Red Wing Engineer

Growing up in an agricultural community boots have always been by the door. They are just as much of a tool as they are a fashion statement. While a lot of us can say that we wear boots because our work requires it, for myself I can honestly say that style and color plays just as big of a role as durability and value. I figure if I must wear boots for work, might as well wear a pair that makes me feel good and am proud to show up to a meeting out in the field or in the office. When I found out about the Patina Thunderdome contest, I realized that one of the only unworn pair of boots I had in possession were a pair of Red Wing Engineers in Hawthorne Driftwood (smooth side of Hawthorne Muleskinner) that were out for a resole. They were my ultimate work boot: a unique light color leather, pull on engineer boots for access, and Vibram corded soles that would be long lasting without tracking mud. From the start I committed to keeping them in my rotation and wearing them at least 3 times a week. On to the contest, Farmers are notorious for being frugal and in the harsh outdoor conditions, we need our equipment to be up to the task. While I was a little hesitant to wear these boots hard for the first couple of months, once we got to December, I found that I couldn't walk past them without feeling the need to increase the wear to a minimum 4 times a week regardless of conditions or activities. I wore them because I didn't want to wear anything else, it wasn't because of the competition. They had become my favorite amongst a closet full. As for conditioning and maintenance, I treated them like I would any new work boot, at first a lot of daily brushing and hosing off the dirt and mud, but by the end of winter had dwindled down to cleaning as necessary. When I was a kid, my mom used to say that people judge you by the appearance of your footwear and to always keep my shoes clean, this has always been something that stuck with me over 30 years later and I can still hear her wo