One of the coolest things about Red Wing is that they tan their own leather. But the Blacksmith does give you some room up front to wiggle your toes around and it’s for a nice, relaxed fit that’s more suited to a knockaround beater boot. It’s not sleek like the toe on the Beckman or their new, Thursday-esque work boot-dress boot hybrids the Williston or the Sheldon. Red Wing calls it a bump toe some of my friends have called it bulbous and they’re not necessarily wrong. (More on that below.) It also features dull guilt speed hooks and eyelets, triple stitching along the vamp, and unlined interior.įinally there’s the toe, which is pretty round.

Like most of Red Wing’s heritage boots, it’s got a 270-degree Goodyear welt. In a lot of ways, the sole has the best of both worlds: it’s got a good grip but looks nice and streamlined from the side, which I really like. The Blacksmith comes with a Vibram rubber sole, and this particular one is a really nice combination of a classic commando sole and a flat sole. But these boots are clearly mortal enemies. I won’t get into the weeds with the differences between the two here, but you can check out my review of the 1000 Mile boot to learn more. The leather and the sole are very different but there are plenty of clear similarities, form wise. I’ve got to say, at first glance the Red Wing 3340 Blacksmith looks an awful lot like the Wolverine 1000 Mile boot. It’s made with their famous Briar Oil Slick Leather, which is a really interesting color. In some lights it looks very red, and in others it’s more of a traditional russet or brown. This style of shoe was originally used in farm fields and blacksmith workshops during the day before being cleaned and shined up for a night out on the town. Does it stack up? Let’s take a closer look.

But Redwing isn’t worried - instead they’ve pivoted to focus on the Blacksmith. Recently, some have mourned the discontinuation of their extremely popular Beckman boot. Today, they’ve kept up with technology and modern materials to produce advanced work boots that can withstand electrical hazards and welding materials, but they’ve preserved their old fashioned, masculine, classic work boots under their Red Wing Hertiage line, which is where you’ll find their more fashion focused boots like the Iron Ranger, moc toe, and the boot we’re looking at today. Back in the day, they mostly sold knee-high boots intended for oil workers and iron miners real Americana stuff. Red Wing is based in Minnesota and was founded in 1905 by Charles Beckman. Around here, I rarely stop talking about them I’ve reviewed them, compared them, even interviewed Michiya Suzuki, the manager of their Japanese office, to learn more about their massive popularity there - you have to read that article here. Red Wing is probably the most popular and influential American boot brand of all time.

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