Meet Red Wing, makers of premium heritage footwear

Red Wing Shoe Company is family-run business heralding from the small city of Red Wing, Minnesota. The city itself is named after the leader of the Bdewakantunwan Dakota tribe, who settled in the area around 1815, who inspired the brand's iconic logo, originally designed in 1928, and refined in 2007.

The company itself was founded in 1905 by Charles Beckman, a Minnesotan shoemaker, who realised the necessity of supplying American workmen with reliable footwear, durable enough to meet the demands of working in the burgeoning local industries of mining, logging, and farming.

In 1907 Red Wing produced their very first 6” ‘Moc Toe’ boot. With its moccasin inspired toe and distinctive stitching, this water repellent boot rapidly became the one of the most sought-after boots of its time.

Within just ten years of manufacturing, Red Wing were producing over two hundred thousand boots every year. Following the country’s entry into WW1 in 1917, they were the primary manufacturer of military footwear with the launch of the 1088 trench boot; which proved so effective, it remained popular long after the Armistice. Again, in 1941, as the US entered a second global conflict, Red Wing were once again leading the production of military footwear.

The post-war years saw Red Wing continue to contribute to the America’s national story with the launch of the 101 ‘Postman’ Oxford shoes, designed for postal service employees; and a 1966 advertising campaign, illustrated by popular artist Norman Rockwell, saw Red Wing entwine themselves further into culture. However, it was in 1952, with the launch of the 887 8” hunting boot, that the brand truly won worldwide recognition, when they were famously worn by Jack Nicholson in the 1975 adaptation of ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest’.

Still to this day based in the small city of Red Wing, Minnesota, they have continued to spearheaded innovation whilst never compromising on quality. Now, worn in more than one hundred countries across the world, Red Wing’s supreme standards transcend the test of time.

Visit us to join a long lineage of dedicated wearers and find your new 'solemate', designed to last a lifetime, uncompromising in style and comfort, in equal measure.