About
The Romeo is a slip-on boot model manufactured by Wesco Boots as part of their heritage work boot collection. Described as "A Classic makes its return to the Wesco lineup," the Romeo offers the comfort and convenience found only in a slip-on design while maintaining the high-quality construction standards established by the American manufacturer over more than a century of bootmaking.
About
The Romeo is a slip-on boot model manufactured by Wesco Boots as part of their heritage work boot collection. Described as "A Classic makes its return to the Wesco lineup," the Romeo offers the comfort and convenience found only in a slip-on design while maintaining the high-quality construction standards established by the American manufacturer over more than a century of bootmaking.
The Romeo represents an entry-level offering in the Wesco product range, featuring customizable options including different leathers, stitching colors, lining materials, and sole choices. The current design incorporates significant improvements from the original 1970s model, addressing durability and fit issues through enhanced manufacturing techniques and materials sourcing.
Construction
Manufacturing Standards
The Romeo boot follows Wesco's traditional 155-step hand-crafting manufacturing process, requiring skill, strength, and discipline from dedicated craftsmen working in the company's Scappoose, Oregon facility. Each boot is constructed using full grain leather cut directionally from the best parts of the hide rather than maximizing material usage per hide.
Construction features include a spring steel shank with double layers of leather over the foot and heel area. The boots utilize leather insoles and midsoles rather than cork construction, maintaining the company's preference for traditional materials. All Romeo boots are fully rebuildable, reflecting Wesco's commitment to creating footwear designed for long-term use and maintenance rather than replacement.
Design Features
The Romeo's slip-on design utilizes elastic goring materials sourced from United States manufacturers, representing an improvement from the original 1970s construction. The updated design addresses previous issues where elastic goring would fail and the straight heel design caused slipping problems. The current heel design incorporates a curved profile to improve fit and prevent the boot from slipping off during wear.
Customization options allow buyers to select from different leather types, stitching colors, lining materials, and sole configurations to meet specific requirements or preferences.
History
The Romeo model was originally introduced in the 1970s as part of Wesco's classic boot collection. However, the early design faced significant functional challenges including elastic goring failure and fit issues caused by the straight heel construction that allowed feet to slip out of the boots.
Wesco addressed these problems through design improvements including sourcing thicker elastic goring material from United States manufacturers and redesigning the heel with a curved profile. These modifications transformed the Romeo into a more reliable slip-on option while maintaining the boot's convenience appeal.
The model's development reflects Wesco's broader manufacturing heritage, which began in 1918 when John Henry Shoemaker founded West Coast Shoe Company in Portland, Oregon. Following relocation to Scappoose in 1931 during the Great Depression, the company established its current manufacturing facility in 1933, where Romeo boots continue to be produced using traditional hand-crafting methods.
References
"Stock Romeo". Wesco Boot Builder. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
"Wesco Boots Official Website". West Coast Shoe Company. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
"Wesco Factory Tour - Part 1". Division Road, Inc. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
"Wesco Boots". Baker Shoe Company. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
"Wesco". Standard & Strange. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
