Iron Ranger^® Boundary Leather Boot

My 4-year-old Madewell combat boots were finally coming apart, and I’d heard great things about Red Wing—Goodyear welts, solid build, the whole deal. I randomly walked into a local store and instantly fell in love with the Iron Rangers. Also: they look so much better in person than online. The photos always felt a little “Victorian” to me, but in real life (especially the black pair) they’re modern, sleek, and honestly kind of sexy. Now for sizing, because I know that’s what everyone stresses about. I have narrow feet, long toes, and flat feet (not a high arch). I’m usually a 6.5 in flats (no socks) and a 7 in most sneakers and boots. The store only had a 7, I tried them on, they felt perfect, and I bought them on the spot. Then I made the mistake of going down a Reddit rabbit hole where everyone insists you have to size down a half to a full size because “leather stretches.” I started doubting myself, so I went back to the store. After they scanned my feet, they recommended a 6.5, so I tried that size on with my Bombas wool socks… and absolutely not. They were so tight I couldn’t stand in them for more than a couple minutes. My heels didn’t feel like they could fully settle in, and my toes had basically no wiggle room. So my takeaway: if you’re hovering between sizes and you have a similar foot shape, don’t automatically size down just because the internet says so. Get the size that feels good out of the box. And honestly, I’m not sure I fully buy the whole “breaking them in” argument—most women aren’t wearing the same boots every single day long enough to suffer through a painful break-in period.

I bought this pair and was surprised at how low quality they feel. I have to take some responsibility, though. People had warned me that the women's version was noticeably worse than the men's. I didn't think it would be so bad since they cost the same, but boy was I wrong. I had to exchange them for another pair because of sloppy stiching and the heel coming up off of the sole. Additionally, the leather feels cheaper and is more flimsy then the men's version. The eyelets are not even. If possible, try a lot of different boot carriers and at the very least, get the men's version.