Customer Reviews Red Wing Heritage 6" Iron Ranger

This is an amazing boot. It's super stylish and looks even better with wear. The construction is high-quality and I'm confident that my pair will last me decades. I recommend conditioning them with Lexol when they start to get dry. Sizing: You will definitely need to size down. Most of my shoes are 10.5 or 11 but this boot fits me perfectly in size 9.5. Comfort: These boots are a bit heavy and will feel stiff until broken in. They're not incredibly comfortable, but they're not at all bad, they just don't really have any padding.

I definitely had to go a 1/2 size down from my regular shoe size. My feet have plenty of room even though I did go 1/2 size down. Boots a very well made and will need sometime to break in which is what I expected. These do not have a squishy inner sole but have a regular boot foot bed.

Order at least a half size smaller than usual. I usually wear a 10, sometimes 9 1/2 depending on the shoe. In these I wound up with a 9 after ordering 4 different sizes. Easy return through Zappos though. But the other reviews about the size are correct. That said, they are great boots. I have not had them for long, but they are breaking in very quickly. I have a friend who has owned them for years and says they get more and more comfortable over time, and I have no problem believing that.

First off I can't say enough about Zappos' quality service.I ordered a pair of boots on a Wednesday they arrived Thursday. Too big, I returned them at a UPS pick-up location, and had my new boots that fit right on Friday- awesome! Zappos has definitely the best customer service I ever had the pleasure of dealing with in online retail. Now onto the boots. Red Wing make a quality product, and if you're willing to spend the extra bucks it is absolutely worth purchasing something from their Heritage Collection; they exude quality. They only use the best most premium leathers tanned at one of the oldest and only remaining tanneries in the United States. However, the boots and shoes from this collection do take time to break in. I've owned my #8111's for two weeks now, and they get more comfortable with each passing day, and I do wear them everyday at least 8 hours a day. Red Wing boots do run about a size, or at least a half size long, and they do run a tad narrow, so if you do have wide feet you may need to size up. These boots are so nice I plan to buy another pair from their Heritage Collection soon.

I purchased these boots as a gift. They run a bit larger than traditional sizes. They are also quite stiff at first and do take time to break in. However, I am told that after they break in they are extremely comfortable. I purchased these directly through Zappos because their customer service is stellar.

Great durable boot that will last for years. Initially I was sent the wrong IR entirely(size, color, and sole) but Andrew in customer service took great care of me and overnighted me two different sizes for no charge. I recommend trying multiple sizes here. I wear an 8-8.5 running shoe, 7.5 perfectly fitting pair of Anderson Beans, and a super tight size 7 in another type of boot. The 6.5 IR is bigger than all of those. Breaking in nicely and very comfortable.

These are the best boots I've ever owned. The black ones are my second pair. They will mold to your foot. If you take care of them, they are almost indestructible. My two pairs are my everyday shoes.

If you're reading this review, you know what you need to know about this pair of boots ... pull the trigger and buy them. Expensive? Yup. Worth it? Absolutely. There is not a single extraneous element on these boots. Everything is made to be replaced or refurbished. These things are hand sewn in the US and have used the same last (basic shoe shape and form around which the boot is built) as my previous pair ... meaning the fit is perfect. As is the case on any all-leather shoe, the break-in is a little longer ... I found them to be fully broken in within three weeks of near daily wear. Much is made about the lack of traction on these boots. I wore them in Chicago in the dead of the winter last year and would have appreciated a lug sole at that time. But living in the South means ice is only occasionally an issue. This pair joins a pair of Amber Harness Iron Rangers that I've worn practically every day since I bought them 4 years ago. Best boots ever and on my list of ten things that I would take with me to a desert island.

I bought my current pair in 2010 and have worn them hard over the last five years. While these boots cant compete with custom Whites or Nicks, they are well made handsome boots. I would concur that they run a half to full size larger than marked. The construction and durability is outstanding. However, as has been noted, the soles have no traction and are terrible in ice and snow. What I advise is locating a good cobbler and having the boot re-soled right off the bat. I had mine re-soled with a double leather mid sole and Vibram half sole mini lug with a stacked heel. (Like a beefier version of the Beckman) I cannot advise this enough and do not know why Red Wing does not make them that way to begin with...

Gentlemen, These boots permanently changed the way I think about footwear. I ordered them just over three years ago, and I wear them all the time (easily 500 days total); they look fantastic and are indescribably comfortable. Yes, they are expensive (by far the most I'd ever paid for shoes/boots). Yes they take a LONG TIME to break in (I was still crying after a month). But they were absolutely worth it because I know these are truly heirloom quality. I have zero doubt that my son will wear these some day (he is 11 now). After you order yours, be sure to get the Red Wing Boot Oil (pine pitch and mink oil), and treat them a few times a year. Also, be sure to order at least a full size down.

As everyone seems to say, this is a true, high quality boot. I have had three pair of them over the past ten years or so. They are great on my semi-narrow foot. They are indeed treacherous on snow and ice. I don't know why Red Wing doesn't put some texture in the heels but they seem to have everything else under control.

i was looking for a boot that I could wear with jeans or khakis. These were exactly what I was looking for! I ordered 1/2 size smaller, 10 1/2, and they fit perfectly. I was concerned about the break in period from other reviews I read, but they were like any other boot to break in. The "mule skinner" color is a rough textured finish and does scratch, but that adds to the rough look of the boot. I did order 2 pairs, the mule skinner and the brown. I sent the brown pair back, as I found them cheaper elsewhere. Sorry Zappos! I asked and you wouldn't match prices.

Absolutely awesome boots. Take some breaking in. These will last a lifetime. Get more comfortable each time you wear them. Not great on icy, snowy surfaces. Well worth the money.

I have worn Red Wings my entire life. These look really cool and I can see guys buying them for city boots. They are super heavy. Like far heavier than my Norwiegen Welt Hiking boots. This was the 1st pair of Red Wings that failed me. One of the soles just pealed apart after a few weeks. Needless to say I was surprised but I fully expected Redwing to stand behind their product. I sent them in at a pretty steep cost since they were heavy. A couple of weeks later they were returned to me with a letter stating that their engineers said it was not the fault of the company. Now if you look at these boots you can see they should be built to last I have had several pairs that last me YEARS. I wrote additional letter and got the same reply. I am sad for both myself and Redwing because Ill never buy another pair. Oh I forgot to add I never wore the boots for work just for day to day around San Francisco.

This is a three-year delayed review. I've been wearing my Iron Rangers since December 2013, and they've held up like tanks, through less than ideal conditions. They've seen Oklahoma winters, months of Seattle damp, swamplike summers in Rome and Tulsa, and I've (shamefully) polished them twice over the course of those adventures. They're my daily boots, and they're on my feet 95% of the time I walk out the door. The boots themselves: bombproof. No splitting leather, dry portions, delamination, or stitching failures. And every time you put them on they fit a little better (your toes slip right back into their little divets in the cork, and it feels perfect). They're pricey, but I'm only here writing this because I'm coming back for my second pair; I've never had a pair of boots hold up so well for so long. I'm on the original laces, but they're starting to fray, so they'll be getting swapped out soon. Be warned they do take some time to break in completely, and it's very much a process. Once you get the footbed set, the rest of the boot has to mold to your stride and how you break from the ground. I was getting chafing on top of my big toe about three weeks in, but it passed pretty quickly and now they couldn't feel more natural.

Much has been made of the awesome craftsmanship and undeniable style of the Iron Ranger. There is little to add on that front. I will say, however, that I ordered a EE boot for the first time in my life with these, as well as sizing down a half size from my normal boot size. I wear a 9.5 in every other boot I own, even the Red Wing 1907. For these, a 9 is perfect in length. The regular medium was much too narrow, especially considering an insert is required to avoid plantar fasciitis. The foot bed is a solid slab and is skinnier in width than any footbed I've ever come across. A size 9EE is perfect with a Dr. Scholl's insert. So that it is clear. I am a 9.5D in every boot except the Iron Ranger, where I am 9EE. If you have flat feet, you can probably stick with the D. If you need any arch support, go for the wide and slip an insole in there. You'll be on cloud nine and the compliments won't stop.

Exceptionally constructed. The hawthorne muleskinner leather looks great. All the RW boots I own definitely run big, about one full size. Also, I recommend a thicker sock. Do not wear these with some threadbare ankle sock. With that said these Iron Ranger boots are very comfortable. At least as comfortable as my 875s. Overall, a quality boot that is beautiful too. Very pleased with this addition to my RW line up.

Great pair of boots, very well crafted. Only had a few weeks, I'm guessing the break in will take about a month. These will last forever if you take care of them. I had to go a full size down, usually wear a 10/10.5 but I'm wearing a 9 for the Iron Rangers.

A great boot; strongly made and quite comfortable. Ordered a full size smaller than my normal size and it fit perfectly. Breaking in time much less than my Wolverine 1000 which surprised me. Boot did not disappoint me.

Loving these 8113 boots so far. Well made in the US, and looks like they'll hold up to whatever I throw at them. Sizing was tricky, started at my usual size just to make sure they would indeed be too big. Ended up going a whole size down in the end. Zappos made the process very easy. The laces are not the best, so I swapped them out for a different set. No biggie there. Looking forward to seeing how they evolve as they take on wear!

Second pair of Iron Rangers I purchased for the man in my life. He has a brown pair he loves; these in black are no different. Worth every penny and they look better the more distressed they get from wear. He has had many other guys at work asking where he got them. I would buy them again for sure. True to size.

I purchased these shoes in hopes to have something that would last a while. The jury is still out on this, but I can tell you that the quality seems to be pretty good so far. Break in, while not brutal, was fairly extensive. I've worn them pretty much every other day for a month and the comfort level is getting there. The only problem they have is the silly laces. The laces simply won't stay tied. I will be replacing them soon with something a little longer and flat. The boots feel substantial and appear that they will wear well. The soles provided decent grip on the few snowy/icy days we had this spring. Now as the weather heats up, the plain leather seems like it will be very comfortable. This is my first pair of Red Wing boots and seems to be worth the price paid.

Awesome pair of boots. I wouldn't walk on ice every day with these soles but everything else is great from snow to mud to rain. They're tough, look great and kick ass.

I can't decide if these or my Wolverine 1000 Mile boots are my favorites. They both have great style and both garner compliments. These are probably more durable, have a more versatile sole you can wear in the rain, have rugged good looks, and are a little less dressy. On the other hand, the leather isn't as soft and pliable, took a little longer to break in, and I don't think they go well with a suit. Just get both, and be happy!