| Author | Message | ||
     Steveford |
These birds are making knock offs (confirmed by the manufacturer). http://www.redwingstore.net/ I was looking at a set but the more I looked the stranger things appeared. I hate counterfeiters. Admin Name: He Chunyan Admin Organization: He Chunyan Admin Street: The red flag avenue 21 Admin City: Ganzhou Admin State/Province: Jiangxi Admin Postal Code: 341000 Admin Country: CN Admin Phone: +86.07972163788 Admin Phone Ext: 0 Admin Fax: +86.07972163788 Admin Fax Ext: 0 Admin Email: sikeidc@hotmail.com (Message edited by SteveFord on May 18, 2015) | ||
| Two_seasons |
and when I clicked on the link, my antivirus chirped "threat detected 3x" | ||
| Steveford |
That's more than mine did (MS Defender). Thanks for the warning. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
No good for me, I don't have counterfeit feet. | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
I stopped wearing red wings when they started making them in Mexico. | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
Figor - stop buying the cheap ones Much of their stuff is still made here | ||
| Court |
I wear Red Wings and Wesco. The Red Wings were Made in the U.S.A. and will last the rest of my natural life. They replaced an identical pair that I toasted . . . toasted bad. (Message edited by court on May 18, 2015) | ||
| Steveford |
Red Wing does outsource from China for quite a bit of their line up but I never heard of Mexico. They still make Red Wing boots in the USA, they just cost more but for me it's principle over money. | ||
| Gaesati |
Do any reputable US companies make race style boots? U.S. Sizing and quality appeals to me. | ||
| Jaimec |
Yeah, I was about to say every pair of Red Wings that I looked at recently in an official Red Wings store said "Made in China." Didn't see on that said it was made anywhere NEAR North America. And those Aerostich Combat Lite boots I bought YEARS ago (and high-sided with some years back) are on their second set of soles and laces and still going strong. They're made in Italy by SIDI exclusively for Aerostich. | ||
| Steveford |
My 3 pair of Red Wings are all US but it looks like each store picks what they want to carry. I don't know about US made motorcycle specific race boots, I went with Sidi Traffic and Sidi Traffic Air. They're not race-style but I don't want anything that's too loud looking. The Traffic air should be here shortly which will be welcome. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I have a pair of Vasque boots (Red Wing Brand) I bought my second year in college that I still wear today. That was 24 years ago. I may need to have them resoled in a decade or so. | ||
| Slaughter |
I stopped buying Levis 20 years ago. ONLY wear Chippewa at work... tennies are tough - New Balance are rarely made in the USA. Often made domestically with foreign sourced materials. Buying US is not difficult - if you look. | ||
| Tootal |
Been wearing Red Wings at work for over 30 years but this year they were not an option as we have to have a certain non slip sole. I raised hell that all the crap on the shoe truck was Chinese and they said they had some American ones and would bring them the next day. I ended up with some Thorogood boots. They are just like the old Red Wings and I had to spend a bit of cash on top of what the company was paying. I know there is still a Red Wing factory in Potosi, Missouri so there are still some made here. | ||
| Dwardo |
There is an interesting old guy who worked at my local Red Wing store. He was a pilot in the Korean War and he told me that in the 60s he and his wife rode across Canada on Triumph motorcycles. Anyway, he said Red Wing would be moving production back to the US because the Chinese were not as competitive as they used to be. I haven't been there for at least two years so I don't know what happened with that. I know I need a new pair. | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
It was 1997 the last time I was in a red wing shoe store and every pair in there was made in Mexico. This wasn't long after Clinton passed the NAFTA so many manufacturers moved south of the border. Consequently that was when the plant I was working at shut down and went south. Anyway havent been in one since so they must have moved from Mexican boots to Chinese at some point there in. Doesnt matter in done with them just on principle. Lol. I wear Thorogoods! | ||
| Figorvonbuellingham |
It was 1997 the last time I was in a red wing shoe store and every pair in there was made in Mexico. This wasn't long after Clinton passed the NAFTA so many manufacturers moved south of the border. Consequently that was when the plant I was working at shut down and went south. Anyway havent been in one since so they must have moved from Mexican boots to Chinese at some point there in. Doesnt matter in done with them just on principle. Lol. I wear Thorogoods! | ||
| Steveford |
Not all Thorogoods are made in the US but I'm sure you know that. I was all set to buy a set until I saw the Made In China. Almost got me... My wife is opening up a women's consignment shop and plans on carrying Thorogood boots but only the US made ones. Women need good boots, too! She did pick up a pair of really nice made in the US Chippewa motorcycle boots for $20 last night at a men's consignment shop. She won't outwear them in 2 lifetimes. It must be a discontinued style - an engineer type boot but it's split about 6" up and then closes with 2 Velcro straps. A really well made product. | ||
| Court |
http://www.wescoboots.com/wesco/home.asp | ||
| Gaesati |
Thanks, guys I'll start pursuing them on the net. | ||
| Steveford |
It would be worth buying those Wescoboots Loggers to wear to job interviews just to see the looks on their faces. | ||
| Panhead_dan |
I've been wearing Red Wings for decades. All you have to do is ask for US made boots when you go into a dealer. They will show you only US made boots. | ||
| Crusty |
Steveford; those Chippewas you referred to are called Rally boots. I've been looking at them for a few years now, but I won't buy a pair until I try them on first. I've wasted a lot of money buying boots from the Internet over the past few years, only to have them not fit right and I've decided that it won't happen again. Then again, quite a few people have gotten free boots because of it. I had a pair of Wesco engineer boots custom made for me back in 1995 (remind me to tell you the story sometime). They wore like iron. After my ankle was crushed, I had to stop wearing them as the heel stiffener was rubbing my ankle in a very painful way. Two years of daily wear and they were just getting broken in. Tough boots! | ||
| Court |
 | ||
| Steveford |
Sorry, I meant the one with the spikes.  Chippewa Rally, thanks. I take a 10D and I could ALMOST squeeze into the 9s that she bought but not quite. | ||
| Steveford |
I just took a look at my wife's Chippewa Rally boots and those things are so impressive that I ordered a set for myself. They do seem to run true to size and the Velcro straps and calf will make snugging them up no problem. They make the Sidi Traffic Air boots (made in Romania) look ridiculously cheap and throwaway by comparison. | ||
| Court |
Hahahaha . . . mine . . typically have ONE spike each on the inside of the arch . . . but, now that we have both sideboard and long line helicopter access . . . gaffs are only the rare occurrences where walking to work is necessary.  | ||
| Steveford |
If anyone is interested, the Chippewa Rally boots run BIG. I take a 10D when measured and my wife brought home a pair of 9E Rallys which she found (barely) used for $25. I tried them on and they were too short but fine for width so I ordered a set of 10Es which are way too long. I just ordered a set of 9.5 Ds which I hope does the trick. So far, I've only found one company whose sizing is consistent and that's the American made Red Wings. I don't know anything about imported boots as I steer clear of them. I have 4 pair of Red Wings 10D (one pull on, 3 lace up) and they all fit the same. Thorogood sizing runs from perfect to seemingly one size too large depending upon the model. | ||
| Steveford |
If anyone is contemplating Chippewa Rally boots, go down 1/2 size from what you actually measure. That did the trick. If you're looking at the Made In Romania Sidi Traffic Air boots, go down 1 full size from what you measure. I sent the Sidis back, I'm keeping the incredibly stout Chippewas. These are going to be MURDER to break in. | ||
| Luftkoph |
Hahahaha . . . mine . . typically have ONE spike each on the inside of the arch . . . but, now that we have both sideboard and long line helicopter access . . . gaffs are only the rare occurrences where walking to work is necessary. Hydraulic linemen jeez | ||
| Steveford |
Correction: Red Wing Heritage series, go down 1/2 size. There's no padding or removable foot bed liner to take up the slop. Ask me how I know... |
