how to size Red Wing boots, which you should click and read!

If you’re looking around to try and find the best place to buy boots in New York City, Red Wing… I mean, it might not be a New York-exclusive brand or store, but this Korea Town stop should be on your list.

Everyone’s First Boot

Red Wing Shoes has been in business since 1905, getting their start shodding Minnesota’s working class and today selling over one million pairs of boots each year, from work boots to “work boots” — by which we mean their fashion-focused Red Wing Heritage collection that’s modeled after or inspired by work boots of the early 20th century but today mostly used for casual wear.

For a lot of guys, including myself, Red Wing is the first good pair of boots they buy. In fact, my first pair of Goodyear welted boots was their Classic Moc, and my second pair was the Red Wing Iron Ranger.

“It’s all purpose, it works very well, it stands up to New York winters,” says Christian. “But it’s definitely stylish enough to take you through all walks of life, whether you’re working in an office or working outside, or if you’re someone who wants to dress these up and make it more fashion forward.”

You get the thick leather. It’s made in the USA. It’s resoleable. It’s very water resistant. It can handle basically anything your casual lifestyle can throw at it, but it also has classic good looks that are always in style — without looking like you’re trying to stay in style. (And isn’t that every guy’s sweet spot?)

“They’ve definitely become timeless.” Christian explains. “Iron Rangers have been around for quite a long time, but the Moc Toe, which is older, is one of our most iconic styles. You see them all over the place.”

He added that “you’ve seen them in movies” and there’s a good chance that if you’ve seen them on the silver screen before, they’ve been on Ryan Gosling, who wore the Classic Moc in The Grey Man, The Fall Guy, and every other paparazzi photo of him on the street.

Benefits of Red Wing Boots

I got my first pair of Red Wing because I needed boots that could stand up to snowy, slushy, New York winters while being stylish enough to keep up with Manhattan’s tastemakers.

“When it comes to all of our Heritage brand’s products, they’re all made here in the United States, right in Red Wing, Minnesota, exactly where the company is from,” says Christian. “We own our own tannery, we own our own factory, and all of our products are made with hands that have been in the business for a very long time.”

Red Wing’s Women’s Boots

A few other ways Red Wing stands out in the market is that they have a line of women’s boots.

The market doesn’t actually have many Goodyear welted boots for women — we have theories as to why, but it seems like women just don’t always love the weight and stiffness of this kind of ultra-hardy construction.

But we admire how much work Red Wing has put into creating and selling women’s boots, going so far as to sell, for example, their women’s moc toes in a much wider range of exclusive leathers and with thinner leather that’s easier to break in.

(Fun fact: Stridewise’s editor Nick was so jealous of the women’s colors that he managed to get a custom pair of moc toes made in pink. He likes to take credit for the brand later releasing a dedicated men’s boot in pink roughout — sorry, we mean “Dusty Rose.”)

Red Wing’s Work Boots

In addition to the fashion-focused Heritage line, Red Wing has their own work boot line — as in, real work boots with all the capabilities that modern jobsites might demand, like safety toes, insulation, and genuine waterproofness.

But if you are someone who has a job that requires protection against electrical shock, high heat, heavy drops, or more, Red Wing’s got you sorted.

Red Wing’s Price and Value

For an American-made pair of resoleable boots, Red Wing really does offer solid value. All of Red Wing’s competitors — at least, the ones that are made just as well and made in the United States — cost considerably more.

So whether you want something that looks good or something with a suite of ASTM ratings for your job, come on down to Red Wing Manhattan on 32nd St. between 6th and 7th Avenues, and they’ll take care of you.