First Impressions - The Soft Toe - Red Wing Merchant in Amber Harness (2nds from STP)

2017 was a big year in the Red Wing world - maybe the biggest design shift Red Wing has seen in the modern era. It used to be that if you wanted Red Wings you just had to accept the roomy, structured toe box - a characteristic that has historically resulted in Red Wing boots being described in some circles as "clown shoes." If that bothered you, then you had no other choice than to go to a competitor like Wolverine or Chippewa, or to go up a tier in cost for something like Viberg. Well, it's been a long time coming, but Red Wing finally introduced some new models for 2017 - the "Flat Box" Beckman, made for the Asian market (which you can now find in the US at Nordstrom Rack/Hautelook), the Sheldon and Merchant boots in the US markets, and some upcoming models for A/W 2018 like the Williston.

Also shown: Schott Hand Oiled Naked Perfecto

I've written about Red Wing's Iron Rangers and Beckman boots in the past (see below), but I recently picked up a seconds quality pair of Red Wing Merchant boots in Amber Harness leather from Sierra Trading Post. The short story: they're great, and I returned them. The longer story follows below.

Design, Materials, and Construction

#245 reference from Life Time Gear

Design: The design of the Merchant boot is based loosely on the style #245 aka "Black Chief" from 1920 and features a plain round toe, all eyelets (in contrast to the top speedhooks), raw edges at the quarters, 270 degree Goodyear welt, Chemi Gum sole, and a lower height than both the Iron Ranger and Beckman. The Chemi Gum sole is also a relatively new addition to the lineup and has a lower cork content for lighter weight and a herringbone pattern for better traction, in comparison to the flatter nitrile cork sole traditionally used on older models like the original Iron Ranger.

Beckman vs. Merchant profile

The unstructured toe is considered a casual choice, perhaps a bit counter-intuitively. You might look at the line of the boot and notice it's initially sleeker due to the absence of the bulging cap, but under wear the toe collapses a a bit and develops folds. It's a specific taste, but I think it can look great. I've always thought that the concept of it being that much more casual than another service or work boot with a structured/semi-structured toe is kind of silly, though. They're all different degrees of casual, though some would argue Beckmans and the new Sheldon/Williston models wouldn't look out of place in the average modern office.

Construction: The Merchant doesn't stray from Red Wing's norm - that is to say that everything is solidly put together in a rugged, utilitarian, no-frills manner that falls in line with the other boots in their line. I've written more extensively about the construction of the Beckman and Iron Ranger previously which are built on the same last, so for a more in-depth look at that aspect feel free to read through those reviews (linked below). The welting, stitching, and allowances on this pair all seemed tight and clean, and I couldn't find anything in that regard to warrant seconds designation. I will note that I've tried both Chippewa and Wolverine 1000 Mile, and from my experience I think Red Wing still takes the cake at the price point for construction among the three.

Materials: Currently, the Merchant is available on Red Wing's site in Ebony Harness and Olive Mojave, of which the ebony harness in particular looks absolutely fantastic. Somewhere along the way, though, Red Wing decided to make an amber harness version as well which doesn't appear to have made it into larger scale production as of yet, though it's seen in a print of their A/W catalog. It's a shame though, because amber harness is an absolutely beautiful pull-up oil-tanned leather with a great deal of depth and character to it. It also ages terrifically with the right wear and care, and it's right up there with the the best leathers Red Wing's tannery produces.

Unfortunately, my praise of amber harness on the whole is countered by what I think are grain and break issues on the right toe of this particular pair of boots. On the left, the grain is nice and tight and when flexed behaves how you would expect it - with nice gentle rolls and creases (good "break"). On the right toe, however, you may not notice anything out of the ordinary until the toe bends or you put pressure on it. When you do that, you start to see a coarser grain emerge on the surface, which pops out every time the toe is flexed (pictured below). I'm worried it would only get worse and set in as the boot wears. For this reason, I sent them back. It's a hard pill to swallow, as this location it probably wouldn't have been a problem with a more structured toe, where it would have remained otherwise taught and likely invisible with a celastic or steel toe support.

Right vs left toe grain detail

You might think this all sounds trivial (and you may be right), but it's not something I want to live with if it does become more visible over time. Perhaps this is what the seconds quality designation came from, as I couldn't find anything else obviously wrong with the boots aside from a few minimal superficial scuffs that would show up with a first day's wear.

Fit, Sizing, and Styling

Fit and Sizing: The Merchants are built on the "8" last, which is the same last used for the Iron Ranger and Beckman (among others). So size wise, generally you should take 1/2 to 1 size down from your Brannock, depending on if you wear thicker boot socks or like your footwear to fit tight at the start. I went with a 7.5D, which is my usual Red Wing size. They definitely feel slimmer up front, but that's comparing them with its predecessors, which have famously roomy toe boxes. Otherwise, Amber Harness is a thick but pliant leather out of the box and easier to wear than Featherstone new - a notoriously stiff leather out of the box.

Due to it being all eyelet lacing similar to the Beckman, they can be a chore to put on and take off when you compare it to a boot that laces with speed hooks like the Iron Ranger. And if you want to lace all the way to the top eyelets, Red Wing has continued the tradition of including laces that barely make it in length. On my Beckmans, I've replaced them with longer boot laces that wrap around and back again, which lets me loosen them up to put them or pull them off without having to re-lace them every time. If I kept these, I'd consider doing the same.

Styling: As you may suspect, these pair well with anything you would have been wearing Beckmans or Blacksmiths with - raw denim, chambray, khakis, the entire year 2000-something heritage Americana uniform. It's an easy and forgiving look to put together and similarly unfussy to wear for most guys. It's almost as plug and play as you can get for basic casual wear in the genre.

Summary and Conclusions 

I struggled a lot with the decision to send these boots back. In fact, I actually tried to exchange them for another pair, but STP's wonky system necessitates generating a return and an entirely new order for all exchanges, and I bought these when eBates was running 15% cash back on their anniversary. If I didn't already own Iron Rangers and Beckmans, I probably would have just bit the bullet and exchanged them anyway. That being said, grain issues aren't a problem specific to Red Wing, or even the price point. I've bought plenty of seconds from Red Wing and Allen Edmonds, and to this point this is the first pair I've ever sent back. So if someone asked me whether or not I would recommend giving these boots a try or seconds quality footwear in general, my answer would unequivocally be yes.

Left to right: Red Wing Beckman, Iron Ranger (mini lug sole), and Merchant

I do wish the Merchants had a touch more height like the Iron Rangers or even the Beckmans though, and truth be told it'd be hard for me to choose between the Merchant model and another soft toe like the Flat Box Klondike, which I've also tried on in person. Ultimately, I think they're all wins and great additions to the Red Wing family.

Where to Buy: If you want to know where to buy a pair of Merchants, Sierra Trading Post intermittently stocks seconds quality Red Wings. Lately, though, they've been shutting Beckmans and Iron Rangers out of their extra % off codes, so let's hope it doesn't extend to lesser-known models in the future. Otherwise, Nordstrom Rack has been known to carry seconds quality stock of both the Flat Box Beckman and the Sheldon, which is similar but made in the Beckman's sleeker Featherstone leather and a Roccia sole.

If unstructured toes aren't your thing, and you're looking for a tried-and-true work boots in the $300 range (which can be had in the $150 point), the Iron Ranger and Beckman are legends for a reason. For more on that, check out my prior reviews linked below.

Red Wing Iron Ranger Review

Red Wing Beckman Review

Merchant Pros

Typical solid Red Wing materials and construction (best in class at price point)

Amber Harness is a beautiful product

Slimmer toe profile for those averse to the roomy structured toe

Cons

Some hide concerns on my pair (not specific to RW or the Merchants specifically)

Height could be a touch taller for my tastes

Laces are slightly short