Thank you very much for this comparison. After watching, I decided to sell off my IR's and replace with the Numzaan. Luckily picked up the Numzaan's for 162.49usd on an Amazon Prime Day steal.
My old Red Wing are built with the cork nitrile soles stitched directly to the welt, without a midsole between the outsole and the welt. A lot more flex and easier to break in. It still took a few applications of oil, and weeks of wear. The Jim Green Numzaan has thick heavy leather all the way around. The stitchdown construction uses a double lasted process. There is a leather insole with a leather midsole, making for two layers of leather under the foot. Break in was hard. I used multiple coats of mink oil to soften the leather, and several weeks of wear. The Jim Green Numzaan was harder to break in. Comparing a Goodyear welt to a stitchdown is not really a comparison. With Goodyear welt, there is a layer of cork between the insole lasting board and the sole. With stitchdown construction, there is no cork filled void. They are both 6" boots. Both brands use proprietary leather, and time will tell if one leather is better than the other. Red Wing used to use a proprietary cork nitrile sole, which was very similar to the soles on Alden Indy Boots. Red Wing now uses a Vibram sole. Jim Green uses proprietary soles. Red Wing uses a Puritan stitch to assemble the pieces of leather. Jim Green has a single piece of leather for the upper. Red Wing's toe cap has 4 rows of stitching. Jim Green's toe cap has 3 rows of stitching. Both boots are different products. On my feet, both boots fit well, and are comfortable.
I’ve had my walnut Numzaans for nine months and love them. I sprung for a pair of the Jim Green leather insoles as well which help cushion against that hard hard slab of super-thick leather midsole! Nonetheless they molded to my right foot in about three weeks - the left in about two months because my left is always odd-shaped. For such a thick and protective boot, they’re super-comfortable and run towards wide/roomy.
Love the iron ranger look. I think if the namzaan was able to match their lug sole with the color of the leather, like the iron ranger, they’d win in looks and comfort.
I am awaiting my latest JG customs. AR8's single lasted on the STC last with the Oringo sole. Following them closely to be up front when they get more cape buffalo hide. The Numzam may be my next custom. Soak them puppies and wear them dry with thick wool socks. Works on the buffalo leather like a treat.
What are we comparing? The boots are completely different. A stitchdown versus a Goodyear welt? Maybe compare two boots that are actually similar. Like a 1000 Mile Boot to a Red Wing Heritage.
How its the sizing on the numaans? I have an African Ranger that comes with the foam footbed, but I think the Numzaan comes without any kind of footbed and in that case it might bit 1/2-1 size down
Nice video comparison. What do you think about sizing between the two boots. In regard to stichdown I understand its harder to resole. What are your thoughts on this.
You get less resoles with the stitch down for sure, the videos on the Jim Green channel make it look like it’s not too hard to resolve the stitch down.
There's different types of stitchdown. If the stitches go through the outsole, like on a lot of pacific northwest boots, then resoling is a bit more difficult, and limited to perhaps 3 rounds since the stitches are hard to get back into the same holes. The Jim Green stitches only go through the midsole and resin runner. The outsole is held on with glue. The outsole can easily be peeled off without undoing any stitches, so it's very easy to resole. I think you should be able to get at least 3 resoles, maybe more, before the midsole gets worn down (some will pull away or need to be sanded each time the sole is peeled off.)
The iron ranger is probably equally as thick, however not having the liner makes an impact. The big diff is the leather, the SB foot leather is jam packed with stuffed oils. That helps with the break in. VEG tan takes some time to break in.
Gareth of Jim Green mentioned that the veg retan leather used for the numzaan is a vegetable retanned chrome leather. Similar to horween's chromexcel. The base tannage is not veg tan
I own both, just got the Jim greens about a month. The Jim Green would be my choice 10/ 10 times without question. Actually not even close in my opinion.
You must have my exact taste in boots 😂 I have a pair of African rangers and 2 pairs of iron rangers. Really love the looks of the numzaan and after wearing my African rangers while my iron rangers are being resoled I’ve been debating on some numzaans
one big difference? i just walked into a Red Wing brick and mortar store and tried on various IR's to make sure i got the right size and walked out. the store vs. mail order thing is not mentioned in many reviews when comparing Red Wing's to other mail order brands. It is a meaningful factor.
I went to the Red Wing shop in my neck of the woods and tried on some options (after getting fitted, of course). Will never consider them as an option again. I bought a pair of Trumans (great) and some Allen Edmonds Landons (Bootlosophy has a video---$200 on sale). I guess that I got lucky with the sizing...all is well. Someday I want to travel to British Columbia and get fitted for a pair of Viberg Service boots. Currently, this is merely a fantasy. Would 100% recommend the Trumans. Next level quality.
Jim Green boots are true to size though, the same can't be said about Redwings. If you're a 10 US on the Brannock a Jim Green 10 US is the right fit. Redwings? It changes vastly depending on the model.
@@xplorsocal2222 by regular size, do you mean your regular size in Iron Rangers, or your regular size in sneakers? If I have 8 in Iron Rangers, would an 8 in Numzaan fit similarly?
I own a pair of the Numzaan, and can agree they're incredible and an amazing value. However, make no mistake, this is not a pair of svelte office casual footwear. If they're not the definition of clown shoes, I don't know what is.
I have a pair of 8085s and man, they were very stiff. I hadn't had any "heritage" boots before that. I ended up having them resoled with a Vibram 1705 and had a leather midsole added. They're very stout and good looking boots. But, if the Numzaan was available, I would have bought a pair of those instead. Now I have a couple pairs of African Rangers, and find them to be a lot more comfortable (and roomy) than the Iron Rangers. Jim Green is a great value for the money. I'm waiting to see what their moctoe boots look like!
I love my Iron Rangers, they look great, but the soles of my feet feel bruised after a full day of wearing them. I don’t want to put insoles in because I want them to mould to my feet, but after 8 months I’m wondering if they ever will. Have your insoles moulded yet?
IRs with modern insoles is the only way to go. Classic quality construction, modern comfort. It's 2024. Our ancestors would have died to have dozens of insoles to choose from.
I own the IR and just received te Namzaan, though you do get a lot for the boot in the Namzaan, specailly with the Amazon Prime cost of $171 delivered, my thoughts, the IR has superior leather quality and workmanship, the Namzaan's leather has a lot of wrinkles in it and I know that's part of the character of the boot and most likely it's a tougher boot, it will not replace the elegance curvature of the IR. Sure for $171 you really gets your money's worth but it's not in the same class as the IR. Again my opinion. I have nothing against Jim Green as I think they are a great company, I have a couple of African Rangers and a Vellie.. I am glad to see this company grow..
The cork used is not a mid-sole. Not in Redwings. Not in Allen-Edmonds. Not in Aldens. Not in any of the goodyear welted shoes. Welted construction with gemming requires something to fill up the empty void caused by that gemming, otherwise there might be issues with weird pressure spots under the foot or the gemming may become unattached or torn from getting stepped on, which makes resoling more time consuming and expensive for the customer. Whether it's cork, poron, or cut and carved leather, something must be used to fill the empty gap caused by the gemming. A mid-sole is an extra layer, which while nice to have, is not strictly required for the boot to be properly built. Filler material for welted construction is not optional, so I think calling it a mid-sole is highly inaccurate.
They have a new boot coming they're calling the 719 that is much closer in style to the Ranger, and with them being available on different lasts and wide width and with so many options, I'll never buy Rangers over JG's.
I own both. To me the numzaan is a more comfortable boot to break in. The leather on the numzaan is thicker and does require a bit of time to shape to your foot, not to much though. Numzaan is much more comfortable to walk, hike in than iron rangers. The sole comfort is night and day. I hate to say it, but my numzaans are my first choice over my beloved iron rangers for any serious walking, especially in the country/woods where I live.
This is the video i need. Numzaan looks like my next buy
Thanks for watching, you’ll be happy with the Numzaan. Be sure to sub for future videos!
Thank you very much for this comparison. After watching, I decided to sell off my IR's and replace with the Numzaan. Luckily picked up the Numzaan's for 162.49usd on an Amazon Prime Day steal.
That Prime Day price is an absolute steal, congrats on the new boots! Thank you for watching.
Numzaan is way more boot for much less money.
Just ordered a pair for $163 on Amazon for Prime Day- FYI anyone looking for a deal. I have the African rangers and love em!
That prime day pricing is so good, congrats on the new boots. Thanks for watching, sub for more videos!
My old Red Wing are built with the cork nitrile soles stitched directly to the welt, without a midsole between the outsole and the welt. A lot more flex and easier to break in. It still took a few applications of oil, and weeks of wear. The Jim Green Numzaan has thick heavy leather all the way around. The stitchdown construction uses a double lasted process. There is a leather insole with a leather midsole, making for two layers of leather under the foot. Break in was hard. I used multiple coats of mink oil to soften the leather, and several weeks of wear. The Jim Green Numzaan was harder to break in.
Comparing a Goodyear welt to a stitchdown is not really a comparison. With Goodyear welt, there is a layer of cork between the insole lasting board and the sole. With stitchdown construction, there is no cork filled void. They are both 6" boots. Both brands use proprietary leather, and time will tell if one leather is better than the other. Red Wing used to use a proprietary cork nitrile sole, which was very similar to the soles on Alden Indy Boots. Red Wing now uses a Vibram sole. Jim Green uses proprietary soles. Red Wing uses a Puritan stitch to assemble the pieces of leather. Jim Green has a single piece of leather for the upper. Red Wing's toe cap has 4 rows of stitching. Jim Green's toe cap has 3 rows of stitching.
Both boots are different products. On my feet, both boots fit well, and are comfortable.
I’ve had my walnut Numzaans for nine months and love them. I sprung for a pair of the Jim Green leather insoles as well which help cushion against that hard hard slab of super-thick leather midsole! Nonetheless they molded to my right foot in about three weeks - the left in about two months because my left is always odd-shaped. For such a thick and protective boot, they’re super-comfortable and run towards wide/roomy.
I agree, they are well built and comfortable.
Just bought the Numzam on Prime Day. A very good deal at $250 USD. A steal at $160 I think. Hope they serve me well
@@muddyboots6157 congrats, that’s such a great price! Thank you for watching, I hope you update us on how you like the Numzaan!
This was a very good comparison. I own both boots and I agree with you.
Thanks for watching!
Love the iron ranger look. I think if the namzaan was able to match their lug sole with the color of the leather, like the iron ranger, they’d win in looks and comfort.
That would be pretty good if they (JG) matched the sole to the leather. Thanks for watching!
I had no issue breaking in my 2 pair of Iron Rangers. Those Green boots look awesome.
A few months down the road from this video I have to say the Jim Greens were a tougher break in. Thanks for watching!
Was looking for this comparison. My man...
@@elwalker9034 thanks for watching!
I am awaiting my latest JG customs. AR8's single lasted on the STC last with the Oringo sole. Following them closely to be up front when they get more cape buffalo hide. The Numzam may be my next custom. Soak them puppies and wear them dry with thick wool socks. Works on the buffalo leather like a treat.
What are we comparing? The boots are completely different. A stitchdown versus a Goodyear welt? Maybe compare two boots that are actually similar. Like a 1000 Mile Boot to a Red Wing Heritage.
Totally agree.
How its the sizing on the numaans? I have an African Ranger that comes with the foam footbed, but I think the Numzaan comes without any kind of footbed and in that case it might bit 1/2-1 size down
@@Juancitocap I went with the same size as my African Rangers, no comfort issues.
You mentioned in your other video that you bought the 8085 in size 7. What size is your sneakers?
I wear an 8 in my non boots
@@xplorsocal2222is the IR a snug fit or could you have gone half a size smaller? How much room do you have in your toe box?
@@xplorsocal2222I am the same size but after a few months the IRs got a it loose. I feel like 6.5 would have been better
@@Ironmelranger I probably could have gone with the 6.5EE and been fine
Nice video comparison. What do you think about sizing between the two boots. In regard to stichdown I understand its harder to resole. What are your thoughts on this.
You get less resoles with the stitch down for sure, the videos on the Jim Green channel make it look like it’s not too hard to resolve the stitch down.
There's different types of stitchdown. If the stitches go through the outsole, like on a lot of pacific northwest boots, then resoling is a bit more difficult, and limited to perhaps 3 rounds since the stitches are hard to get back into the same holes. The Jim Green stitches only go through the midsole and resin runner. The outsole is held on with glue. The outsole can easily be peeled off without undoing any stitches, so it's very easy to resole. I think you should be able to get at least 3 resoles, maybe more, before the midsole gets worn down (some will pull away or need to be sanded each time the sole is peeled off.)
The iron ranger is probably equally as thick, however not having the liner makes an impact. The big diff is the leather, the SB foot leather is jam packed with stuffed oils. That helps with the break in. VEG tan takes some time to break in.
The SB foot leather is really nice for sure. Thanks for watching.
Gareth of Jim Green mentioned that the veg retan leather used for the numzaan is a vegetable retanned chrome leather. Similar to horween's chromexcel. The base tannage is not veg tan
@@cheekibreeki9155 your right, it’s veg re-tan, thanks for bringing that up. Thank you for watching.
subtle differences....... completely different construction is very subtle.
Thanks for watching!
I own both, just got the Jim greens about a month. The Jim Green would be my choice 10/ 10 times without question. Actually not even close in my opinion.
You must have my exact taste in boots 😂 I have a pair of African rangers and 2 pairs of iron rangers. Really love the looks of the numzaan and after wearing my African rangers while my iron rangers are being resoled I’ve been debating on some numzaans
🤣 You have good taste! Give the Numzaan a try, I bet you will like it. Thanks for watching!
one big difference? i just walked into a Red Wing brick and mortar store and tried on various IR's to make sure i got the right size and walked out. the store vs. mail order thing is not mentioned in many reviews when comparing Red Wing's to other mail order brands. It is a meaningful factor.
I agree with that, I went to two stores to find the perfect fit, they have great service too.
I went to the Red Wing shop in my neck of the woods and tried on some options (after getting fitted, of course). Will never consider them as an option again. I bought a pair of Trumans (great) and some Allen Edmonds Landons (Bootlosophy has a video---$200 on sale). I guess that I got lucky with the sizing...all is well. Someday I want to travel to British Columbia and get fitted for a pair of Viberg Service boots. Currently, this is merely a fantasy. Would 100% recommend the Trumans. Next level quality.
Jim Green boots are true to size though, the same can't be said about Redwings. If you're a 10 US on the Brannock a Jim Green 10 US is the right fit. Redwings? It changes vastly depending on the model.
I have a RW Iron Ranger in size 7.5. What is the equivalent size in Jim Green?
@@jalcanites2939 I went with my regular show size for Jim Green and had no problems with the fit. Thanks for watching!
@@xplorsocal2222 by regular size, do you mean your regular size in Iron Rangers, or your regular size in sneakers? If I have 8 in Iron Rangers, would an 8 in Numzaan fit similarly?
Regular size meaning the same size as all my other shoes but down a size for redwing
Just received the numzaan boot in walnut with frog grip soleI love it very well built boot very comfortable how do feel about the sole s longevity
Thanks for watching. Time will tell with the sole, it is soft but I don’t use it very rough surfaces so it should hold up.
I own a pair of the Numzaan, and can agree they're incredible and an amazing value. However, make no mistake, this is not a pair of svelte office casual footwear. If they're not the definition of clown shoes, I don't know what is.
Thanks for watching!
Are the Jim Green compatible in sizing, please. I take a USA SIZE 11 WILL THE JIM gREEMN BE THE SAME THANKS ANYONE
I order my regular size in Jim Greens, I have four models from them and ordered them all in the same size. They are pretty true to size.
@@xplorsocal2222 Thanks for that
I have a pair of 8085s and man, they were very stiff. I hadn't had any "heritage" boots before that. I ended up having them resoled with a Vibram 1705 and had a leather midsole added. They're very stout and good looking boots.
But, if the Numzaan was available, I would have bought a pair of those instead.
Now I have a couple pairs of African Rangers, and find them to be a lot more comfortable (and roomy) than the Iron Rangers.
Jim Green is a great value for the money. I'm waiting to see what their moctoe boots look like!
Jim Green definitely provides a great value, I’m looking forward to the Moc toe as well. Thanks for watching!
I love my Iron Rangers, they look great, but the soles of my feet feel bruised after a full day of wearing them. I don’t want to put insoles in because I want them to mould to my feet, but after 8 months I’m wondering if they ever will. Have your insoles moulded yet?
My insoles haven’t molded to my feet yet, they are softening up though. Thanks for watching.
Eight month break in... jesus...
@@riverpower9402lol 😅
IRs with modern insoles is the only way to go. Classic quality construction, modern comfort. It's 2024. Our ancestors would have died to have dozens of insoles to choose from.
I own the IR and just received te Namzaan, though you do get a lot for the boot in the Namzaan, specailly with the Amazon Prime cost of $171 delivered, my thoughts, the IR has superior leather quality and workmanship, the Namzaan's leather has a lot of wrinkles in it and I know that's part of the character of the boot and most likely it's a tougher boot, it will not replace the elegance curvature of the IR. Sure for $171 you really gets your money's worth but it's not in the same class as the IR. Again my opinion. I have nothing against Jim Green as I think they are a great company, I have a couple of African Rangers and a Vellie.. I am glad to see this company grow..
I just ordered a Vellie, they have some priced at only $50, I got the chocolate rough out.
The cork used is not a mid-sole. Not in Redwings. Not in Allen-Edmonds. Not in Aldens. Not in any of the goodyear welted shoes.
Welted construction with gemming requires something to fill up the empty void caused by that gemming, otherwise there might be issues with weird pressure spots under the foot or the gemming may become unattached or torn from getting stepped on, which makes resoling more time consuming and expensive for the customer.
Whether it's cork, poron, or cut and carved leather, something must be used to fill the empty gap caused by the gemming.
A mid-sole is an extra layer, which while nice to have, is not strictly required for the boot to be properly built. Filler material for welted construction is not optional, so I think calling it a mid-sole is highly inaccurate.
Thanks for watching!
I missed the Amazon Sale. Sucks.
Me too, paid regular price, that’s still a great value though. Thanks for watching!
Red wing broke in easy
After 20 miles in 6 days they started to feel a little comfortable
I found the break in to be pretty easy too. Thanks for watching!
They have a new boot coming they're calling the 719 that is much closer in style to the Ranger, and with them being available on different lasts and wide width and with so many options, I'll never buy Rangers over JG's.
I am looking forward to those 719s!
Them Numzaan's is gonna last forever
They do feel like they are built to last!
Are you wearing 2 wristwatches? I just noticed. Lol 👍
Yeah lol, I review watches on my channel too. Thanks for watching!
@@xplorsocal2222 is Spinnaker a quality watchmaker?? Have you reviewed any?
Nice 👍
Iron Rangers are $600 in Aus, the Numzaan is $350... Don't think the Iron Ranger is worth almost double the price.
Yeah, not worth the IRs at that price. Thanks for watching!
I own both. To me the numzaan is a more comfortable boot to break in. The leather on the numzaan is thicker and does require a bit of time to shape to your foot, not to much though. Numzaan is much more comfortable to walk, hike in than iron rangers. The sole comfort is night and day. I hate to say it, but my numzaans are my first choice over my beloved iron rangers for any serious walking, especially in the country/woods where I live.
Which sole did you get on your Numzaan? I got Frog Grip on both my pairs. Thanks for watching.
Those are for hipsters not workers
Which?
Thanks for watching!
What’s the deal with the two watches……..??? Just wondering….!
@@rickgoesinya8005 trying keep them wound, and I like to review watches too. Thanks for watching!