I was born and raised in Minnesota, just an hour from Red Wing's HQ. As long as I've been interested in boots, I've been wearing Red Wings. After expanding my color palate from the usual black and browns, I've been looking for a good green boot that still offers some versatility. Enter the Red Wing 8288 Moc Toe in Alpine Portage leather. I'd wanted a pair of iconic Moc Toes for awhile but this was the first pair I really wanted.
I'm usually a 9.5D in most brands but take a full size down for Red Wings. I tried a 9D just to be safe but the 8.5D just felt right.
I started off by breaking these boots in on a 2-week trip to Norway. They experienced lots and lots of walking, often in wet conditions. I've also used them for walking on the beach and hiking a few times and they easily survived a relatively light MN winter. They logged the most miles while walking my dog though.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this leather at first but it handled scratches reasonably well, almost taking on a bit of a teacore effect the more I wore them. I conditioned them halfway through the contest, mostly just to see what would happen. Break in was relatively easy compared to some of my other Red Wings but the first day or two were a little rough.
These fit like a glove after 6 months of heavy wear. The leather is buttery soft and supple and they've formed beautifully to my feet. Maybe my best fitting pair of boots to date.
These have a nice, chunky look which is only enhanced by the militaristic color palette. The leather has only gotten better with age, although I wish the seams on the Moc Toe part of the boot had held together better. They're not the most beautifully finished boots I've had but they're solidly constructed and I have full confidence they can handle years of wear.
I prefer wedge soles for their all-day comfort, however these Red Wing Traction Tred soles seemed to wear faster than other Crepe soles I've had. By the end of the contest, the soles where the balls of my feet hit are worn completely smooth, making them a bit slippery in wet/icy conditions.
I loved wearing these boots and it felt good to have a connection to Red Wing while wearing these in the contest. I'm fortunate to usually buy my Red Wings from the factory outlet but I paid full price for these ($320) and feel like they're probably worth it.