Wolverine Shoes

samhill wrote:Rob, you got to watch I just bought a pair of Red Wings & I'm guessing at least some are Made in China or elsewhere. Mine have been great so far no complaints other than not American Made.

Thanks Sam, I specifically checked that on the new set to make sure.

Kim says I worse than Imelda Marcos with boots but hey I like em .

She got me a pair of Altberg Hoggs which are handmade in Yorkshire, UK. The last time I was over there at the UK house I was fitted for them. Pretty cool, they keep your fitting filed away.

My regular day to days alternate between Chippewa 6" steel toes and some of the old Carolina carpenter style 6" with the wedge sole and steel toes and Danner Acadia's I've had good luck with Chippewa and Carolina boots for the money. The Danner's are a great boot too but quite a bit more dosh.

I don't know if it happens to everyone or perhaps my new knees somehow had something to do with it but my feet went up a size & I'm now 65. I thought that feet quit growing but just asking my wife she said no just slow down a lot. Anyway when your in the market for size 14 xxwide there aren't many to choose from, I had several pair of Red Wings & work boots from iron age that no longer fit.

samhill wrote:Rob, you got to watch I just bought a pair of Red Wings & I'm guessing at least some are Made in China or elsewhere. Mine have been great so far no complaints other than not American Made.

If they have a molded sole like a sneaker then they are most likely at least partially made overseas. The last pair of Red Wings I bought were just the hiker type with a molded sole, "Made in the USA with imported Materials"

Kinda like the insulated work gloves I bought in reverse, had a big label of a U.S. flag but the patent was held by an Ohio Co. that made the material & they were made overseas, can't figure how that was cheaper but I guess it is, the boat floats both ways.

An old Italian bricklayer boss I had when I was young would say "I hirer no one unless boots and lunch bucket made in US!" And he was not joking! I still have nightmares about that man. RIP.

samhill wrote:Kinda like the insulated work gloves I bought in reverse, had a big label of a U.S. flag but the patent was held by an Ohio Co. that made the material & they were made overseas, can't figure how that was cheaper but I guess it is, the boat floats both ways.

Sam, I remember when I was kid, "Made in Japan" meant crap cheapo junk similar to what made in China was maybe 10yrs ago. Nowadays, made in Japan for most things means pretty dang good quality. I'm willing to bet that the same will happen to China as tine goes on. It's highly dependent on whomever is deciding the price point for the most part. The shoe and boot industry is probably 70% (maybe more) made in China these days.

pretty close Steve...

Percent of U.S. shoes made in China 72 %

http://www.statisticbrain.com/china-manufacturing ... tatistics/

I actually thought it would be higher than that.

Richard S. wrote:

samhill wrote:Rob, you got to watch I just bought a pair of Red Wings & I'm guessing at least some are Made in China or elsewhere. Mine have been great so far no complaints other than not American Made.

If they have a molded sole like a sneaker then they are most likely at least partially made overseas. The last pair of Red Wings I bought were just the hiker type with a molded sole, "Made in the USA with imported Materials"

Richard, if you go on the Red Wing online catalog you can sort the products by Country of Origin. There is Made in USA, Made in USA with imported materials, and Imported.

Rob R. wrote: Richard, if you go on the Red Wing online catalog you can sort the products by Country of Origin. There is Made in USA, Made in USA with imported materials, and Imported.

I have two sets of Red wings. I have my loggers which are 100% US and the "other" ones which are a lighter boot. The store really didn't have anything light in the US only version.

I still wear US made Red Wings style 953, 8" boot everyday. I can't wear the suckers out. I have the 6" versions too. I love those new Dr Scholls arches. Added to these basic style work boots, feels like I am bouncing! I'm flat footed since childhood...

So to continue the story, I did return the shoes, got the free replacements, also made in Red China, they were more water resistant then the first pair, I could walk in wet grass without getting wet feet. As far as rain, forget it. And now this: I will check out the links in the previous posts.

I recently got a set of Chippewa boots, so far I am impressed. I bought them because of the big "Made in USA" tag.

Newbalance makes SOME models of sneakers here in the US.

Been using Timberland Pro's the last 10 years. I like them. Rather wear them than sneakers. Stand up to railroad ballast pretty good. Matt