MY HUSBAND IS A HARDWORKING automotive machinist, on his feet all day resurfacing heads, turning brake rotors, rebuilding engines and more. His work is always in demand because so few do what he does and he’s good at what he does. Really good.

Step inside the Red Wing Shoe Store in downtown Red Wing and this gigantic 20-foot long by 16-foot high, 2,300 pound replica Red Wing work boot grabs your attention. It’s in the 2005 Guinness Book of World Records.
He needs sturdy work boots that offer comfort and support and protection from grease, oil and dirt. Sometimes he’s worn Red Wing boots, sometimes boots from Mason Shoes across the border in Wisconsin.
On a 2014 visit to Red Wing, the Red Wing Shoe Store and its on-site second floor museum were on our must-stop list. Randy was having problems with a pair of Red Wing boots not fitting properly. He’d tried to get the issue resolved at our local Red Wing shoe provider. But still, the problem persisted. Go straight to the source, he decided.

Randy stepped onto a machine which determined pressure points on his feet and projected the results onto a screen.
That was the right decision. While Randy’s feet were measured and checked for pressure points and he tried on numerous boots, I meandered. Through the outlet store, through the museum. Eventually Randy found boots and the old ones were determined defective, just as he thought all along. We spent a lot of time at the store, but left satisfied customers.
Since 1905, when Red Wing Shoes was founded in this Mississippi River town in eastern Minnesota, this shoe company has been crafting shoes for hardworking people like my husband. Footwear in the company’s Heritage Collection is made just as it was originally, handcrafted from premium leather.
But, I discovered, not all Red Wing shoes are made in Minnesota. Those new boots Randy got, well, they are made in China, says so on the label inside the tongue. To be honest, we both felt a bit betrayed, thinking he’d gotten American-made boots. I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised.
Even given that discovery, my husband remains loyal to the Red Wing brand. He likes his new boots, which I convinced him not to wear to work. He looks really good in his 435 Men’s 6-inch boots. They’re much sexier than sloppy tennis shoes. That left him without work boots. So he ordered a pair from across the border.
Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. So much for customer loyalty. His new boots from Wisconsin aren’t fitting all that well. Maybe he should have gone Red Wing again, stuck to the iconic workhorse boots which sometimes, and sometimes not, are made in a Minnesota river town.
BONUS PHOTOS:

I slipped into a Red Wing boot in the kids’ dress-up section of the museum. Kids are encouraged to try on an outfit and Red Wing shoes.

In 1912, The Red Wing Shoe Company began using the “Chief” logo to promote a new line of “Chief” products. Inspiration for the “Chief” graphic came from an employee’s childhood photo collection. The logo was used until 1928, when it was replaced with the red wing logo design.
FYI: Click here to read the first in my series of stories from Red Wing.
© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Gosh, we were in Red Wing on Saturday. I broke my favorite Red Wing pottery coffee mug and it broke my heart. To mend, required a journey to Red Wing. Now, all is good. 🙂
I am pleased that all is good now in your world.
Stoneware mugs full of coffee always make life good. 🙂
Ah, the simple delights in life…
Really, made in China? That does pop a bubble. ;-(
Yes, it does. Not all shoes, just this particular pair.
What a fun and interesting piece. I love the giant shoes! 🙂
Thank you, Penny.
My hat.
Ooh that pottery bowl is beautiful. Yay for a place that still knows customer service
You got it on the kudos for great customer service.
I love the town of Redwing though it’s been a while since I’ve been there. I esp love the Swedish store. Colin’s aunt used to work at the Redwing Shoe store in the business office. I’ve never stoped to see that huge boot!
Red Wing is such a great community with much to see. There’s something about a river town…