Iron Ranger Boot

I purchased these as a Mother’s Day gift and within two weeks I returned them for a refund. I really love the color and the fit, but the inside surface of the speed hooks rubbed into the tongue and inside stitching, nearly creating a hole through the leather. This was so surprising after the expense of the boots. My husband has a pair of similar boots and the quality of the leather on the tongue is much improved with no signs of degradation. Many online reviews show that this is a common problem for the Iron Ranger series and people have resorted to filing down the speed hooks or covering the sharp surface with a piece of leather glued to the inside. Really Red Wing? Can you find a solution by filing down the inside surface to smooth it out to prevent this common problem? It would do wonders for your public relations for this popular shoe.

I knew sizing was important, so I bought my Iron Rangers from the store, was sized by an assistant and everything. It was super super tight in the store, in order for the heel to not slip, but the assistant insisted that was normal, and that leather takes some time to break in and will soften over time, so I trusted it would improve over time. Well, over two years later and hundreds of hours of wear, they are still not broken in to the point where I can wear them comfortably. I need to tighten them so the heel doesn't slip, but the tightness of the width brings me almost to tears after 10 mins of walking (that includes thick socks and heel pads too). I was patient and persistent, but that has hurt me in the end since it's too late to refund/exchange. They are beautiful boots otherwise, but don't make the same mistake I did with sizing! The boots should not bring you to tears trying to break in, and if the sizing assistant insists that tightness is needed, ignore them! It's not worth the cost.

These aren’t my usual every day shoe, but have worn them for multiple days in a row and have no complaints. I just need to clean and condition my leather a little more often, but even with my slight neglect these are holding up crazy well, and are perfectly molded to my feet.

I got these used, otherwise I would have returned them. They were essentially brand-new. The craftsmanship is great, the leather quality is great, I like that they're made in the US. I have a very high arch and a narrow foot. The tongue of the boot only opens out like an inch- I couldn't get my foot in them due to my arch. I've never seen a tongue like that- it basically is just there for decoration rather than to offer any adjustment. Rather than try to resell, I slit the tongues along the side stitching open about 3 inches to be able to get my foot in them. That worked. However, as I said, I have a very narrow foot, and they felt like they were cutting off my circulation, they were SO tight. I bought my usual shoe size (8) and have never had to deviate from that size. Additionally, the stitching at the bottom of the tongue is RIGHT where my arch is highest. After days of "leather stretching spray" (which I found out is just isopropyl alcohol and water...) and putting them on for as long as I could stand (maybe only 15 minutes at a time) they have now gotten into a somewhat wearable state. I will concede that they DID stretch out along the sides, but I am still fighting with the stitches along the arch. Because that is stitched, I don't know how much that will stretch upwards. I want to love them. Maybe I will grow to love them as I wear them more. But had I known any of this- that I literally had to cut the leather by 3 inches to get my foot in it- I would not have bought them and I would have returned them had I bought them new. I'm going to keep trying because I have them already, and now can't resell them because I cut the leather. I hope my review helps someone else with a high arch like me- be warned! I was able to make it work, but I wish I didn't have to do that.

I purchased a a pair of these 8 years ago and they are still going strong. With proper care over the years they still look as good as new all this time later. They do get some nice patina where the laces cross, and have some character from being worn. They are my go to boots on most days, with my black pair being the other. They are also 8 yrs old and going strong. Love these boots!

Bought these boots for horseback riding, but wear them everywhere! Best boots I’ve ever owned. IF I ever wear them out, I’ll get another pair immediately. Comfortable, true to size, can wear them all day long and then some.