From Awkward to Staple

This have been my daily driver since the start of the dome, with occasional days off for variety and to let the boots rest. Most days, they went used for anything special as I work a dream job remotely. There was a standard assortment of heavy use days with some short car work and roof work that impacted the sides. Due to it being a Very Dry winter in Denver, they didn't get much exposure to snow and salt.

These have evolved beautifully. They took on a lot of rub off color from my jeans and the vamp has darkened a bit compared to the quarters. There are a few spots that, when the light hits them just right, have a touch of shine, in particular on the toe. These have not been touched as far as any conditioner or protector since the start of the dome.

For me, Red Wing's last No. 8 is a Goldilocks last for me. I typically normally wear a size 14-15 sneakers and most other shoes (14 is fine for casual wear, I may go to 15 in shoes that run small) and these size 13 RWs are perfect for me. Everything just fits the way it should for my foot shape. If my foot was a different shape, they would be too small, and because I have a low volume foot, a 14 in these just would not fit at all.

Standard Red Wing Heritage construction. Good and durable, but not perfect. The 2 flaws I have found are extremely nitpicky, with the counter covers not being perfectly aligned with each other as they go up the heal, and a small yarn blob set the start of maybe end of the lace eye reinforcement stitch. Both are such minor things that you don't even notice unless you are really analysing the boot.

Solid low profile some that is pretty hard wearing. Personally, I would like something with a bit more traction and softness, but that is just because I would prefer it. And I think the Vibram v100 in honey would look awesome in these boots.

I started this journey with 1 goal: to get more comfortable wearing a suede (or in this case rough-out) boot as I have historically avoided them for to concerns that I would mess up the nap. Spending 6 months wearing these most of the time has helped me get over it and embrace some of the changes, and wear the damn boots. The thunderdome has at least mentally given me the opportunity, as well as the goal to see what happens. After this, the wear on these will drop some ass a start wearing my other pair of boots (as I have was to many) but they have definitely moved up in my order of favorite boots. Also to any boot makers who may be reading this and unrelated, MAKE MORE HALF SIZES. Wearing these have reminded me just how many boots I have don't fit perfectly, everything is a compromise, except for my feet in the RW No 8 last