Red Wing’s Most Versatile Everyday Boots Are Back and Better Than Ever

This reissued Red Wing model from the early 2000s can dress up or down.

Published September 4, 2024

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For a company founded in 1905, there are bound to be a few skeletons in the closet — or, in the case of Red Wing, boots.

Over its 119-year history, the Minnesota shoemaker has made dozens of models that no longer see the light of day, while some are only available overseas (and in extremely limited quantities).

One such boot was the Beckman, a plain-toe boot quietly discontinued in 2018. Built on a last similar to the Iron Ranger, it had it a round toe box that worked well with a pair of jeans, but it featured smooth-finished leather that could dress up when called upon.

red wing black boots — The new-and-improved Beckman, now available for $400.

Well, here’s the good news: the Beckman is back. Even better news: Red Wing gave it a few tweaks that make the boot even more unique within the company’s vast and storied catalog.

GP100 Winner

Red Wing Beckman

$400 at Red Wing Shoes

Rebuilt from the ground up

According to Red Wing lore, the Beckman was designed in the early 2000s but based off the needs of the company’s founder, Charles Beckman, from whom the boot derives its name.

He needed a boot that could “easily transition from the muddy streets of his first shop to an important business meeting,” Amy Peck, the director of product creation at Red Wing Heritage, tells Gear Patrol.

Beckman needed a boot that could “easily transition from the muddy streets of his first shop to an important business meeting.”

The Beckman of old came with a Vibram Roccia sole, which gave it traction but also a ruggedness that didn’t exactly match Charles Beckman’s original vision for a boot he could wear to meetings.

The new Beckman, meanwhile, comes with a rare Gro-Cord outsole, first developed for Red Wing in the 1920s and made from a mixture of tire cord.

sole of red wing black boot — Made with a mixture of tire cord, Gro-Cord outsoles were first developed in the 1920s.

“As the first non-leather outsole, [Gro-Cord outsoles] quickly became popular for their durability, comfort and traction,” Peck says.

Today, they carry all those same properties, while giving boots like the Beckman a sleek Easter egg from the Red Wing archive.

Improved wearability

The other big change is the fit, especially around the toe box. For the new model, Red Wing used its 224 last, which tones down the bulbous front end for a more “anatomical” shape, according to Peck.