This Upgraded Classic American Boot Just Got a Rare Price Cut

Anyone who is into boots knows Red Wing Shoe Company, even if they don’t know the exact details of the brand’s backstory. For those totally unfamiliar with the brand, it was founded in 1905 and is named after the small Minnesota town where it began making durable boots designed for the trench warfare of WWI. The company still makes footwear today.  

After racking up over 100 years of experience making handmade boots in America, in 2008, the company decided to launch a new and admittedly confusingly named sub-brand – Red Wing Heritage.

The focus of the sub-label was simple: reviving and improving iconic styles sourced from the company’s expansive footwear design archive.

Now, Zappos is offering one of the sub-label’s most quintessential releases at the lowest price we’ve seen the boot hit. If you want to learn more about what makes these boots so special, keep reading.

Red Wing

Save $93

Red Wing Heritage Classic Moc Gore-Tex

Zappos is selling the quintessential Red Wing boot at a surprising discount at 25% off.

• $277 at Zappos
  $370 (25% off)

It’s a Prime Example of What Makes Red Wing’s Heritage Label Special

Red Wing

Few projects under the Red Wing Heritage brand have embodied the sub-label’s mission quite like the GORE-TEX Classic Moc.

As the name suggests, Red Wing upgraded arguably its most iconic boot, known numerically as the 8864, with a GORE-TEX bootie and fully waterproof Oro Russet Leather.

While the inclusion of GORE-TEX is the headliner here, don’t sleep on the leather detailing, which also explains another strange Easter egg Red Wing added to these boots.

As Stitchdown’s Josh Bornstein outlined in his thorough explainer published a few years back, the reddish Oro Russet color was originally created via bark tannins sourced from California redwoods. The color was also commonly referred to casually as “Irish Setter,” given the leather’s color similarity to the well-known dog breed. As the term grew in popularity, Red Wing decided to trademark the name and add unique Irish Setter labels to boots sporting the distinctive reddish brown color. Eventually, Red Wing created an entire hunting and sportsman-focused brand known as Irish Setter, which still exists today.

Boot Experts Also Vouch for the Boot’s Unique But Impressive Construction

Red Wing Shoe Company

So the saying goes: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s why boot expert and YouTube personality Rose Anvil had concerns about potential design sacrifices Red Wing had to make to launch this boot. He also wondered if they were really waterproof, so he decided to cut them open to examine the shoe’s construction details.

“We dunked it in the waterproof tank, and it passed with flying colors,” Anvil shared in his video breakdown. Anvil also pointed out the significance of the Gore-Tex tag on the boot. As his research revealed, any brand hoping to use the tag must send Gore-Tex a product sample first for independent testing before the label is approved.

Anvil’s fears over shoddy construction techniques were also assuaged after cutting the boots in half to review their build quality. While the shoes don’t feature the classic heavy – and painful-to-break in-leather sole construction of some Red Wing’s, the construction did match the brand’s more modern, comfort-oriented blueprint, which features 4-3 mm of memory foam and full-length, fiberboard insole. And Anvil, as acknowledged later in his breakdown, even if Red Wing’s choice didn’t align with his purist instincts, “it makes way more sense to build [this boot] this way.”

Existing Owners Sing the Boot’s Praises Too

Probably the most encouraging data point about this boot, though, was a personal review shared by Redditor Raw-Indighoul in the r/goodyearwelt subreddit. After owning and using the boots for over three years, he’s been thoroughly impressed with how the Red Wing Heritage Gore-Tex Moctoes have held up.

“I’ve taken these to Africa, Southeast Asia, and Europe. They’ve seen all types of weather from a heatwave in Italy (feet got too hot), to a polar vortex in the Midwest (feet nice and toasted), to getting completely soaked while visiting Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe (my feet remained dry), to sandy patches on the African savannah looking at elephant herds. My feet were always comfortable and dry; nothing gets through the gore-tex.”

He also shared some excellent photos of how his pair has patinaed and aged for anyone who is curious.

Red Wing

Save $93

Red Wing Heritage Classic Moc Gore-Tex

Zappos is selling the quintessential Red Wing boot at a surprising discount at 25% off.

• $277 at Zappos
  $370 (25% off)

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