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Product Spotlights

The Red Wing Heritage 3345 Blacksmiths Two Month Impressions

4/2/2019

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Red Wing Blacksmith 3345
The Redwing Heritage 3345 Blacksmiths

Boot Specs:

Size: 9
Leather: Black Prairie
Outsole: Vibram 430 Mini-lug 
Midsole: Cork Bed
Insole: Leather
Shank: Steel
Hardware Color: Dull Brass
270 Goodyear Welt
Made in the U.S.A.
​Last: 8


Franklin & Poe
Available at Franklin & Poe *Photo by Franklin & Poe

About the Blacksmith Model

The Blacksmith is a fairly new model released by Red Wing Heritage and from what I have read, is meant to take the place of the much beloved Beckman.  Both models are made on the popular No. 8 Last and are plain toe.  One key difference is the Vibram 430 Mini-Lug on the Blacksmiths versus the Roccia Sole on the Beckman.  The Beckman is known as more of a "dressy" boot while the Blacksmith is more for casual wear.  
From the Red Wing Heritage Website:
Versatile and reliable, 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. The extra height of this 6-inch style, which would have protected feet and ankles from hot cinders at the forge, still keeps out snow in the winter and dirt in the summer, and its last-built construction keeps feet comfortable even after long hours of work.
Dark California and the Blacksmiths
The Blacksmith with a Quick Release Belt by Dark California

Impressions After Two Months of Wear

I love this boot!  It was love at first sight when I saw these at my local Red Wing Store.  The employee told me they only had one pair...  In my size!  So I immediately got it (along with some Moc-Toe 3371s for the lady) and have been wearing them religiously for the past couple of months.
Blacksmiths 1
Blacksmiths 2
Blacksmiths 3
Blacksmiths 4
Pictured with ST-120x Jeans made by 3sixteen
The main attraction to the 3345s was the tea-core leather.  Tea-core leather is dyed twice.  For the Black Prairie Leather, S.B. Foot Tanning Co. dyes the leather brown and then puts a layer of black dye on the top of the hide (I probably way oversimplified the process but you get the gist).  As the leather ages, the black starts to wear away revealing the boots "true" color.  The Beckman 9060s, which are made of Klondike Leather, are well known for this feature and are one of the more sought after Red Wing Heritage Boots.  However, the model is uncommon in the States so I was thrilled to find a boot with similar characteristics in the Blacksmith 3345s.  Having not handled the Klondike Leather in person, I cannot tell you the differences I see between that and the Black Prairie Leather.  It seems, according to others, that the Klondike Leather has more of a shine and polished look compared to the Black Prairie.  
3sixteens Blacksmith
While some of the brown has shown through in spots, this boot does make you work for that patina.  Personally, I enjoy that and the boots, currently, are great for a casual night out.  As they age, I can see them becoming more of a "beat 'em up pair" that really tell a story about where they have been and what they have done!  Right now, I usually wear the boots with a black belt and darker denim, especially my NT-15x by 3sixteen which are quite "slubby."
Unlike my Iron Ranger 8085s, the Blacksmiths really did not have much of a break-in period.  I found that to be odd as both models are built using the same last and have the same insole/midsole/steel shank/outsole combination.  However, the "Smooth-Finished Leather"on the Blacksmith is much more supple than the 8085s' "Rough & Tough Oil-Tanned Leather" and conformed to my feet easily.  Also, the backstay and counter of the Blacksmiths aren't reinforced with additional leather like the Iron Rangers and feature a nice, smooth cuff at the top.  The result is a a boot that hugs the ankle nicely and, in my opinion, provides more stability and a better overall fit.
Iron Rangers
Blacksmiths
My 3345s (right) had no break-in period unlike my 8085s (left)
As it has only be a couple months and they have not be worn everyday, I cannot speak on the longevity of the boots.  I can tell you that in snow and rain, the boots seems to hold up quite well and I have never had any dampness or moisture issues.  The construction is top notch with the 270 degree Goodyear Welt and there have not been any stitching problems.  The hardware is a dull brass color which is beautiful and I love the speed hooks!  Honestly there is not much to complain about; they have even creased rather nicely!  The shock absorption isn't the greatest but that could also be because I rotate these with Thorogoods which have amazing shock absorption, no break-in, and are basically built for comfort!  Besides that little critique, I would say the Blacksmith is very near a perfect boot for me!
Blacksmith with Jeanshop
Blacksmith with Phi Denim
Great in Wet Conditions
Like all my Product Spotlights, I will be doing updates and the boots age.  I am curious to see how these hold up compared to some of my other plain toe boots such as the Thorogood Beloits, and my Chippewa Service Boots.  Only time will tell!
Versus
A Plain Toe Boot Showdown!
The 3345s can be purchased at your local Red Wing Store, on the Red Wing Heritage Website, and at boutique stores such as Franklin & Poe.
The 3345 Blacksmiths are completed with Pisgah Range LTD Chocolate Brown Laces
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The Thorogood 1892 Beloit Indigo Dyed Chromexcel 814-9011: First Impressions

3/22/2019

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1892 Beloits
The Thorogood 1892 Beloit Indigo Dyed Chromexcel 814-9011
Boot Specs:
  • Size: 9
  • Style: Plain Toe Service Boot
  • Leather: Horween Indigo Dyed Chromexcel
  • Outsole: 18 IR Cork w/Vibram 468 Heel
  • Midsole: PORON
  • Composite Shank
  • Insole: Comfort Cushion
  • Welt: 360 Degree Goodyear Storm Welt
  • Hardware: Nickel, Speedhooks
  • Water Resistant
  • Made in the USA
Beloit from Context
The Indigo Dyed Beloit *Photo from Context Clothing

About the Beloit Model:

Here it is, the other pair I got from the Thorogood 1892 Collection: the Indigo Dyed CXL Beloit 814-9011s.  After talking with Clint Greendeer over at Context Clothing (Interview with Clint on the Thorogood Janesville Product Spotlight) and about his favorite 1892 Boots, I had to get another pair!  I was torn between the Beloits and the Tomahawk Lodan Green 814-7011s.  What made me ultimately go with the Beloits was the indigo dyed Chromexcel Leather and the fact that the 6" service style boots just look better on me than taller models.  
The Beloit Boots are inspired by the hardworking farmers at the turn of the 20th century, these handcrafted Beloit boots help today’s growers of art, technology, and manufacturing get the job done in style.  Just like their Janesville Moc-Toe cousin, the boots are named after a small town in Wisconsin.  According to Thorogood, the town of Beloit is known as "the Gateway to Wisconsin" and is the birthplace of the speedometer.  The bit of history that goes along with the 1892 Collection is the cherry on top for me.  I love heritage boots and the story behind them!
Beloit and Friends
Beloit and Pigeon Tree Crafting
Beloits with Other Indigo Dyed Things: Corter Leather Passport Wallet, Pigeon Tree Crafting Quick Release Belt, & 3sixteen's ST-120x Jeans
Pigeon Tree Crafting Feature Page
Corter Leather Indigo Dyed Passport Wallet Product Spotlight
3sixteen St-120x Product Spotlight

Initial Impressions

Once you get the boots out of the box, admire the craftsmanship and beautiful leather, you will be presented with two styles of laces: leather and waxed cotton.  Personally, leather laces make boots much tighter on my feet and break very easily, so I tossed those aside.  The regular laces are just par-for-the-course for me; useable, but nothing special.  Luckily, I have a bunch of Pisgah Range LTD Laces and found the Maroon pair to be the perfect contrasting mate for the boots.
Beloits with 3sixteen
After putting on the laces, I did a quick quality control once over.  The stitching and welting are well done (really like the storm welt) for the most part.  There are a few uneven stitch lines on the heel of the right boot but nothing that would affect them negatively in terms of performance.  It is a meniscal cosmetic flaw that make my pair unique to me and remind me that these boots are truly handmade.
Once getting them on my feet, they were quite comfortable.  The Beloits use the same No. 60 last as my Janesville and the only difference between the two is that the Beloits were a bit tighter towards the front of of my feet at the beginning.  However, after a couple of wears, the Chromexcel leather formed to my feet and I am able to spend all day in them.  Hardly a tough break-in!
I really like the cork sole and Vibram heel combination.  Cork soles are more comfortable than most rubber ones for me, but of course the downside is that they provide less traction.  The rubber heel on the Beloits help balance that out and provide pretty good shock absorption as well.  After doing a little investigating, I found that the exact heel model is the Vibram 468 Comfort Cushion which main compound is SBR.  I have no idea what that is but I like it! 
3sixteen and Beloits 2
Inside the boot, you will find a pair of removable Thorogood insoles that the company provides in most, if not all, their models.  The one issue I can see with the sole is more cosmetic as the Vibram heel is lighter in color than the black sole.  Personally, I don't mind it but I understand why it would bother others.
Cork Sole
Cork Sole with a Great Vibram Heel
The boots went through my usual conditioning method, which darkened the boots ever so slightly, on the first day and made the leather even smoother.  I love the way Chromexcel feels and often find myself running my hand over the boots when I am sitting down (Yes, I am weird).  The normal con, or pro depending on who you ask, with Chromexcel is that it scratches and scuffs easily.  In my opinion, it is cool to see the different shades of blue that appear after a few wears but if you are a person that likes a clean looking boot, you might be polishing these often.  Me?  I work for that patina!
Loose grain seems to be a popular topic in the boot community, particularly when it comes to Chromexcel.  Nick, from the Horween Tannery, explains that more here.  While my pair of Beloits may not be immune to loose grain, it is not prevalent and again, I like when my boots age and look beat up.  What's the point of buying them if you don't wear the heck out of them?!
Stitching
Some uneven Stitching but No Big Deal!
Currently, the Beloits, and the rest of the 1892 Collection by Thorogood, are on sale at stores such as Context Clothing and Milworks.  I read a rumor that the 1892 Line is going on hiatus in May because of Thorogood's new business partnership but I cannot confirm this statement first hand.  Regardless, the sale won't last forever and these boots are already hard to find as it is!  
Context Clothing Logo
1892 Collection Look Book
File Size: 10843 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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The Thorogood 1892 Janesville Natural Nantucket Boots 814-3781: First Impressions: Featuring the Boot's Designer, Clint Greendeer!

3/20/2019

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Janesville Ad
The Thorogood Janesville Boots from the 1892 Collection with Red Flannel Pisgah Range LTD Laces
Boot Specs:
  • Size: 9
  • Style: Moc-Toe
  • Leather: Horween Natural Nantucket 
  • Outsole: Vibram Christy
  • Midsole: Rubber
  • Fiberglass Shank
  • Insole: Comfort Cushion/PORON
  • Welt: 360 Degree Goodyear, Storm Welt
  • Hardware: Brass
  • Water Resistant
  • Made in the USA
Janesville
The Thorogood Janesville in Natural Nantucket *Photo from Thorogood

About Thorogood and the Janesville Model:

Thorogood (Weinbrenner Shoe Company) has been making boots since 1892.  The company was started, and still run to this day, in Wisconsin.  It is employee owned and unionized, a rarity in today's fashion world!  ​Thorogood's bestselling boots come from the American Heritage Moc-Toe Line.  The 6" Moc-Toe Work Boots in Tobacco in particular are a favorite among Thorogood followers!
The Janesville Boot is a similarly designed moc-toe boot that is part of Thorogood's 1892 Collection.  All of the boots in this series are named after towns in Wisconsin.   The other boots from this line are pictured below:
Beloit
Beloit
Dodgeville
Dodgeville
Kenosha
Kenosha
Merrill
Merrill
Portage
Portage
Tomahawk
Tomahawk
*All Photos in the Above Gallery from Thorogood
Quite an impressive line up!  This Janesville model, in particular the 814-3781, is a collaboration boot with Clint Greendeer of Context Clothing.  Context Clothing (est. 2005) is located up in Madison, Wisconsin and is a specialty store for well made, heritage clothing; from denim to boots to wallets!  The store had the honor of being named one of of the top ten independent men's clothing stores in the US by GQ Magazine in 2010!

I had the privilege to get to know Clint and ask him a few questions about the Janesville Nantucket Boot and Heritage Clothing.
Context Clothing Logo

Get to Know Clint Greendeer:

Clint Greenwood
The Man, the Myth, the Legend
Janesville in Production
The Janesville in Production
*Photos from Clint Greendeer
How did you get involved with Thorogood?

I (Clint) became familiar with Thorogood while working at Context Clothing.  Ryan and  Sam (of Context Clothing) met with Thorogood to discuss new styles for the 1892 Collection.  They asked me what my ideal Thorogood boot would be, so I started to research vintage Thorogood‘s to gain inspiration.   Ryan and Sam pitched Thorogood my concept of a new boot, and I’m honored that Thorogood put the Janesville in Natural Nantucket 814-3781 into production. 
What about the moc-toe style do you love?

I love the workwear aesthetic, especially when pairing Moc-Toe style boots with selvedge denim. 
Why go with the natural, vegetable tanned leather?  What about it drew you to it over other leathers?

I went with natural leather because of the high contrast patina it develops.  It’s cool to see how the light leather gets darker over time and with more wear. 
Besides the Janesville 814-3781, what other boots do you own that are among your favorites?  Why?

Context 113 Boot 814-1113
Janesville Black 814-6781
Beloit Natural CXL 824-4311


I am a big fan of the Plain Toe Beloit Boot in Natural Chromexcel.  That boot is what influenced me to go with a similar leather for the Janesville in Natural.  The Plain Toe on the Beloit looks great with Chinos for a formal look and goes well with denim for the workwear aesthetic. 

The 113 Boot is a rugged Moc-Toe in oily Horween Plainsman Leather.  I love the natural irregularity in the leather which makes each boot unique to itself and the person wearing them. 
Thorogood 113
The Context Clothing/Thorogood Collaboration Boots- 113s *Photo from Context Clothing
What first got you into vintage items and heritage clothing?

Levi’s 501 denim was my first calling to heritage clothing.  The 501 Jean is a versatile garment that has been worn by many people in so many ways.  I like the approach of soaking a pair of unsanforized 501’s then breaking them in.  The 501s are very versatile!  I believe that adds to the non-verbal expression of how we decide to dress ourselves. 
What cleaning/conditioning/polishing products do you recommend you use with the 814-3781s?

Horsehair Brush
Obenauf’s LP

I recommend a horsehair brush on them every 2-3 wears.  When it comes time for boot care, apply Obenauf’s LP evenly on the boot.  I like to add Obenauf’s to the leather laces so they become more flexible and it holds the knot better. 

Initial Impressions:

I had been looking into getting a pair of moc-toe boots for sometime now.  However, the overall boot style made me worry that a pair would like like clown shoes on my feet.  I had even tried on competitors' boots and were still unsure.  What struck me first about these boots is the beautiful, Natural Nantucket Leather.  It was hard to find much information about this type of leather.  The other Janesville models are made from Horween's famous Chromexcel Leather, a favorite among boot makers and collectors.  The Natural Nantucket is different though and can best be described by Mitchell Leather in the video below:
I love a good patina and the idea of wearing these boots and watching them slowly get a rich, dark brown is something I am very excited about!  So  I decided that I would try out the moc-toe style and got the Janesville Natural Nantucket- 814-3781.
Janesville with Slub
Boy am I glad I did!  Not only do they look great but they are very comfortable out-of-the-box, compared to other moc-toe style boots I have tried on in the past, and did not even need a day of breaking in.  The inclusion of a removable Thorogood Comfort Insole is one of the main reasons for this no break-in period and allows a person to have more possibilities with what socks they wear.  That is a big deal to me as I have the option of taking the insole out in the winter time in order to put on thicker socks!
The Janesville is more simplistic in terms of design compared to their Thorogood Moc-Toe brethren; less stitching and branding, no steel toe etc...  While the Heritage Line boots are made for manual labor, the 1892 Collection is more fashion focused.  That doesn't mean that the 1892 boots aren't meant to get beat up, no, they are tough!  However, I believe these would not pass many regulations for footwear in different industries compared to the Heritage Boots.
Janesville with 3sixteen
Janesville with 3sixteen 2
That being said these boots hold up well in less than ideal conditions.  I trudged them through a muddy hill (which was a bad idea for those pretty white soles) about a week after I got them and they held up (And held me up!) well (although they got really dirty).  The ground has been very wet because of constant rain and melting snow.  I have had no problems with water getting into the boot.  In fact, I ran them once under the faucet after the trip through the mud and not one drop got in.  Just working for that patina!
Janesville Stitched
Quality is Top Notch!
In terms of quality of construction, the boot is very well made.  The Storm Welt is perfect and the upper is stitched to perfection.  There were one or two loose threads (which I have read can be a problem with some Thorogood Boots), however, nothing alarming that will effect the everyday wear of the boots.  I feel people tend to nitpick over the smallest details and forget that products such as these boots are handmade.  Minor cosmetic flaws that are barely visible cause me no concern and makes the pair I own unique to me.  
When it comes to the price, the 1892 Collection is more expensive than other Thorogood boots (however, they do go on sale from time to time) and are competitively in line with the popular Red Wing Heritage Collection.  One of the reasons for the higher cost is that the leathers used to make these boots are of better quality and come from the infamous tannery Horween, which is located in Chicago.  Second, the sole is made by Vibram, which is considered one of the best sole makers in the world for  shoes and boots.  On Thorogoods' other boots, they use their own in house soles that are made specifically for certain work environments and saves on production cost.
Janesville with Jean Ship
I prefer the slimmer profile of the Janesville compared to Thorogood's Heritage moc-toe models.  Like Clint, I think they look great with selvedge denim (if you couldn't tell from the pictures).  Getting to know the man behind this particular design, and the fact that Thorogood is a company that's located one state north of me, puts a stamp of 'authentic heritage' on these boots for me.  I not only own a product from a brand with a rich American history, I also got to put a face to the person who had a hand in the product's creation!  
I will post updates as these boots continue to patina and get beat up!  Special thanks to Clint Greendeer for taking his time to answer questions for this Product Spotlight!

Additional Links and Information

Purchase the Janesville Natural Nantucket 814-3781 from Context Clothing
Address: 113 King St.Madison, WI 53703

All My Heritage Boots Have American Made Pisgah Range LTD Laces!  Check Out Pisgah Range LTD Laces Feature Page
Janesville with Oak Bark
The Best Belt Pair: Janesville With a Carmine Jack Leather Natural Oak Tan Belt
The Thorogood 1892 Collection Look Boot (Download the PDF Below the Slideshow):
1892.pdf
File Size: 10843 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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