Red Wing Heritage Men's Beckman Round 6" Boot

I've always loved boots. When I was in high school, I remember wearing a beat up pair of old Wolverines until the soles literally disintegrated. But for a while, I got away from the lifestyle. But recently, my lifestyle and own personal sense of style seemed to demand a return to wearing functional footwear that also looked great. After some research on multiple websites, I determined that the consensus was that Red Wing was the best combination of price value and quality (although really, you can't go wrong with Wolverine or Chippewa either). Between these and the Iron Rangers, I chose to go with the Beckmans for a couple of reasons. 1) The soles on the Beckman aren't the super slick cork that the Iron Rangers use. Although it's only a half lugged sole, it gives you MUCH more grip than the Iron Ranger ever will. (Although if you must have the Iron Ranger, but want a better grip, check out the Oxblood version. Red Wing puts a lugged sole on only that color currently, for some reason) 2) Working in a smart-casual/business casual environment, the Beckmans were a better choice for me. Although you will NEVER get away with wearing these with a suit, they don't look out of place at all with a nice pair of chinos or khakis. Also, the leather is easy to polish up to a nice sheen, if desired. Upon unboxing these bad boys, there's one word that comes to mind: substantial. The leather is quality, and quite thick. The smell is like tanner's heaven. Picking them up, these are heavy for a pair of boots. These are built to last for a very, very long time. As far as fit goes, I agree with all the other reviews. Size down. IF YOU HAVE A WIDE FOOT: Do a half size down. That's what I did, and they're perfect. I'm usually a 12, and wear a 11.5 in these. IF YOU HAVE A NORMAL FOOT/WANT TO WEAR INSOLES: You should probably go a full size down. I personally don't mind the stiff insole the Beckmans, but I can imagine you'll need the extra room just to get them on if you're putting anything extra inside the boot. BREAKING THEM IN: This seems to vary widely from person to person. It took me a couple of days to get the full comfort level, and I never experienced the pain some people here describe. I started just by wearing them around the house for a couple of hours, and only the first time did my feet come away remotely sore. No blisters or other problems to report. Nowadays I can wear them all day without a second thought. They're not running shoes, obviously, but I have run for short distances in them with no issue. It's still slightly tricky getting them on and off, though. Plan ahead if you want to wear them to the airport. ARE THEY WORTH THE MONEY AND BREAK-IN? I'd say yes, absolutely. These are a darn fine pair of boots. If you want a pair of shoes you can buy, and then not worry about, then you've come to the right place. I recently hiked up a small mountain in Colorado wearing them, snow and all, and these Beckmans kept my feet warm, and my footing solid. Although I personally wouldn't wear these doing manual labor, that's more about the price point than the quality - they could certainly handle a hard day's work, I just don't want to mess up the beautiful leather so early in their lifespan if I can help it. So far, all they've needed is the occasional wiping off from dust. Simply put, these are the best boots I've ever owned.

It took me about 2 years to buy these boots. Usually, I look for boots in the $60-$100 range, and replace them about every 18 months. But every week or so, I'd check Amazon and other online sellers to see if the price of these apparently perfect boots would ever drop. It didn't. But my pop is a die-hard RedWing fan, having an impressive collection that includes some pair older than I am. "Do you like buying boots?" He asked. "No," I replied. "Then buy these, and don't ever have to buy any again." Now that I have them, I see what he means. It's night and day to any other pair I've ever owned. Sure, at first they were stiff, and there was a hotspot along the side of my foot after the second day of all-day wear, but two-weeks later, they fit perfectly and are as comfortable as a good sneaker. They look sharp and I get compliments constantly (I bought the "Cigar" color). They were true to size for me. I bought the same size I wear in Timbs, if that helps. I wear them in my busy office where I'm often on my feet, and also at home, where I work for hours as a carpenter. I've also worn them out about the town. Nasty New England ice hasn't proven a problem, and feet stay warm and dry during long, rainy city walks. In fact, I'd say that for long walking, these are the best things I've ever strapped to my feet; even better than my runners. I may not have much to offer folks who are considering these but already own a few other pair of pricey boots, except I can say that they're exquisitely crafted, comfortable, and as I said, look sharp as heck with jeans. To those who are unsure about spending this much, but are tired of the boot let-down or having to have four pairs of boots because the "do-alls" are always too expensive, I say go for it. The moment they're on your feet, the cost will make sense. Edit: I've now had these boots for a whole year, wearing the absolute heck out of them, and they look even better than the day I bought them. I oiled them with some pine-tar boot protector and they darkened at first, almost too much, and it broke my heart, but then they lightened back up. The age around the toebox adds awesome character and the more I wear these, the more people comment on them, and the more comfortable they get. Still my absolute favorite footwear.

No RW store had this shoes for me to try. So I spent hours and days reading reviews and finally bought this. So here are my 2 cents. 1) color: love the color. This is not burgandy or cheap looking redish color. It's like dark brown with hint of red. Beautiful color. If you ever get it scratched, you can apply RW burgandy shoe cream and it disappears. No worries there. 2) shape & style: classic with little bulge tip, but not goofy looking at all. Nice slender (some calls it long), but make it look very streamlined. Nothing bulky, simply elegant with ready to hit the dirt kind of attitude. 3) size: go half size smaller. Read almost all comments regarding the size, trust me... save yourself a trouble and go half size smaller. It is little narrow, but will stretch out. 4) break-in: Yes, it will be uncomfortable. I don't recommend putting mink oil. Yes, it will stretch out easier and make break-in period less painful, but mink oil is not recommended on this boots. Just toughen out for couple days. It will be worth it. 5) insole: no traditional cushion insole here. Just a leather bottom. Yes, it's hard, but will mold to your fit especially around your heel and ball area. Weird fact, I walked 7 hours after break-in. I didn't feel much of discomfort. In fact, it felt better than the ones with cushioned boots. Weird.... I thought about buying a insole but I will skip it until it is absolutely necessary. 6) durability: here are my cons. Sole is 3 ply leather and 1 ply rubber. This is my second pair of RW Beckman and they both show the split between the leather ply. Nothing serious, but it is still $340 boot. Leather is fantastic. It looks and feels better as it age, but still.. the leather sole splitting... Almost perfect...

The "Beckman" has a leather sole so it feels much stiffer when you get it out of the box than the Iron Rangers, which have a hard rubber sole. The waxed laces are stiff and so at least initially must be tightened at each grommet. The Iron Rangers have a round lace that can be pulled up every second or third grommet. You also have to use a little care with initial lacing to get the flat laces to lay right. I typically pull out the laces from the top two grommets for ease of taking on and off. The Beckman's have no speed laces, the Iron Rangers have three speed hooks. Note: the last used to make the Beckmans and the Iron Rangers is the same (last #8), so if you try on a pair of one, the other will probably fit you in the same size. I purchased the Men's 8 which is a 41 EU size, and that is exactly what I wear in other shoes. The EU size vs the US size varies between brands, but in my case I ended out with the EU size I normally wear. Red Wing makes some shoes in Women's sizes but due to my high instep, I buy Men's. Be aware of the thickness of the socks you intend to wear. I wear medium wool blend socks but if you want to wear thick "boot" socks, you may want to buy half a size larger. Don't be scared off by the allegedly difficult break in. These boots are definitely stiff when you buy them, but if you get the right size, they'll be wear-all-day comfortable within a couple weeks. They are not tennis shoes, so they just aren't going to feel like that, probably ever. But the ankle support is great and the stiffness of the leather really supports your feet. I work in an office so can wear them all day right out of the box. The heavy leather does take some time to conform to your foot, but the quality of that leather means that you will have these boots for a long time. I oil all my leather shoes when I first buy them because I think it protects the leather from water damage. I have a pair of Doc Martens that are over 20 years old, so I'd say that works. I can't speak to longevity because I haven't had them long enough to say, but it's reasonable to assume that leather this thick will hold up well.

I struggled for a long time before I decided to buy these boots. I looked at all the reviews and thought hard about what size to get. as you know, many people say to size down at least half a size for the beckman/gentleman traveler. they say these boots are unlined and without an insole. this is only halfway true! there is no lining on the sides, yes; all that is there is the other side of the leather, no fabric (in fact there is no fabric anywhere on this boot). this is good for those of us in warmer climates. but reviewers are only partly correct when they say there is no insole. in fact, there is a permanent (unremovable) leather insole! many people say (and it was the design of Red Wing that) these boots are to be worn without additional insoles and that your foot should rest on the leather insole. this is the biggest point of controversy over the beckman/gentleman traveler. personally, i wear these boots without additional insoles, and i do so happily. the leather insole will eventually mold to your foot. for some feet this process may be violent. it is also true that there is no arch support. i generally enjoy good arch support but with these boot i find it is not a necessity; i can walk all day with out it. it is important to discuss how these leather insoles will effect the size you buy. i encourage you to go to the local red wing store and find what size red wings fit you well. when you know that follow this formula: if you intend to wear these boots without additional insoles (which i recommend) then please size down half a size. it is my opinion that Red Wing made the interior of these boots a bit bigger so that customers could fit the wool lining of their choice in the boots (after all this is a company who's headquarters is in a very cold place, yet these boots come unlined). however, if you want to wear insoles with these boots then do this: you see, i find this leather has stretched considerably in the one week that i have owned them. i could reasonably fit some THIN insoles in these boots now, something i could not do on the first day. on the first day i did try several insoles and with even the thinest i found that the top of my foot was severely pressed across the area that is at the bottom of the laces where many layers of leather are stacked. this area which was the tightest at first has now stretched out considerably and i can comfortably wear thin insoles the boots. therefore, if you desire to wear thick insoles then you ought to buy your true red wing size. now i will tell you what you will experience if you decide to buy these boots online without ever having tried them on. you will follow my advice and the advice of others who have told you to size down half a size, you will buy the boots online and feel your heart race as you realized you have spent 300 dollars on boots you have never tried on. in a few days you will get the boots and quickly try them on. you will be shocked at how small they are and you will have buyers remorse. you will think about returning them. you will walk around the house in them to see what it is like to walk on leather insoles only. you will worry that they will hurt your feet if you walk a long distance. you will try to walk back and forth in you living room for 15 minutes to simulate walking across the city...you will get bored and begin to re-read reviews about these boots to see if you made a poor decision in either sizing or with these boots altogether. this will go on like this for about two or three days. but as you wear them about your house, you will find that they begin to loosen up a bit. and then you will walk outside...and then down the street for an extended period. finally, you will see that these boot do actually fit! and that you love walking on the leather insoles, you don't need hiking insoles after all! yay! but, for those of you who have need of arch support, you will want to get some good insoles. but for everyone, you will think these boots are a bit tight at first, and wonder if you need to size up. but please don't! they loosen up considerably! they may have some uncomfortable spots at first when you walk, but keep at it and they will soften up considerably. do not be discouraged! these boots are worth the pain of the first week. they will serve you for years to come. one final note: to get these boots on and off you should take the laces out of the first or even second set of holes. unlike hiking boots or the Iron Ranger, these boots do not have the hooks, but nevertheless, you will need the extra room to put them on and off. this slows things down a bit, which is perhaps not ideal, but i think the holes as opposed to hooks look a bit classier and streamlined.

These boots are great great great. I sized down 1/2 size from normal dress shoe size and it's the right fit. It's 100% true that these boots are stiff as a board for the first week or so, depending on how many hours a day and how many days of those weeks you wear them. People say you have to "earn" these, and that is an accurate statement. I walked my dogs in these boots for about 30 minutes at a time for around 2 weeks (just to break them in before fall weather), and they were comfortable and broken in at that point. One of them did rub a good blister on one of my heels, but alas, I have found the solution.... order this product when you order your boots: http://www.amazon.com/Blister-Relief-Prevention-Patches-Running/dp/B00YYBIIZA/ref=pd_bxgy_121_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=16RWQS9Z2JXNA54NJ57T Spend the money on these heel patches. Do this, and your break in problems will be absolutely solved. No blisters, no rubbing, nothing. You can break in your boots comfortably, and once you do, you will be absolutely glad you bought these things. After wearing these a good amount for nearly the past 6 months, they are comfortable, they are rugged, they look stylish, and I honestly feel like (if I take care of them) I will have these for the rest of my natural life. I intend to keep them going thru many re-solings. Bottom line: an investment in boots for the long haul that is worth the price paid.

These are consistently a half size too small, as most everyone said. After I received my pair from Amazon, tried them on, and was dismayed that the internet was right about something for once, I went to a Red Wing retail store and tried on several pairs. I wear a size 10 all day long. The Red Wing store foot-sizing computer told me I was a size 10 EE. But alas, only the 9.5 fit correctly. The clerk noted that this was the case with the heritage shoes. Also, they boots do feel a bit narrow, but the retail store clerk said that the width would loosen up. (On a side note, if you get these from the store there is a 30 day money-back guarantee apparently. Nothing to lose!) These are nice boots, however the reason I am returning (besides that they are a half size too large), is that it takes forever to take these on and off if you lace them all the way up. The supplied laces are really "tacky" (as in kind of sticky), and they do not slide in and out of the eyelets easily. The top of the shoe around the ankle is nice and stiff due to the quality of the leather, but you really have to spend some time unlacing to get the boot off. It's a bit of a nit pick, I know, but something to consider. Different laces would make the process faster, but you still need to really loosen up the first 3 or 4 laces to get your foot in and out. I ended up buying a pair of Red Wing "Iron Rangers" in the retail store. The fit was the same (9.5 for my size 10 feet, same slightly narrow feeling as the beckmans) but the Iron Rangers have hooks instead of the top three eyelets. For me, these hooks makes it much easier to take on and off. The iron rangers also have a toe cap, so the style is a little different. The "Blacksmith" version looks more like the Beckmans, but with the hooks instead of eyelets.

I decided a few months back that it was time I owned a quality pair of boots that would act as a cornerstone staple of my wardrobe. I did a lot of online research... the Beckman has been mentioned on countless fashion websites and blogs, has a fairly widespread reputation as a classic yet timeless boot of superior quality. I was drawn to the vintage aesthetic. I've been wearing my black Beckman 6-Inch Round Toe Boots for a few months now, and by this point they have been significantly broken in. I can report that once they have molded and shaped themselves to your foot a bit they are indeed comfortable shoes, though perhaps not excessively so. I typically wear a size 11 sneaker, but after trying on the Beckman I sized down to a 10: a perfect fit. Like many I was not used to having so much space around my toes and initially feared the boots to be too long for my foot. Rest assured, this is part of the design and both you and the boot will acclimate. These things are masculine as hell, a bit on the heavy side; running in them might be more challenging than you expect. The featherstone leather has a surprisingly soft and supple feel and wonderful rich leather scent, good stuff. I had one pair of laces break in my hand, as I had a habit of over-tightening the shoes when I first purchased them. I simply emailed Red Wing and they sent me a replacement pair at no charge. If you're looking for a versatile boot, I'd suggest that you probably won't do much better than the Beckman for classic style and quality. I look forward to enjoying them for years to come.

Lieber eine Nummer kleiner bestellen.

These are a serious boot and are well made. Two things to be aware of: 1. Red wing boots are a very large fit, go down at least one half size and maybe a full size. I wear an 11 usually, and occasionally find some shoes too tight even at that size. But my size 10 red wings fit perfectly. 2. The breaking-in period is painful and prolonged. Keep this in mind particularly if you will be wearing these on a casual basis. I've owned mine many months now but generally can't wear them Monday to Friday. Mine still aren't fully broken in.

Schuh war mit grössen 43...Bei mir standard....Zu gross,ging noch am selben Tag zurück mit der Order eine Nummer kleiner.Schuh war pünktlich da.....Ich warte ab.

These are great - brutal breaking in period for the 1st few weeks though.

Le produit est conforme à son cahier des charges. La production back in USA tient ses promesses. Les finitions sont bonnes. Le look rustique montre la réalisation soignée et donne une impression de résistance. Un détail: les lacets cirés qui ne se délassent jamais sont agréables... Reste à voir leur durée de vie. Au bout de 4 mois d'utilisation intensive, la chaussure tient le coup sans perdre sa forme et son maintient. Je recommande vivement.