Red Wing Shoes Craftsmanship Over 100 Years
For over 100 years, Red Wing Shoes have been built with construction techniques that transform premium materials into supremely durable boots and shoes. Each pair is made with tremendous detail, across every step needed to make a Red Wing boot. Turning premium leather into the best footwear is a complex and involved process.
At Red Wing, they do that through a unique combination of advanced technology and handmade craftsmanship. From finishing leather hides through packing and putting boots in boxes to ship, they take absolute pride in building the best there is.
Tanning By S.B. Foot Tanning Company
All Red Wing leather comes from their own tannery, S.B. Foot Tanning Company, located in Red Wing, Minnesota. Transforming hides into leather is an art form. Preparation begins by soaking each hide in awood drum with tree oils, tanning agents and dyes. The hides can be finished in a number of ways to achieve a desired texture and level of pliability and water resistance. With a little maintenance every so often, properly tanned boots will perform and protect formany years.
S.B. Foot uses fresh-prepared hides referred to as wet blues. The name refers to the bluish hide color results from our high-exhaustion tanning process that produces a highly stable, pliableand durable material. It is the ideal starting point for what ultimately becomes a premium-grade leather.
The Assembly Of The Boots
Red Wing boots are put together with traditional construction techniques that transform premium materials into supremely durable boots and shoes. It takes skilled craftsmanship and expertise in the assembly process to achieve such consistently superior quality. While technology has improved over time, the techniques and skills it takes to build our boots still pull strongly from the past.
Red Wing boots are put together with traditional construction techniques that transform premium materials into supremely durable boots and shoes. It takes skilled craftsmanship and expertise in the assembly process to achieve such consistently superior quality. While technology has improved over time, the techniques and skills it takes to build our boots still pull strongly from the past.
- Cutting
The shoemaking process begins with cutting the leather for the shoe. The quick, precise movements of the cutter reflect years of experience. Every bit of leather gets used. There are no unnecessary motions.
Today the brand cuts leather in two ways, depending on the job: by hand with a hand press, a craft that dates back to the 1800s, and with an advanced, highly efficient laser-cutting machine.
- Fitting
Here is where the leather starts looking like a boot, as cut pieces are meticulously stitched together by seasoned sewing experts to form the footwear upper. Many of these operators work on the same century-old Puritan sewing machines that were used in the earliest years of the Red Wing Shoe Company.
- Lasting
To precisely form the shape of their footwear, the leather is pulled over a foot-shaped object called a last. The shape of the last varies depending on footwear style. Once the leather issecured over the last, the shoe is welted or stitched down, depending on construction.
- Welting + Bottoming
After lasting is complete, the outsole gets manually stitched or glued to the midsole. This is a crucial step in the boot-making process–one that requires excellent hand/eye coordination to ensure that the final step in the construction process is performed perfectly. Red Wing uses several different types of soles, each with a specific tread pattern, shape and composition.
- Finishing
Carefully inspect every boot once, and then start over and do the whole thing again. This is what happens to every pair of boots before they go into the box. Those that pass the test get cleaned, polished, and brushed before they’re packaged up.
Shipping Of The Red Wing Boots
Each week at the Red Wing warehouse, thousands of pairs of boots are picked, packed, and shipped in the United States and internationally, providing footwear for customers and retailers around the world. Whether it’s to fulfill an order for e-commerce, Red Wing stores, or a wholesale partner, their warehousing team navigates hundreds of rows of boots and accessories efficiently to pull the right product for all of their Red Wing brands.
Text +all images are provided by Red Wing Shoes.
