Red Wing Iron Ranger Boots - what's the dilly yo? - Page 34

The IR 8111 I sent back recently were pretty light in colour. They were getting more toward the hue of the "Copper Rough and Tough" to my eyes...

If I can put a finger in the back of my boot with some wiggle room do you think sizing down 1 or 0.5 would be better?

Is there any possibility you can get to a Red Wing store and try some pairs, Lascaux? The only reason I ordered online without trying first is because my closest Red Wing dealer is 3500km away...

 

I've heard the sizes generally get shorter by about 0.5cm for each size that you go down e.g.. size 9.5 is 27.5 cm, size 9 is 27cm.

I could be wrong on that though...feel free to correct me if so.

 

If not, I'd either try a half size down OR get a pair a half size and a full size down and send back the one that doesn't fit if your budget can stretch to it. Revolve's return policy is pretty good from memory (provided that you live in the US).

 

I kick myself twice a day for not trying a pair for size while I was in europe recently.

anyone have experience trying on both the D and EE widths? how dramatic of a difference are we talking about here? just tried on IR in 9.5 and 10 at the house. definitely a 9.5, but the D width was tight. it loosened up a bit over about an hour but there was an inch plus distance between eyelets when laced up tight--any more distance and I think they start to look funny.
thanks,
Mill

I'm measured (with "normal" socks) as a 8, between D and E. I first tried a 7.5EE since there was someone selling a pair on here for a great deal. Unfortunately, it was HUGE on me, even with thicker socks. 

 

I then went to a 7D since most people have had luck sizing down one whole size. Unfortunately, it was what you had described. When I first got it, the length felt great, but the width was a bit too tight for my liking (where the ball of the foot is, which is the widest part of the foot). Some say that the leather will stretch, but it was too uncomfortable for my liking. It was what you had described too -- distance between eyelets were pretty wide.

 

I got rid of both pairs and I now have a pair in 7EE. Compared to the 7D, it's a tad wider. On the 7D, my toes were bunched up and smashed together. The 7EE allows more breathing room. I'm able to sort of move my foot side to side within the shoe, but not so much that it feels super loose. 

 

The only issue I have is that my heel isn't as wide as the rest of my foot, so there's some heel slip. I suppose my boots are still being broken in and the shoe should conform to my foot.

Ok, this is really helpful. The width in the toe box and at the heel were fine. My higher instep and arch is what made the shoe uncomfortable for me. I don't know if this was your issue, but did going to EE help the tightness in the top of your foot up toward the ankle? Oh, and did it cut down on the width between the eyelets?
Thanks for the reply
Mill

The boots are pretty pricey so you want them to be just right. You know better than Red Wing whether a boot fits your foot. Try the 9.
Can you order online over there from a site that offers free shipping and returns?
Mill

these look so good it makes me second guess the amber harness.
Mill

Hello All. This is my first post. I just bought a pair of amber iron rangers in a 10.5 2E. Two questions. One, should I Obennauf LP them now out of the box or wear them for awhile first? Second, I want a pair of the brogue rangers in black real bad. Question since the brogues only come in a D width, will they no way work for me. Kind of a bummer but I can live with it. I was thinking of a 11D to allow for some stretch. Any help would be appreciated.

Honestly for the Iron Rangers, the tightness for me wasn't in the arch but rather the toebox area as I had mentioned before. However, I've had issues with another Red Wing boot where it was narrow the whole way, including the arch for me. 

 

It did cut down the width between the eyelets. One of the tradeoffs I guess with the EE versions is that the overall width of the shoe is increased. Not very noticeable after you've owned it for a while, but at first it might look a little too wide.

i got a pair in black a couple weeks ago from amazon and after 2 weeks of wear got a huge gash in the inner right arch.  returned them, got a new pair today and this one had a 1/2" gash in it already in the leather.  seems like at some point during the stitching the machine knicks the leather.

 

either way, i'm sorely disappointed and after my 3rd try, if they don't get it right, i'm weening off red wings forever.  way too much bs with their shoes (through online and store) to deal with it anymore.

 

thankfully, their vendors (red wing shoe store owner and amazon) are more than great for now and are trying their best .  i've returned 2 pairs (875 and 1907) and now 2 pairs of black iron rangers in less than a year after less than 2 weeks of wear.

 

not sure what else to say, but buyer beware and inspect your shoes thoroughly when buying.  seems like red wing isn't.

@Mill - Thanks mate, I did send them back for a size 9 in the end. I get free shipping, but not free returns unfortunately. Still waiting to get them because Red Wing Australia didn't have them in a 9 and they are still about 2 weeks away I think... bummer.

 

@Red81 - That's a real pain, I'll make sure to check out my pair pretty thoroughly!

I found two Red Wing stores in my area and went to both yesterday to check out the Iron Rangers. Both measured my foot to be a 10 (odd because I've always been measured as a 9.5), and put me 10, 9.5, and 9s. Given my previous boot purchasing I had only tried on a 9 and 8.5. I'm leaning towards 9.5 for a few reasons. There isn't a different in the amount of heel slip between them and the 9s. I like that the slightly larger boot allows me to lace tighter (I like closer laces vs wider). One of the 9.5s was a display model and had been broken in pretty well; the leather was incredibly soft and comfortable in the areas that I thought felt tight/painful on all others I tried (where the gusset folds along the top of the foot). My only problem now is deciding on color. I'm not really into the Copper, like the Amber but wish it was a little more red/oxblood, have not seen the Hawthorne in person, and originally disliked the black but after looking at Bargerhm's post my mind is changing (plus I plan on selling my black Bed Stu Romel boots).

Earlier I saw it mentioned that the leather from boot to boot varies slightly, but do you guys see the Amber Harness as being more red/oxblood than the Copper boots as they break in?

 

Thanks, that was the only time I polished them like that, the black is really versatile compared to amber that's for sure.

 

Just saddle soaped and mink oiled yesterday morning to get the winter salt layer off from all this snow recently. Each time I use saddle soap it takes them to a new level of softness, and you can see that without the polish they're a very flat black, even in the sunlight with a fresh coat of mink oil as in the picture below. 

 

 

They feel better than ever, as I've come to expect from a good saddle soap scrub and mink oil application. It's worth it to take some time every few weeks and keep your leather in prime condition. Looks better and lasts longer, it's a no brainer to me.

 

Also, when I was walking on campus yesterday this babe told me she liked them when she walked by as I was talking to my friend, oddly enough, some fat dude told me the same exact thing a few weeks ago.

Let's just say it was much more appropriate coming from her this time.

Good lord, that is certainly a nice pair of boots, bargerhm and there's not many things more attractive than a woman with good taste in boots.... (or maybe that's just me?)