Wolverine 1000 Mile > Red Wing Gentleman Traveler - Page 3

That's easy enough to have done to them.

You didn't get those Tackhead's off eBay did you?

My first post here, and I thought I'd share my experience with both the Red Wing GT and the Wolverine 1k. I've had the GT in black cherry for about a year and a half now, and picked up the Wolverine just today in the rust color.

Sizing: The Red Wing feels narrower, even though it probably isn't. I think this has to do with the stiffness of the leather compared to the Cromexcel on the Wolverine. The Red Wing also seems to run 1/2 a size bigger than the Wolverine. I have an 8.5 D in the GT and a 9 D in the Wolverine. Length is about the same, but the toebox on the Red Wing is a bit wider on the outside.

Feel: The GT is heavier and feels heavier. By a lot. I'm exhausted by a day of walking around in this boot. The Wolverine, however, feels much lighter. I just walked a couple miles around downtown San Francisco in them and I'm feeling just fine. In addition, the heel counter on the GT is harder, and so your knees, hips, and spine feel each step a little more than you do in the Wolverine.

Aesthetic: We'll see how the Wolverine 1k breaks in, but the shape is definitely more elegant, to my eyes, than the GT. The GT is much more rounded, and in the 1.5 years I've owned it, the toe area remains kinda bulbous. I don't think it's too extreme to be a major concern, however, and shoe trees help. The color on the GT is far more even (consistent), and takes a nice shine. The Chromexcel on the Wolverine is, as you all know, duller and waxier. I expect it to develop a nice patina. My GTs have gotten a little scuffed over time, but some nice burgundy boot creme wax keeps them looking fine.

In conclusion, the Red Wing Gentleman Traveler is a heavier, less comfortable boot. They took a solid three weeks to break in, but have never been as comfortable as the Wolverine 1k is, even brand new. I prefer the commando half-sole on the Red Wing, and will probably have a cobbler put one on my Wolverines eventually.

P.S. I seriously considered the Alden Indy boot. I don't intend to start a war here, but I think the popularity of that shoe is based mostly on goodwill from another era. Every example I looked at had some defect in the stitching. Different examples of the same boot in the same size with the same leather would fit differently. I have heard of quality control issues at Alden from others on this forum, but I didn't think these would be so obvious. Finally, the Alden has a rather bulbous rear and made me look like I had cankles. I wanted to like that boot. I really did. Maybe someday I'll find a pair without the problems I observed, but until then I'm very pleased with my Wolverines.

I have the GT in black cherry, but will admit to really liking the look of the dark brown 1000. I do find the GT rather narrow (and I have a narrow foot), but they broke in pretty easily and I like the commando sole. I find them very comfortable. I have enough nice shoes with leather soles; I doubt I'd buy the 1000.

to me, they are both nice boots 1000k is more of a nyc hipster type of boot, that looks cooler but not workable in real shitty conditions GT is a badass workboot, no compromises no exceptions GT wins

Completely disagree. The 1000 Mile is a solid boot, I've put it through it's paces and user Crane's put them through pretty much everything and they held up just fine.

Go buy a pair and come out to my place for a while. You'll get to see how wrong you are by experience. I've been writing a review on 3 pairs of these boots and a little searching on the subject will show you what i put them through. NYC is a cake walk. Yep, it's muck season here. That pair of tan Addisons I just got is covered in dried MO muck and doing just fine. They got their first taste of fishing, 'shroom hunting, cornfield muck walking and a session at a rain soaked muck pit of an outdoor shooting range. They worked fine rounding up cattle and getting them to market last week as well. no wet feet and all is well. That pair I resoled would have been better for traction but hey got to have some excitement in life. LOL.

i have a pair of gts that i absolutely adore. it was between them and the 1000 miles. i picked the gts because i couldn't find anywhere to try the 1000 miles on, i liked the black cherry, and i got a screaming deal on them.

that said, when i finally got to try on a 1000 mile i was pretty blown away.

I actually agree that the GT seems more durable. The leather on both the sole and upper is thicker, and the whole outfit is heavier.

This, however, is actually why I prefer the 1k. The chromexcel leather seems tough enough for anything I'm likely to put it though, and I'll probably eventually have a grippier sole put on. Fit, finish, and comfort definitely win me over.

They called it the 1000 mile boot for a reason...

I don't own either boot, but I was going o purchase a pair of GTs a few months ago, tried them on and they honestly felt pretty bad. I tried on the 1000K miles, they fit well and felt nice out of the box. I'll probably pick up a pair in black in time for fall.

I've had break in issues with a variety of Red Wings. I drunkenly tossed a pair of Red Wing wabasha (sp?) chukkas because they kept pinching and tearing up my feet around the toe box (it was a shame as I liked the style). The Red Wing boots that have worked the best for me are the standard 6" inch moc style boots with the rougher leather ("rugged classic"). Those boots take a couple of weeks to break in but feel awesome after. I think they are Red Wing's best products. When it comes to dressier styles, companies like Wolverine and even Alden make better products.

GT looks and feels just as good. no problem with breaking them in... given a chance i would love to own a pair of 1k and try them out

That chestnut color is too good.

sorry I put my 1000 mile boots through some pretty bad wet snow and all I was left with was freezing cold feet, otherwise they are ok. GTs held their own in the snow, no questions asked.

perhaps its just the leather soles fault.

I put a Topy on mine and put them through an Edmonton winter with no problems. I suffered the occasional slide here and there, but I'm ok with that. I never liked commando soles aside from work/outdoor boots (and not worn in the city).