Posted By Ibropalic on Oct 20, 2018 | 1 comment

If you’re looking for a pair of sturdy dress boots from a quality American brand, two brands you’ll likely end up weighing are Red Wing vs Wolverine. While both of these brands are arguably known better for their work boots, both make dress shoes and boots as well.

In fact, the dressier boots and shoes by Redwing and Wolverine are their flagship offerings. Like Chevrolet and the Corvette, Redwing and Wolverine have a special facility set aside solely for crafting Redwing Heritage Boots and Wolverine 1000 Mile boots.

Most famous are the base 1000 Mile model from Wolverine and Red Wing’s Iron Ranger boots. The stylish man is most likely to consider the Red Wing Iron Ranger vs Wolverine 1000 Mile boots.

Each company’s respective offerings as a whole are diverse, offering something for everyone from the office professional to the casual boot wearer to tradesmen to backcountry hunters…and all points in between. It would take years to go over the whole line. Let’s consider their top of the line models for now.

Red Wing Iron Ranger Boots

Red Wing Iron Ranger boots are a new take on one of Red Wing’s original boots. Red Wing shoes were launched in the town of Wing, Minnesota, where they are still located today. The Red Wing shoe company was launched to provide work shoes and boots, and one of the first demographics was workers in and around Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range, a belt of ore deposits running through the state that was mined for the steel industry.

Whether leaning toward Red Wing Iron Ranger vs Wolverine 1000 Mile boots, both are descended from work boots that were worn by thousands of workers, so they are both proven designs in a practical setting.

Workers in the mine needed a sturdy work boot that was also flexible enough for the cramped spaces involved in mining, but that also featured a capped toe to provide metatarsal protection. The original boot also included speed hooks for the laces, cork midsoles for comfortable wear (cork provides support while forming to the foot, much like a custom orthotic) and oil-resistant outsoles with lug treads for sure traction.

The design was retired by the 1990s, but was revived again in 2008 as part of Red Wing’s Heritage label, which specializes in handmade examples of classic styles including the original boot design, which was dubbed the Iron Ranger.

The Iron Ranger boot is a 6-inch boot with a capped toe, resembling an Oxford with a full shaft. Goodyear welt construction ensures solid construction but also that the boot is rebuildable, if needs be, with a partial lug sole. Four pairs of eyelets and three pairs of speed hooks hold the laces, and the toe is still capped.

Seven colors of leather are available, including three shades of brown (Copper, Amber and Oxblood Mesa) one of tan (Hawthorne) and three shades of black, including a distressed (charcoal) matte (black) and a glossy Harness Black leather.

MSRP is $319, and for that you get a handmade boot that is equal parts fashion boot and work boot. While you could wear them to a job site, they are equally at home in the office in business professional and business casual dress. Iron Ranger boots are a dashing choice of formal winter footwear or for any time of the year.

Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots

The latter choice in Red Wing Iron Ranger vs Wolverine 1000 Mile boots is just as good a selection in many regards. The standard boot is likewise descended from a classic design of work boot from the Wolverine Shoe and Tanning Company.

Wolverine got their start making work boots and shoes about 20 years before Red Wing, and likewise had its inception in the upper Midwest as they were founded in Grand Rapids, Michigan but later expanded to Rockford, Michigan, where they are still located.

The 1000 Mile boot was launched in 1914, using a very similar design to the Iron Ranger as that was the dominant work boot design of the day. The standard boot is likewise similar to a modern day dress oxford, with a six inch shaft and seven-eyelet design. However, the 1000 Mile boot deviates as the standard model lacks the toe cap.

The outsole is a leather bottom with a Vibram heel, attached via a Goodyear welt. The 1000 Mile boot also has four pairs of eyelets with three speed hooks on the upper.

The boot is crafted from leather from the Horween tannery in Chicago, but fewer color choices are available. The standard 1000 Mile boot is available in three shades of brown – namely Brown, Cordovan and Rust – and in black.

However, a difference between the Red WingIron Ranger vs Wolverine 1000 Mile boot is the latter is available with more variations. Wolverine makes variants with a toe cap, wingtips, wedge soles, roughout leather, with lug soles and more.

MSRP is a bit more at $365, but just like the Iron Ranger is a handmade leather boot that’s tough as nails but classes up any ensemble from the casual to full professional dress.

Red Wing Vs Wolverine Boots

Which to get between the Red Wing vs Wolverine boots?

The Red Wing Iron Ranger vs Wolverine 1000 Mile boots are very similar in construction and appearance. Both are stylish but incredibly practical; you could wear these in the boardroom, the backyard or even into the backcountry if called upon to do so.

Both are handmade in the USA, and are rebuildable. In other words, you can have these boots resoled or even completely rebuilt; these boots could last your entire lifetime if cared for.

True, the 1000 Mile Boot has a few different iterations, but the gentleman buying a Wolverine 1000 Mile Boot isn’t buying it as a workboot. Wolverine’s Durashock boots are vastly more popular for that purpose as are Red Wing work boots.

There aren’t many practical factors that would make one more favorable than another, so it’s going to come down to which boot YOU end up preferring. Since both require a substantial investment, make sure to try on a pair of each in person. The one that looks best and feels best to you is the better choice.

However, whichever boot you choose, you’re getting one of the best boots in existence.