Are Red Wing Iron Rangers "cosplay fashion boots"? And what actually makes a good boot?

When a company comes out with a style of boot that's reminiscent of the past, there will be a lot of detractors about the boot's usefulness.

Much of the time, fashion-forward people catch and form trends, and hipsters gravitate toward simplicity. These two groups of people, mixed with more people that have a little blue-collar angst, tends be the recipe that sets and forms yet another trend humans are inherently bound to: tribalism.

"If these people wear boots like this, it must not be very good, because they don't even work in them!"

It's the same thing as disliking something simply because it's mainstream, or only enjoying the things you grew up with, not expanding your comfort zone or expanding your mind.

There's no substance or validity to the claim.

So when you start from that mindset... honestly you're already an NPC. And that's okay, you can stop being one if you try.

Talking about 'Utility' while wearing a cosplay fashion boot.
— @Faded0811, YouTube

Look, I understand there are other great boots out there. Nick's boots are amazing, and I'd definitely like a pair one day. But they're overengineered. They haven't won wars.

You know whose boots have helped win wars, though? Red Wing's.

Do those look familiar? I think they look almost exactly like my pair of Iron Rangers, don't they? A brogued cap toe though, kinda fancy.

That's for fashion people, right?

When America entered World War I in 1917, conditions on the Western Front horrified U.S. commanders. The trenches were wet and damp, and the weather was often very cold. Perfect conditions for trench foot, an infection that causes pain, swelling, and often gangrene.

General John J. Pershing, commander in chief of the American Expeditionary Force, was so concerned about the problem that he supervised the design of waterproof boots to protect the feet of Army soldiers and Marines. And the odds are many of them wore leather made in Red Wing, Minnesota by S.B. Foot Tanning Company, founded in 1872 and owned by Red Wing Shoe Company since 1986. — Red Wing Shoe Co.

Built with a Goodyear-welt, cork filling the midsole cavity, and a rubber sole plus heel; with the insole being leather — that is exactly the build of the Iron Ranger (which was actually patterned and sold sometime in the 1920s for miners, technically).

It's just 2 inches taller, providing slightly more ankle support at 8-inches.

I bring this quote back up for a reason:

Talking about 'Utility' while wearing a cosplay fashion boot.
— @Faded0811, YouTube

Is it that soldiers fighting in WWII, paratroopers no less, had no utility with their Iron Ranger boots? Or is it that you've deluded yourself into thinking the boot makes the man, and not the other way around?

Listen: a well-built boot like the Iron Ranger will never not have functionality. It provides function in my life, and has for 8 years now. Can Nick's do the same? Absolutely. Just with 5 lbs more heft on my feet, typically.

I said in reply to the YouTube comment that my Iron Rangers are built better than the boots I was issued in the military. I absolutely stand by that, and honestly I didn't even mean these Rocky's necessarily, but the boots issued at my permanent duty station.

But the statement stands either way: these are sneaker-boots with thick roughout leather and, guess what: a Vibram sole.

Did these Rocky's serve me? Absolutely.

Are they somehow objectively better than the Iron Ranger because they were used by someone in Afghanistan?

The Rocky's are better because the Iron Ranger is on the foot of someone into "fashion" or "cosplay"?

Let's get real. A good boot is a good boot. Just because you cannot function in a certain boot, or your insecurities lead you to believe you'd be wearing a cosplay boot, it doesn't make the build, materials, or craftsmanship any worse.

Besides, imagine if I was cosplaying at the time? Do you really believe that somehow inherently makes my point moot?

You can catch these logical fallacies easily with a little self-awareness.

Why Red Wing is dope, even if you like Nick's or White's boots

Red Wing boots have been made in the USA since 1905 — the Red Wing Heritage line coming sometime around 2008, I believe.

In my mind, looking to the past and building to the high standards we had back then is not for cosplay. Or at least not for cosplay alone, (do what you want with your boots).

My point being: keep making good stuff in the USA and I'll keep supporting you.

Even if you're a bit of a dick.

Get better, it's not for me — it's for you.

For anyone that has read this far in, keep being a better version of you everyday. Try not to objectify, judge, or spread hate, even if those things were brought upon you in life.

Learn in a holistic way, through history, science, and a healthy dose of spirituality.

Amazon.com

^ Oh, and buy some Red Wing Heritage boots. Use my link, I'll get a little something myself if you're feeling generous.