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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 มิ.ย. 2024
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It's the ultimate Red Wing showdown: The Red Wing Iron Ranger vs Blacksmith. Stick around until the end to see who wins this epic boot battle.
If you're interested in written reviews of the Red Wing Iron Ranger or the Red Wing Blacksmith, you can check out our reviews here:
bootspy.com/red-wing-iron-ran...
bootspy.com/red-wing-blacksmi...
You can also find a written comparison of these two legendary boots on our blog as well:
bootspy.com/red-wing-blacksmi...
The Red Wing Iron Ranger and Blacksmith are very similar boots: they're both Goodyear welted, both made in Red Wing, Minnesota with in-house tanned leather, and are both built on the same boot last.
But there are some crucial differences that make one boot better than the other.
What is that difference? Watch until the end to find out!
0:00 Intro
0:39 What's the same about the Iron Ranger and Blacksmith
1:06 Differences between the Iron Ranger and Blacksmith
1:44 Comparing the leather
2:47 Comparing the soles
4:12 Fit and sizing of the Iron Ranger and Blacksmith
5:00 Red Wing break in period
5:20 Iron Ranger and Blacksmith pricing
6:00 Which boot is better?
I compare the Red Wing Iron Ranger and the Blacksmith in 5 categories:
-Leather Quality
-Sole Quality
-Fit and Sizing
-Break in Period
-Price
For each category, we pick a winner. The boot with the most points at the end of the Boot Battle goes home the victor. - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
![ภาพนี้ก็ฮาเหมือนกันนะเนี้ย #1 SS8 [ พากย์นรก MEME.EXE ] | easy boy](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ytc50m91QK8/mqdefault.jpg)
If the Redwing would make the Iron Ranger w/o a toe cap, and full brass eyelets (no speed laces), it would be absolute perfection.
4585 with some custom work 😉
THE IRON SMITH!
Great comparison! I've had a pair of Iron Rangers for a little over 3 years. Just picked up a pair of the Blacksmiths in black prairie, looking forward to putting them through the paces as well.
I have had the Iron Ranger 8111's with the cork soles since 2016. Use them as outdoor work boots. They are tough as nails. I scrub them with Palmolive dishsoap (yep, I know, right?) and oil them with Huberds twice a year. Look great. Wear great. I had to file down the sharp points on the lace post backside rivets, though. They will wear holes in the tongue if you don't and if you wear them a lot.
I bought charcoal Blacksmiths on black Friday. Walking out of the store, it felt like I had 2 red bricks strapped to my feet. After about 2 weeks they had softened up to 2 pieces of 2x4. Now after a month, they are starting to feel pretty good, can walk a few miles with no problem. Between my feet toughening up and the boots conforming to my feet, these are going to be my go-to boots that I'll wear for years. Thanks Red Wing.
Lol!
😅 LOL same with my redwing 10877 4x4 LOL
Update: I bought my Iron Ranger black harness boots and I love them and I gotta say these boots are super comfortable the break in for me lasted maybe a week and they have since conformed to my feet pretty well, so gauranteed I am going to be picking me up the copper rough and tough rangers by Christmas.
Nice--love it. I'm interested to hear what you think of the Rough and Tough
Picked up some Iron Rangers a couple weeks ago. Had a hot spot on that pointy outside tarsal bone on the right side, but after pushing that out from the inside of the boot and some break in they are starting to feel really nice. Buy once cry once as they. I'm done with cheap footwear.
Hi man, I’m loving your videos.
Since I have started following you I have already purchased 2 boots, It’s only 3 weeks I have started my journey.
Thank you for all the knowledge your sharing.
Next month is going to be time for a black one.
Ciao
Govinda from Pearcedale
I’ve been wanting this video for a long time. Thanks!
Happy to help and thank you for watching!
I own the iron rangers in the Amber harness leather and a couple of redwing moc toe boots including the roughneck in copper rough and tough but I'm very impressed with the black praire leather on your blacksmiths and the unique patina they take on. The Blacksmith in the black praire leather is most definitely my next purchase. Thank you for the wonderful comparison, really appreciate it.
Thank you so much for watching and commenting--it means a lot to have repeat watchers! And yeah, I'm really looking forward to that teacore showing through---I think that makes them different enough than the Iron Ranger to warrant picking them up
Appreciate the content on your channel. Thanks a lot ,will keep watching your channel. Cheers
Iron ranger:
Cap toe
External heel counter
Slanted collar
Nickel hardware
Blacksmith:
Plain toe
Internal heel counter with backstay
Rolled collar
Brass hardware
What's your preference Charlie?
Hey if you've heard of Urban Shepard boots, and what your thoughts might be?
I compared the two today in the Red Wing shop in London UK and I felt that the Blacksmith was lighter and the tongue was definitely thinner. I also thought the finish on the lace hooks on the Blacksmiths looked a bit fake antique brass plus they came with thinner flat laces (appreciate that’s easy to change). In the end it was just that the Iron Rangers felt more solid overall and are a true classic. Went down a half size as recommended and they fit well. Not sure if I look forward to the break in period but they feel pretty good straight out of the box. Each to their own and definitely try both in reality rather than buy online if you can. Also bought their lovely Red Wing branded brass shoehorn and they had some tempting wallets as well!
I tried both but in different sizes. Two things I think make a difference after watching this video is the leather and toe cap. I wear a 2E width. The Black Smith alowes for more toe box width since it does not have the extra leather from the cap, and the leather is softer. I wish I could have tried the Black Smith in my 1/2 size down to make the true comparison. The 1/2 size up was wide enough but to long.
I’ve the BS in charcoal for about 18mths now and I find they age really well, you can clean these up and they work really well in the office or out in the town. I’m not sure the IR is as versatile. The BSs are a little more subtle and refined looking IMO.
FWIW: just bought the Blacksmiths, in a light brown/tan. Tried the Iron Rangers and felt that they were bulkier and stiffer than the Blacksmiths. Also, my size is typically an 11 and that’s what I bought - the fit was
spot on. And I got them on sale - so far, so good. Can’t wait to see how they withstand a Chicago winter. 💪
How is the boot in Chicago winter ? Any issue ?
@@watchmanexpert So far, so good! Absolutely no complaints. No issues with breaking them in either which is a common complaint I’ve heard about Red Wings.
Just bought my 8111 last week. Normally I would wear a size 7.5 but I had wider feet so I chose 7EE. I need to wear thin silk socks and with a thin layer of leather insole now they fit like gloves!
Very nice!
I’m a 10.5 in sneakers. I found out that I prefer a 10.5 in rangers as well. I own a size 10 in blacksmiths and they feel way too perfect around my feet. No room to breath like the 10.5 does. I eventually came to the conclusion that I absolutely hate the “fits like a glove” feeling. I believe it messes up your feet with blisters and just damages your feet all around in general in the long run if you ask me.
Blacksmiths by far are the better looking boot and work with almost anything you can wear. Can easily shine these things into a dress shoe too if you want.
I have a pair of rangers I got (inherited) from my father in the late 90s, (currently out getting thier 3rd set of soles, I went to a red wing store to send them off, but also managed to walk out of the store with a new pair in charcoal rough and tough. The pair I have is a 9w, but the pair I bought was a 9.5d.
Any chance you could tell us what that 80’s style metal music that plays when you select the Iron Ranger at the end? Dig that tune. 😂💁🏼♂️
It’s when he kicks the Stool for me. Hahaha
so glad you enjoyed that haha!
I bought Copper Rough & Tough Blacksmiths from the RW store.... fit like a Glove straight away.
I wear between 10.5 and 11, in running shoes.
Size 10D Blacksmiths fit like Caesar himself had me measured.
These are the only 2 Red Wing boots I own...thought about selling the Blacksmith for a bit because they are so similar, but just can't bring myself to let go of them! I love the briar oil slick leather....
I totally know what you mean---I have way too many shoes/ boots. But I like them all, so it's tough to let em go! Thank you so much for watching and commenting--I really appreciate it
Real big fan of the content man! Keep up the great work!!!
@@kinkaly Thank you brother!
I have the black IR , going for the copper next.
The Dog of Judgment is fantastic.
haha, he's always there...judging
Iron Ranger for workdays, Moc for weekend (act as sneakers, if that makes sense) and Blacksmith for wedding/formal occasions.
I have the iron rangers in size 9.5. I have just seen some blacksmiths on ebay in a size 10. Will the half size make much difference?
Definitely buy them in store. I’m a 13 in every brand of tennis shoe, I bought Iron Rangers in 11.5 and they fit great.
I was at the store today and the IR were 30% off. I'm a 10.5 sneaker but the size 9 Red Wing felt right, considering break in of course.
That tree kick sold me on the Iron Ranger!!
That was just for you!
kick that tree! lol. Great video, man. I wear a size 9.5 in most sneakers, but I measured my foot, and I went down a full size in the copper rough and tough iron rangers and got a 8.5D; they fit so perfectly in every way. literarily like a glove. I recently got the moctoes 1907s and while I still went down a full size, I went with the 8.5EE since I had heard that they run super narrow (and they do), when I first put them on I thought I had made a mistake because of how narrow they felt, but after a few minutes, they started to feel super comfortable. I love the iron rangers, and prefer them over the 1907s, but the 1907s are super comfortable hands down.
nice--i've been looking at moctoes so that's good info for when I'm shopping around. Thank you for watching!
I enjoyed watching you kick a few objects with the Iron Ranger after it was the winner, except the tree, you did not manage to dislodge that tree.
Not strong enough yet. I'm doing squats at the gym and I'm coming back for that tree...
I have both. My first pick is the iron ranger. Much more durable leather, more scuff proof, thus require less care. Iron ranger also cooler due to more ventilation, thanks to the top design which open up slightly as i walk. Plus I got more compliment with iron ranger 😅. I like your video sir ,brilliantly produced. ☺ 👍
thank you for watching and commenting--I really appreciate it!
😊awesome review!! I wish I could afford boots like this!!
Have you heard of Boot Theory? -- "The reason that the rich were so rich, Vimes reasoned, was because they managed to spend less money. Take boots, for example. ... A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet."
What is the heel size???? On both?
I own both boots.
The iR is way stronger.
Took me only 2 weeks to break in the Bs.
Took me almost 2 months to break in the IR.
I wear the IR’s more, but they are stiffer / less wrinkled and less floppy than my Bs’s.
Maybe it’s the specific ones I bought or maybe i over conditioner the Bs’s
I got my first Red Wings, Moc Toe 875s about six weeks ago and I'm umming and aahing over Iron Rangers or Blacksmiths and have no Dog of Judgement to help. Our cat couldn't care less. I think you have helped my make up my mind which was swaying to Iron Rangers. Blacksmiths next right?
we need both models with the vibram lug outsole like on the roughneck
were you looking for material to make another video? Seems like we are only talking color and toe difference?
Aside from the black, do the finishes from the other colors wear off of the blacksmith?
I feel like the Iron Rangers look a little more rugged and the Blacksmith's look a little more refined. I think for me, and office casual dress, I'd go Blacksmith.
I agree with you on that
thanks
How do you like the Black Prairie leather compared to Black Harness?
I don't have any experience with the Black Harness, but I like the teacore aspect of Black prairie, which was my main motivation for getting it. Thank you for watching!
I have both IRs and Blacksmiths. They are both great boots. Go with what you like. You can’t lose. But if you’re just starting out. Go with the IRs first.
Blacksmiths run out of stock quickly so I'm guessing they're the most popular. Anyway, I have a pair but now I'm thinking about getting the rangers in brown. I like the way they look!
Rangers are the more popular boot...
@@devildog5354 I have both. Blacksmiths look better, fit better and feel better.
if i wear a size 10 in blacksmith would it also be a 10 in iron ranger?
Yep! They're built on the same last so they fit identically
I went up in size?
It is a bit misleading to mention something like “I’m wearing this boots for about 5 months now..” considering that you have plenty of other boots so you basically split the damage from wearing out, between all of them
Great video as usual! Keep the amazing work!
Few additional points:
The heel counter as we speak of is a separate piece of either leather, cardboard, or plastic installed internally on most shoes/boots. In this case it is compressed reconstructed leather as with most RW. It lies normally between the liner and the outer layer (most cases still called the counter or foxing).
The cork is the midsole, not an insert. The insole is the 5mm veg tan leather, the midsole is the cork layer, and the outsole is the rubber 430 mini lug.
Also not all Iron Ranger and all Blacksmiths are the same.
The 8111(Amber Harness) is the most common boot in the IR line, but for me it is a no go. I own a 4606 (ebony harness) and the 8119 (Oxblood Mesa) and those are the only IR I like. The have brass hardware. The charcoal rough and tough has black hardware.
I do not own Blacksmith as they are a cheaper Beckman in some way. I own four pairs of Beckmans, which have a leather lined vamp vice cloth. and have a roccia outsole, which is the best RW soles in my opinion.
Also is that a bottle of Defiant Single Malt On the table?
Thank you for watching and commenting--I really appreciate it! And yes, you're an eagle eye! It is Defiant Single Malt. I picked it up because it's a local brand and I thought the bottle looked sweet for photo shoots. Turns out it's also delicious! win-win
Love ur comments ! Experienced user u are. Can u help me with info rgd conditioning my Beckman? I have 2 pairs … walnut (too big) So ive purchased recently black cherry.. they are Real beauties… How to condition them?
Rose Anvil (TH-cam) has cut apart Blacksmith and Iron Rangers and your myth is busted. They are physically the same, visually different.
@@ColonelFusion reading interpretation is NOT your forte is it? I was not talking about internals. I was talking about colors, hardware, etc. The Blacksmith internally is very similar to the IR. The Blacksmith is the cheap Beckman, plain toe, piping, but built like the IR.
I went with copper rough and tough blacksmiths…
Painful break in on the Iron Ranger LOL you got them a half size to small !
That's why I purchased them all👍🏻😄
ive had both got to say like the iron ranger look alot but the blacksmiths just work better with any clothing even with skinny jeans
Im a 10M D normally but im an 8.5M E2 in iron rangers...
I have the Blacksmiths in 3343 Copper Rough & Tough, and 3349 Briar Oil Slick. I have the Iron Rangers in 8111 Amber Harness and 8084 Black Harness leathers. I love all of them.
Like William, I condition the Iron Rangers with Venetian Shoe cream. But, I condition the Blacksmiths with 1000 Mile liquid leather conditioner.
Neither product will permanently darken leather. The Venetian Shoe cream contains waxes, and is recommended for smooth leathers. The Wolverine 1000 Mile liquid leather conditioner contains no waxes or polishes.
I just wanted to recommend to people that conditioni the leather on new boots, and letting the boots rest for a day or two, to soften up the leather.
This applies to almost any leather footwear, but most especially for the Red Wing Heritage Collection.
IMO Blacksmith is the better looking boot. However, for work/hard use would go Ranger...
Lol kicked the tree
Iron rangers all day everyday twice on Sundays
I don't choose. I have both....
how does the iron ranger fair on long daily walks? I walk like 3+ miles a day at school
It'll hold up well over time---but the first few weeks your feet will probably be the issue. But the boots will be fantastic with that kind of use
Iron Rangers or Blacksmiths?
Here is my story...
I usually wear size 11D in dress shoes, and very rarely 10.5 E if the toe box is very wide.
I was helping my cousin with renovations of the new house, I destroyed a few pairs of cheap old shoes, which did not have any value anymore and deserved to be destroyed.
I asked him for dedicated work boots, because obviously I did not want to use my nice dress shoes.
He said: "buy Red Wings, you will have them for a lot of years".
Quick drive to Berlin CT fixed my problem.
I came back with 1412 style (American made) work boots size 11E. (10.5 D was too tight and I will be using thick socks with them, so 11E are super comfy).
After I saw the build quality of Red Wings, I started to look at the Heritage Collection.
I wanted nice, casual, not "in anyone's face", black (color is super important for me!) pair of boots.
I really wanted to like Black Blacksmiths, but after learning, that they are "painted" - this was a deal breaker for me.
Many times I dress all in black, I do not want to see brown underneath my favorite color.
I went to the store and tried Iron Rangers 10.5 D.
They were too big, but I thought: "I will put two socks in the winter (one thin and one thick) and they will fill up the empty space".
I watched a lot of reviews online about the fit of Iron Rangers/Blacksmiths.
There are pretty much 3 recommendations: (for D width)
1. Half size down
2. One size down
3. One and a half size down
4. If you put extra insoles, you should add half a size up, from whatever you pick above (the insoles will take extra space and the shoes would have to be longer).
There is no way that a normal person can make sense out of that many different combinations!
A couple of days later I "pulled the trigger" and bought Iron Rangers black harness in 10.5 D (because I like a bit loose fit) from Zappos.
Here is my fit:
A. thin sock - too loose
B. thick sock - still too loose
C. both of them - maybe
I was shocked, they really run big!
I was just going to quit and return them for 10 D.
I gave myself one day to think about it and asked myself a few questions like:
"What time of the year am I going to wear them, therefore what kind of socks will I be wearing?"
I plan to use them mostly from mid October to March/April.
I noticed that some people complained about cushion, so maybe extra insole is a good idea with those shoes.
I went to Tandy Leather and bought some 6-7 oz leather.
I made my own (obviously homemade) leather insoles.
Here is my fit with the insoles:
A. thin sock - too lose
B. thick sock - perfect (no break in required)
C. both of them - a bit tight, but by no means uncomfortable.
So my take on the fit is this:
"Instead of listening to everyone what size to buy, experiment for yourself and find what works for you".
Ask yourself if they are going to be winter boots, all year boots, how many socks do want to wear in the winter, do you prefer tight or loose fit, any insoles?, etc., etc.
I myself like the flexibility of the bigger boots, I can "manipulate" the size a little.
I might buy second pair of (maybe blacksmiths in a lighter color) in 10 D if I choose to wear them only in late Spring/early Fall with the thinner socks.
A lot of people talk about long break-in time. They probably like to torture themselves, do not "understand" those boots and buy too small.
There is absolutely no reason to have any break-in with that wide of the toe box, just get the correct size.
Great comment. I learned more from you than any of the other videos ever posted on TH-cam about the iron ranger and the blacksmith.
why you gotta kick the chair though....?
I think it's pretty self explanatory
Lovin this new channel, give this comment a like if you would like him to let us know about his outfits in the videos. Or I’m i the only one that wants to know? Lol
Hey man, thank you so much for watching, commenting, and showing support--- I really appreciate it. The outfit in this one is a thick overshirt from J.Crew (I picked it up about 5 years ago, so I doubt they still have it, but a great alternative is the Chore Jacket from Everlane). Under that, I've got the Waffle Knit Henley from Everlane, and I'm wearing slim fit jeans from GAP. Again, thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Is there a way to shut off that awful noise/music and still hear the voice talking. Hey, I can shut off the sound and go with the CC. hmm... very annoying background music. ..
Your main reason for picking the Iron Ranger was you like brown? Both boots come in a variety of colours 🤣
Does the iron rangers in black, lose their color like the blacksmiths do??
No.
I own both pair, problem solved
You've cracked the code!
Did you go with the same size in both?
In store found the Blacksmith to fit more tightly in the arch. May have just been some variation in that particular
boot.
@@jeffloucks2120 yes,Normally I wear a size 10 in everything else but in redwings I wear a size 9, a full size down
Blacksmith has cooler look!! Don’t care for the Ronald McDonald toe😂
Iron rangers have more character!
Yeah, and sorry to say, the iron ranger and blacksmith are marketed to people who never worked a hard day in their life!! Hey can you do a review on the 2292 or 2218 Redwings? Thanks Bootspy!
Мой размер стопы 27см5-7мм.какой размер нужен ботинок?red wing boots
clownshoe vs nice shoe,blacksmith.
the Beckman's are the best but they don't make them any more