Amongst us denimheads, Red Wings not only find a place in our wardrobes, but also in our hearts and minds. They are the boots most commonly associated with raw denim; let’s all get in on the discussion:
We want your questions!
With Rope Dye as facilitator, Red Wing will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the brand and their products – you just need to ask the questions.
In the coming weeks, Rope Dye will meet up with the crew behind the Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich Red Wing stores; owner Kay Knipschild, general manager Josh, as well as the managers from each store. Together they form a vast pot of knowledge and experience. We will sit down for a full on Q&A session on Red Wings. And we will pick their brains to get you answers to the questions you have always wanted to ask.
So now is your time to ask!
I thought I knew a fair bit about Red Wings – I found out that was not the case
Before Denimhunters, before I was initiated into the denim fold, I kept a little blog. It never really got that far but it concentrated on archetypes within product design. The definitive versions of a particular piece of design.
One particular object I wrote about was my Red Wing 877s. The first and to date only pair of Red Wings I own and, incidentally, the only pair of boots I own.
The heartbreak of a boot that didn’t fit
It was over a year ago that the article was published. Slowly the comments column has been filling up. 99% of the comments were positive; however, there was one guy who had bought the wrong size. This could happen if you buy them online – but he bought them in-store.
I kept this in mind, really feeling sorry for the guy.
I remember vividly the whole experience of buying my 877s, especially the apprehension when sinking 300 euros into a pair of shoes. Only to be matched by the shear elation I felt sometime later when they broke in and become the best fitting, best looking boots I could imagine owning. To have the disappointment of an ill fitting pair of boots must have been heartbreaking.
The tip of the knowledge iceberg
Cut to a couple of weeks ago, I ran into Josh. As we sat down for a coffee I told him this tale. He got visibly upset at the thought of someone not being happy with their Red Wings.
The thing about the staff at the Red Wing stores, they are uncompromising in their efforts in getting you the right pair of boots. Over the coffee (and the next one) we really got into it; into the fit, the leathers, the soles. How to care for each particular boot, each particular leather. How your lifestyle, the way you wear your boots influences the way you should take care of them. How to resole and when. And so it went on.
Sitting there listening to all this I realized that the little I knew about my 877s was only the tip of the iceberg.
Lets dive deeper!
Leave your question in the comments section below. Or do you have a question that is better asked with a picture? Send it along on Instagram #redwingropedye.
No holds barred, no question too obscure.
Image courtesy of Jeff Depano.
