Monthly Archives: May 2012Monthly Archives: May 2012

Boot of the Week | 2268

Posted on May 30th, 2012 by Red Wing Shoes

Nick’s steel toe Engineer boot; ‘a good friend I can rely on‘. This boot has taken him on many adventures. Nick is attached to his boots and he wrote to us why he is.

“When you go on a motorcycle road trip for three months, you take the bare essentials in terms of clothing and equipment. Stuff that you cannot do without, and can rely on. Bringing anything more than that only slows you down.. Leathers, one pair of jeans, a few pairs of socks, some underwear, and a couple of decent looking shirts. You never know who you might meet after all.

 

On a good day of solid riding your bike might chew up around 500 miles. Odds are at some point the weather will turn, so pouring rain and dry, scorching heat will come and go. Proper riding boots withstand that, and take a beating, keep your feet comfortable all along. Because  even the act of riding itself takes its toll: constantly on the pegs, changing gears and braking thousands of times every time you come to a junction.

Good boots are like a good friend that you know you can rely on. Which is no luxury when going on a  bike ride, for all of 15,000 miles. So the boots on my feet during this adventure were tan Red Wing engineers. Scuffed, dusty, friction gearchange wear on the toe, the more I rode the more they reflected me, the more they became a diary of me and my experience.  So they will never be thrown away.  They may well be mounted in a glass case some day, when I am a lot older, reminding me of the trails we blazed together back in the day.” 

 

 

Mohave Leathers; definite quality

Posted on May 11th, 2012 by Red Wing Shoes

Red Wing, once founded as a producer of workboots for the rigors of farmers and hunters, also is one of the purveyors for the U.S. army. One of the leathers we apply to our boots are the Mohave leathers. They come in three colors; Sand Mohave, Sage Mohave and Olive Mohave. These leathers were originally developed for three military divisions in the US; Army, Navy and Air Force.

As for this, the quality is required to meet a very high standard. And so they do. The Mohave leather is a waterproof suede leather—made from U.S. cattle hides. These leathers are suede, though not as common as any other piece of suede you’ll find in shoes. Where normally, leathers are split in half which creates two pieces of rough surface, Mohave is unsplit suede leather. The key difference is the raw material—it is more durable/stronger primarily because it is thicker in weight and hide substance. The suede we see on this leather, actually is the inside of the cow. The high breathability is created because it is unfinished leather—meaning there is no pigment and/or surface additives that could potentially “clog up” the leather rendering it less breathable.

The name Mohave comes from the Mohave Desert, located in the southeast of California. You will cross it when following famous Route 66. This area is known as a desert of extremes. It undergoes four distinct seasons; winter months bring temperatures going below -18°C, whereas in summer temperatures can go up to 54°C. Furthermore, this area is dominated by mountains, alternated by valleys and basins. Logically, to withstand this area, a boot would need excellent water resistance, strength and climate control. And this is what S.B. Foot Tanning – the Red Wing Shoe Company tannery – with over 130 years of experience, is capable of.

These leathers are featured on a diverse set of Red Wing Heritage styles, such as the Chukka 3144 or the Moc Toe 8881 and 8139. A mix of function and style that will support you no matter what condition you end up in.