RED WING VS DR. MARTENS - Comparing Their Most Popular Boots 

✰ Also, check out my 10 Best Boots On the Market! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9kuHyyefNGE.html

I personally don't need it, but you should do a video on Solovair since you have so much content on doc martins. It's an easy alternative you can suggest in a higher quality product.

The difference between making your grilled cheese with Delicious Aged Cheddar vs Stale Old Cheese Whiz.

I bought my first pair of Docs 35 years ago and wore them daily for twenty years. They were all Made in England, but I rarely got a year out of a pair, as I said I wore them daily, so they never got a rest. I loved them. I can't remember the exact reason I stopped wearing them, but I bought a pair four years ago (Made in Thailand) and they were utter crap and they were destroyed within six months. That's when I decided to do some research and came across the Redwings. The first Redwings I bought were the 8111's and I've since added some Chukkas and Moc Toes to the collection. They are far superior to the crap that Dr. Martens are spitting out. If I ever wear a pair of Docs again they will be made by Solovair.

Nice job Nick. I can’t believe that you haven’t previously compared these two iconic boots. Having said that, you do a great job in reviewing these well known boots. As always, I enjoyed watching this informative and interesting video. Keep up the great work!...Ed

Obviously theres no competition, red wing will always win, but i like that you’re trying to educate people that aren’t boot wizards.

Doc's are cool, but Redwing's are way tougher.

i just ordered my first pair of red wings today!

Another upside apart from the half sizes is the RedWings can also be had in WIDE widths for those of us with clown feet.

For people who like the look of Docs but want the better quality of Red Wings, the Red Wing Blacksmith in Black Prairie is worth a look. It’s obviously not the same look, but kind of in the same spirit. Plus, they age much more nicely. When the Black Prairie leather gets scuffed, the leather is brown under the surface finish. It’s much nicer than the gray that shows through on the Docs when the finish eventually flakes off.

Have you tried the made in england DM range? Some of its 1460 versions are actually made from chromexcel supple leathers or cf stead hides.

My oldest pair of footwear is my Redwings Ironrangers. Resoled once and still going strong!

Thanks Nick, as always, a well done comparison. I think the Doc's attributes would be as a cultural icon (in certain circles) and I have to admit, if one can get a full size that fits well, that sole is comfortable. I just don't understand why they don't offer 1/2 sizes... crazy. Also the non-MIE models have such poor leather. But the Red Wings (mine is the 8119 model) are my favorite boots. Each day I wear them, I really appreciate their quality, comfort, design and heritage. There are more expensive boots out there (Nick's Whites, etc...) but for the money, Red Wings are at the threshold of perfection. Cheers mate.

In the 90’s Doc’s and wheat Timberland were the 2 ubiquitous boots of choice. I remember Tim’s being a bit heavy but both boots were comfortable. Today, Blundstone and Thursday Boot Co, are the kings of ubiquity. Blundstones are light weight and comfortable on unimaginable levels. Thursday’s are well made and walk the line of casual rugged making them very versatile. Not going to turn heads w/either brand (not a bad thing), but they do work w/ many casual clothing options and make for good 1st affordable good boots. The next tier up would be Red Wing and Allen Edmond boots. Both have a ton of character ( more so than Thursday Boots because RW and AE don’t walk the casual/rugged line. RWs are casually rugged but they really lean in on the weekend rugged while AE boots lean in on the weekday casual.

I have a pair of Red Wings that I've owned since around 1997. The Vibram soles are almost worn through now but the upper leather is in amazing shape. I have a pair of Doc Martens that I've owned since 2006. The Vibram sole looks almost new still but the upper leather looks really weathered and worn. I actually love both pairs but the truth is the Red Wings may more than cost twice as much but they offer so much more value per wear and will last you (and eventually your kids) forever.

Loved Dr.Martens in my Teens & 20's, Redwing's in my 30's, now in my 40's. I prefer well made but classically simple in design Crockett&Jones and Loake. But If I had to pick between the two, it would probably be Redwings. Love both, it's just because I had Dr.Martens in my youth, it will make me feel like i'm trying to re-capture my youth and trigger a midlife crisis.

dm looks like a toy compares to red wing

my Oxblood Mesa looks exactly like your Amber Harness after I apply the mink oil haha I think doesn't matter what leather you chose, after few years of wearing and reconditioning, all the colours gonna look dark just like that

I have both and love the IR, but my DM are full grain leather, purchased in the UK over 20 years ago, they still look as good as new. I wore them at least once a week the first 15 years, I wish I could post a picture. what they sell today as DM is trash.

I'm old enough to remember when working men could afford Red Wings.

Like I said before I wore my red wings blacksmith hiking in Brice Canyon & Zion over thanksgiving week and it was great, no problems with my feet, I loved it. Everyone else had their fancy hiking boots and either they lost their footing going up hill or they complained about their feet hurting. I wore wool socks .

Just ordered some Charcoal IR's after buying beige suede Made in England DM's 24 yrs ago. Not sure I want to spend the extra to resole them. The uppers are in great shape. Outer sole getting worn down pretty well in a couple places. Good for a while longer worn sparingly. :)

You should try the doc martens Combs Leather. Matte finish, very soft from the off, best ones I've ever had.

Resoling docs are possible at a local cobbler but it wont be the air sole anymore. Apparently all the places that resole docs with a similar sole are in the uk. I assume cobblers couldve gotten the machinery used at the factory.

Please review Taft's Dragon boot V3? This version looks to be the best yet with the all of the updates in the V3, yet with the non-debossed uppers of the V1 (I wasn't a fan of all of the texturing of the V2).

I remember in my punk rock/ doc marten days we went to the mountains and the snow seemed to get right through the boot. Might as well wear chucks! But hey, good times and we looked cool 😎

My brain says Iron Ranger, but my heart tells me 1460. I still plain on going with my brain soon.

Docs used to do a For Life range where you could get them repaired, resoled, replaced etc essentially for free but unfortunately they discontinued it, probably because it lost them a lot of money. I've had the For Life 1460 Crazy Horse ones for nearly ten years, they only replace them now, but they're still honouring the guarantee!

I realy need the review of crazy horse docs

I think you might ght also want to bring up the fact that, there are several stores that sell factory seconds of Red Wings. And the price can often be about half of retail.. i have yet to find a factory second redwing that has something other than a small cosmetic imperfection. If someone is cash strapped that is a viable option

lol can’t wait to see all the doc martens geeks come out of the wood work on this. It won’t take long.I remember how in denial they were on the first review video you made. Red Wing is in a whole other zip code when it come to quality compared to the Docs. I actually want to try out a pair of Solivar because they are apparently more Doc than actual Docs if you know what I mean.

I’ve had great doc Martens and good docs. I invested in Blundstone for work. Wow! Super comfortable right out of the box and very good construction. I’m an artist. I need a boot that I can wear all day that will support my foot and the rest of my body. Totally convinced.

One of these takes 3 months to break in and the other takes 3 months to break.

Hey Nick, I know you've worked a lot already with Thursdays but would you be able to do a comparison of Thursday Loggers vs Nicks?

These are exactly the boots I have. Bought docs before I knew anything about boots then I got the redwings. Probably would have not gotten the docs if I knew how poorly they were made but they are significantly cheaper so I’m not faulting them. They are what they are.

if you are a construction worker, or work in a factory you get Redwings. If you work at the mall you get Doc Martins.

Had no idea that doc's were Solivair now! I am looking to get another pair like the oxblood 11 eyes I had in the 90's. Just can't decide between 8 or 11 eye.

Stridewise, could you do a leather jacket compilation, with different pricepoints and explaining what makes a good leather jacket?

Look at a cross section of the Dr. Martins the made I England boots don’t even have a shank meaning they offer no arch support and will kill your feet after a couple hours.

I might have gotten a redwing roughout leather if i had seen any noice black friday sales

I’m from the U.K. where DMs originate from and I’ve had several pairs over the last thirty odd years. I’ve always found them quite comfortable but nowadays I’d find them difficult to recommend. They are mass-produced in Asia nowadays and the quality of the leather and standard of finish has deteriorated. Even with regular polishing the leather is inclined to crack. They are now overpriced for what they are and I wouldn’t consider buying them again. Various cobblers in the U.K. can replace the soles and I’m not sure why the same service isn’t available in the US and elsewhere. Curiously they are available in half sizes here too, so I don’t understand why not elsewhere. Strangely they’ve never been more popular, particularly their vegan range, with the company having recently reported extraordinary sales and profit growth. Nevertheless, if people have the choice between DMs and full grained leather Goodyear Welted boots that any cobbler can repair, they should go for the latter.

Redwing for sure. Maybe my next pair of boots.

Could you do a review on the new Taft Dragon 3.0's? They seem to have gone with a new last and have new leather options, two of which aren't suede?

Are the sizes the same on dr m and redwings?

Could you make a video about the red wing Pecos?

I have owned multiple pairs of redwings and Doc Martens. All of them work great for me. All of them very comfortable and have lasted. No issues with any of them. I say go with whatever you like the best and works for your style and usage. I don’t think you can go wrong with either. Great video. Appreciate it!

What denim are you wearing @ 7:12? Great review, thanks.

Should've used the made in england docs as a comp

As for traction try walking in Doc’s on a icy road in 20 degree weather. Can you say frozen shoe sole.

I wore Doc's to school in the late 70's and early 80's. I do not get the mystique about them. The soles split even back then. I remember my dad sealing the split ( on numerous pairs) with a hot knife. Thing is every 'trendy' kid wore them back then. So to fit in and all.. kids who wore 'lesser' boots were mocked. Never wore them since being 17yrs old. A long time ago.

Rip open a Sagebrown case from England and maybe some HR Trask Bison boots

Tried all of them and reverted back to my nine year old pair of Red Wing 9107s. Most comfortable boot I've owned.

can you do a review of Dr martens 1460 crazy horse, i think the leather is better quality

Hey Nick, what would you say is your all time favorite quality boot? Thursday DOESNT COUNT!!!!

I bought some Iron Rangers a few years back so I'd have footwear that, if I take proper care of it, would last me for a decade if not longer. I was sick of buying new shoes every couple years. Little did I know I'd get sucked into this world of boots and just keep finding boots I want. Luckily, I got married which inhibits my desires to buy more and more boots. I don't want to have to keep explaining to my wife why I want this pair of boots or that pair of boots. Anyway, this is a long way of saying I really want the Blacksmiths. That said I think you should see if you can get some Canada West boots. I haven't seen much content about them on RU-vid. I've got a pair of their Romeos and I love them. Had to get them on eBay as I don't think they sell them in the US as far as I know.

*stridewise uploads about iron rangers* ah I love church on Sunday

What I really like from the DM 1460 it has more of Combat look and it just fits my style better but I do love the the iron ranger

Red wing vs caterpillar CAT I did one the red wings were 3 to one against cats in last.

After watch this video, I made my decision to take red wing..now its on the way..thanks for the sharing...

Do you have Hamilton watch on the video right???

My first pair of good boots red wing iron ranger. Took it to Taiwan walked in rain and hiked in rain. Hiked in the Rocky Mountain. Fantastic boot I love them. That’s also when my wallet started crying because I’ve bought so many boots since.

I have both boots. It depends on what you like. Doc Martens is an iconic boot for workers and in the made in UK model has better quality. I would buy the Horween leather in the Martens to get close to Red Wing Iron Ranger in quality. I would choise both boots. The Red Wing for looking Denim bad Ass style ( something like Bad Lands film ) or Doc Martens for using you leather jacket outfit or military outfit. For a men both boots would be loved for women.... better than a pair of Jordans.... always.

i tried to try on a pair of redwings and couldnt even get my foot in it it was so narrow

I bought Docs years ago, but they did nothing but hurting my feet. I tried and I tried, but had to give up wearing them.

It would be funny to see you walking around with 2 different boots on

Alot of people wear docs at my job (amazon) but Im the only one that wears thursday boots' and I get alot of complements

Ironically the blobbiness of the doc martens is prob better if you actually work on your feet cuz your feet expand, but because the leather is so thin, you may not wanna work anything too harsh. Idk if one day youd wanna grab one of the industrial doc martens and compare.

I rotate 3 pairs of docs 4160's weekly for work for mostly 10-12 hours each day and usually 6 days per week. One pair was made in Vietnam and other in Lao PDR. Excellent quality and very little wear on the soles over a year and a half. I also brush them off after each wear and treat them with Mink oil as needed. Super comfortable all day long. Tomorrow is my day off. I'll be stepping out with one of two pair of 4160 Crazy Horses that I only rock casually and never for work. Both pair of Crazy Horse's were made in Bangladesh. I don't care where they're made as long as they're the quality, comfort, and coolness I dig in Docs. Granted, I'm not wearing Docs while lazying about the house or having supper at my dear sweet ma's house just down the road. That's what Birkenstocks are for. Other than that....I pretty much live in Doc's I reckon. They are just da kine. I'll be wearing a pair of Docs when I step off the plane in Honolulu May 2023. Mahalo!

Dr Martens are fashion shoes-Red Wings are built for working people that are on their feet all day . I have boots from 1964 that are in good shape. Yes I am prejudiced as I worked there from 1964 to 2003. RW's are the cream of the crop. If you think you can't afford them break it down to a yearly cost based on longevity. RWS-the only way to go

What colour are the Blacksmiths? Briar?

I spend 250 on a pair of redwing 595, for a years now it feel amazing for my work. Before that I own a pair of doc, it did not last for 3 month. I walk, climb and be on the roof. Doc just won’t last

Can someone explain what chrome tanned leather is please? And do it in a way a five year old could understand(yes I will provide you with construction paper and a box of crayons if desired). I assume it is not tanned with old bumpers and trailer hitches? So is it Chromium that's used to tan it? Also, how in the hell do vegetables tan leather? I've never seen arm on a carrot before! Please help, I am a leather tanning imbicil/virgin/noob(or newb, whatever)! Thanks so much y'all.

I own a red wing and a doc martens, red wing is definitely softer and more comfortable to wear, but docs is no doubt more iconic than redwing. (I can't say it's a pity or not) But younger generation do prefer docs. (I really want those people to learn more about boots, but they don't care, they are chasing for Nike AJ and Addidas Yeezy)😢

Red wing shoes look like Olive's shoes from Popeye.

Why not compare the made in England docs?

I’ve owned the rangers and I’ve owned solovairs which are close enough if not better, I prefer the redwings but you’ll want the insole as they’re very uncomfortable other wise and I’ve worn more than a few boots and they’re the worst offenders , the docs ( or their clones) are good enough if you live in the city , no problems with snow yet but further testing will be required, but they’re pretty capable for rain storms to a degree and I’ve had great luck wearing them in mud believe it or not and they performed decently when my yard flooded , they’re not necessarily meant to get wet but definitely better vs a sneaker . If you want to buy once cry once go with the redwings they’ll last forever, the solovairs and yes spend that little bit extra for solovairs , will be much cheaper and be quite adequate if you’re just a regular person in the city and don’t work in construction . Oh and the solovairs aren’t bad as maybe a hiking boot I know I can walk a lot longer in then them my shoes and they worked for me when I’ve gone into the wood even when wet but the redwings are better I’ve literally walked through a creek in them and my feet were dry , meanwhile I wouldn’t take my solovairs near a creek for more than a few seconds but that’s not a big everyday problem for most people . Well both are good (if the docs are solovairs ) the redwings are my preference but go with what you like or listen to your wallet , feel free to ask questions so this post isn’t a mile long

You should of used dr martens ben boots goucho they got the americana look with the doc sole! Way cooler than the docs your comparing.

i kinda wish the Red Wing boots were as tall as the doc martens

Great video again Nick. I think something to take into consideration is that some of this boots are a fashion statement. It's like the Indy boot. There's no way that the Indy is tougher than an IR, but it's the freaking Indiana Jones' boot which make it super cool. Same thing with doc's, they aren't great but they are the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Chris Cornell's boot. So just wear it as a fashion product.

Go Red Wing hunting at a Nordstrom Rack. Definitely find stuff there

I own both lmao love them both

DM’s are not great for wide feet and take a while to break in. IMHO.

I would love to buy boots made 40 miles from where I live.... But, there is never any wide sizes available from Red Wing..

I have the Red Wings Iron Rangers. If I were to make my own boots out of a brick, carboard box, and piece of rope, I would probably achieve the same level of comfort.

It's hard to compare because the aesthetic is so different, if you like a classic british punk scene style then tan brown american work boots won't be what you buy. The days of Docs being a tough or work boot are behind them.

Doc leather takes ages to break in, it blist my ankle and heel. My blacksmith starts to shape up just after third wearing

Red Wing is so comfortable out the box compared to Dr. Marten’s. I have the Iron Rangers and Moc toe pink (yes, pink). I bought both brands around the same time and I wear Red Wing more than docs.

Chalk and Cheese. Iron rangers are more than twice the price arent they?

as a punk, I'll always have a love for Docs, but they're not the best ever

There's actually only one pair of boots here

Can you cut a Hoka Bondi? It's the one miracle shoe that allows me to walk without pain and I gave away my wheelchair

For all my wide feet people... I have duck feet and iron rangers feel amazing after breaking them in!

GripFast, and Doc Martens with steel Toe and not the clear bottom ones

Didn’t know that grownups actually wore Docs.

Looking forward to a Solovair review, standing for a long time in Docs, after a couple of years of wearing them, is killing my feet.

I cannot fathom the preference for a flimsy creased shiny boot. It is one of those things that has never appealed to me in the slightest, all leather creases, that's a fact but the Docs are just so flimsy and thin looking I don't see any support or protection from heat/friction that would justify the price and albeit lacking manufacturing from Asia. I opted for a pair of NPS boots and after 2 months of usage they still look supportive and sturdy compared to even a brand new Doc Marten boot.

Doc's will crack at the top after a year too.

I'm pretty sure that the 1460 is made in Asia AND in England. The one's made in England cost more.

The thing is, Red Wings in my country do not exist. And Dr, Martens are very popular, but I don;t wanna buy them, becouse they cost 180€ and I will wear the sole out in 1 year. But... for the cost of Red Wing pair you can buy two Dr. Martens pairs, so... out of the question.

I'll be nice and just say, RED WINGS for me :o)