Traditionally, they used a Christy Vibram sole that was made of blown rubber, but they swapped it out for a polyurethane one that they say lasts 25 percent longer than Vibram. Thorogood‘s sole is different in almost every way.įor starters, the outsole is polyurethane, and Thorogood makes it themselves. Thorogood alongside my other, much older Red Wing moc toes in Charcoal These are tough boots you can wear them in rain and snow. It also makes them much more water resistant than “cemented” (glued, in other words) soles you find on sneakers. That’s a piece of hard material (usually steel) that’s placed under the midfoot to provide some arch support and stability to the shoe, especially as it ages.įinally, the upper and sole are attached with a Goodyear welt, a means of attaching the two that makes them really easy to resole because they’re both attached to a welt instead of to each other. However, unlike Thorogood, there’s no shank in the Red Wings. This is a really old fashioned way of making heritage boots and it means they become more comfy as the months and years pass. Red Wing also has a cork midsole and leather insole, both of which mold around your feet the longer you wear them. Made from running coagulated latex through rollers, Red Wing’s crepe is solid but more porous than the Thorogood’s sole. Red Wing’s sole is crepe rubber, the same kind of inexpensive rubber used on the very flimsy Clarks Desert Boot, but Red Wing’s is much sturdier and thicker. Yes, the grip is largely identical, but the sole is where things get really different. Resistant to (some) electrical shock, oil, slippage.Red Wing left, Thorogood right Red Wing vs Thorogood Sole The sole, though, is where you might find Thorogood pull sahead. But, perhaps because they own their own tannery, Red Wing has better quality control and I consider their leather superior both aesthetically and functionally. It gets the job done and again, it didn’t give as difficult a break in as Red Wing. To be clear, Thorogood’s leather isn’t poor quality. (That said, oil tanned leather in general doesn’t need a lot of conditioning.) This is a very condensed summary.)īut the leathers aren’t identical. Red Wing’s is less grainy, it’s thicker, it’s oilier and it’s waxier - meaning that while it’s not quite as comfy out of the box, it’ll age better and it won’t need to be conditioned quite as often. (Veg tanned takes longer to make, is better for the environment, is pricier, and might last longer. I’ve got a full guide on the differences between vegetable and chrome tanning but in short, chrome tanned leather tends to be a bit softer and take on color more easily. Red Wing’s is thicker and oilier, though the break in is tougherĪs far as the leather goes they’re both described as oil tanned, which actually isn’t very descriptive: sometimes that means a leather has been vegetable tanned then oil tanned, sometimes it means chrome tanned then oil tanned, but I understand they’re both chrome tanned and oil tanned.Both appear to be chrome tanned and oil tanned.It’s really worth emphasizing that Thorogood also uses speed hooks and a leather pull tab, so it’s way easier to get on and off, making for an argument that the Thorogood is more “functional.” In the sole section below, you’ll also find a few other details that support this claim.īut all in all, the biggest differences when you look at them is the stitching, logo, flag, and speed hooks. Thorogood’s a louder boot, in other words. Thorogood not only uses bright white stitching, but there’s also a line of three stitches running along from the top of the counter to the end of the eyelet panel, in addition to a Thorogood logo on the heel, another on the tongue, and an American flag. (Yes, this is the most superficial part of the comparison.) It makes for a more muted appearance that folks who like simpler wardrobes might prefer. While both boots have triple stitching along the side and double stitching on the counter, Red Wing uses contrast stitching, meaning only one of the stitches is bright white. (It’s derived from an Algonquian word from Virginia, makasin.) Relative to service boots, the style is meant to give you some more flex in the foot and protect the toe box from scuffs.Īesthetically - we’re just talking about appearances for now - Red Wing has a more subtle look. “Moc toe” is short for mocassin, by the way, a style borrowed from traditional Native American shoes. OK, let’s put those similarities in bullet point form:
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