I love my redwings.
this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2024
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Buy it for Life
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Bit late to the party, but something to be aware of if you're buying Solovair. I have a pair of astronaut boots, had them for about 20 months, worn them almost daily and I need to get them resoled now. I went to my local cobblers and they said they don't do Solovair, they just do glue jobs. I went to Solovair (I'm local to their factory) and they said that they're currently doing so much business that they're not able to offer resoling. They provided details of two webshops (keycobbler.co.uk and bootrepaircompany.co.uk) who do offer this service, but that involves sending them off for weeks and weeks. So I'm going to need to buy a second pair of boots to wear while my first pair are out for repair. And the resole is a significant chunk of the original boot cost: I spent under £170 on the boots, and they're going to cost £70 to resole plus shipping.
I'm still going to do it, I love them and I'd have spent a similar amount on trainers in the same period just through wear and tear, but it's not particularly a money saver or a convenience.
I guess that when I do have two pairs I'll be able to rotate them daily so this will be something that comes up every four years rather than every two.
Boots, like tires and lightbulbs, are consumables.
agree, but some parts last longer than others and I'd prefer to be able to replace the soles for example or for them to hold as long as possible
I'd you have a local cobbler/shoemaker you might want to ask them. I would expect them to be able to tell you what to get if you want them to repair it.
Not sure if they are available in the EU, but Roots Tuff boots are fantastic.
I've had two pairs, the first pair I got second hand and still lasted me a few years, the second pair I've had for about 3 or 4 years now and are barely showing any signs of wear.
No footwear is truly buy it for life, but if you get something resoleable with a goodyear welt you can get more life out of the footwear.
Redwing, Solovair, and Danner are examples of companies that offer some of their boots made in this way, but there are a number of other companies out there.
Thx for making me aware of Danner!
I am thinking of eventually getting the following set and am interested in your thoughts on it
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main boots: I'm undecided here whether to get the Black Greasy 10 Eye Steel Toe Capped Derby Boot or Black Greasy 11 Eye Steel Toe Derby Boot
Why does the 11 eye cost less than the 10 eye variant? -
for walking a lot in the city: Black Greasy Urban Hiker
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for the office I work at & general business casual settings: Black Greasy Sneaker 070
the black greasy is great, my 3 holes are that and I really dig it. The glossy is fun but the greasy is classy
my thoughts exactly! also from my understanding the greasy leather is of higher quality than the glossy ones?
Still not sure about the 10 vs 11 eyes tho
Redwings, had a pair last 5+ years of 16 hr days. Re-soled and wore them another 5 years before throwing them out
uuu thx for the suggestion, might buy some of these for more fem outfits
They don’t seem to be fem imo, but whatever. Don’t forget to go with steel toe. Also they quadrupled on price over 20 years.
I would recommend avoiding steel toe unless you specifically need that protection. Steel toe boots are generally less comfortable than non-steel toe, especially for things like hiking.
hmmmm maybe I'll get separate pairs then
the ones I found where (ofc relatively) more fem, also ye seems quite expensive
Their heritage line are descended from classic men’s work boots, intended for iron workers, miners, that sort of thing. You know what you like, but they’re stereotypically masculine workwear style boots.
Unfortunately, quality boots that last a long time tend to be handmade and therefore quite expensive. The bummer is that some brands have gotten really good at making boots that look high end but aren’t.
The YouTube channel Rose Anvil cuts boots apart to look at build quality and construction. They do some solovair boots. If that’s something you are interested in I highly recommend you check it out.
I've had a few pairs of Solovair boots. Good quality and durable. My only complaint is it takes a while to work them in. I absolutely love their leather insoles. I'd buy another pair without much consideration, when I need my next pair.
thx for the insight, I was thinking about getting a proper lineup of shoes for day to day life and Solovair is pretty high up the list for me
I've easily walked a couple 100 miles in the Seattle weather with the 8 holes. They have stood up really well. I wear the 3 holes mostly these days. I don't bus commute and walk as much.
they look quite well when keeping the "mileage " in mind. For how long have you had these?
also thank you for the input ^^
a bit off topic, but I love the carpet
(also posted a list as a comment on the parent post, what do you think about it?)
I have had them for a long time. I'd think 10 years but actually its probably 15+ years now. I wore them 99% of the time for a lot of those years
when I asked my wife how many miles she thinks I walked in them, she said thousands of miles. I walked a lot for work and just because it was easier then the bus or parking a car while living in Downtown Seattle
ok that's srly impressive, I hope they haven't reduced production quality since then