![]() ![]() Next, the vamp is softened by heat to be stretched over the last. ![]() The whole boot is then, temporarily, tagged to the last. A stiffening counter is inserted between the two layers of the heel. ![]() The insole is then temporarily tagged to the last. Then, a ply rib is added, which also connects the rest of the boot. It keeps the rest of the components working together, and maintains the boot’s shape and comfort. In the lasting department, the insole is first added. This allows each step of the boot’s construction to be completed while retaining the original shape and dimensions of the foot portion. It creates the shape of the boot and defines what the boot is ultimately going to be looking like.Īfter the boots have been lasted, the last remains inside the boot until it’s completely finished. The lasts are made in the shape of average feet, and Red Wing has over 30 styles in a total of hundreds of sizes. Lasts are essentially a stand-in for your feet, and they’re made from very dense plastic. The lasting stage of making boots ensures they’ll fit your feet. Stage 3: LastingĪ key feature of any boot is a great fit. Once all the stitching of the upper is done, the boot is ready for the lasting stage. So Red Wing’s machine shop makes new parts when they’re needed! Parts for the Puritans are no longer available on the market. The Puritan stitching machine was patented in 1893 by the Puritan Manufacturing of Boston, Massachusetts-and Red Wing boots have been made on these machines since the early 1900s. As the thread goes through the leather, it’s coated in wax, which makes the stitching incredibly durable. And they play a key role in ensuring the hard-wearing and long-lasting durability that wearers have come to expect from a pair of Red Wing boots. The iconic three rows of stitches hold the front and back sections of a boot together. This happens in the fitting room, where the upper of the boot is made. In the next stage of the process, the cut pieces of leather are sewn together. Workers in the cutting room know from experience exactly where on the hide each piece must be cut to get the best possible results. The lining is cut on a computerised cutting machine.Ĭutting the leather requires highly skilled work and careful calculations to maximise the usage of the leather. Then, a hydraulic press creates crisp, clean cuts. The pieces are cut by laying a die cutter, which is similar to a cookie cutter, on the leather. The first stage of turning that leather into a pair of boots is cutting it into the different pieces needed for that particular boot. In the first post in this series, I thoroughly investigated and discussed how leather is made. Stage 3: Giving the boots their famous fit (lasting).Stage 2: Sewing the leather pieces together (fitting).I'm am now a loyal Red Wing customer and will be making my yearly boot purchases from this store, and if you are like me and need to count on well made boots for your livelihood, you should visit this store and buy your boots from them as well.The five stages of how Red Wing Boots are made It is extremely rare these days to find a business who cares about what do and the customers who rely on their products and I must say that this Red Wing location is a perfect example of how a business should be run. I was not expecting the call let alone his response that the owners wanted me to be happy with their product and that they would replace the boots no questions asked with the correct size. Still, Dan who was helping me insisted on contacting the store owner to explain the situation and get back to me when he had a chance to speak with them. They told me it appears I needed a slightly larger size but the boots, which were all ready well worn by then, were no longer under warranty or well past the exchange date. With in a couple of months of wearing them I developed pain in my right foot on my toes and went back to the store I bought them from (Red Wind Shoes, Brea, CA location) for their advice. I decided to try Red Wing boots for the first time last October. I have been a contractor for 22 years and basically live in my work boots. Excellent customer service has made won me over to Red Wing boots. ![]()
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