I have a love/hate relationship with Red Wing Iron Rangers. If you’re like me, you like to do a bit of research before dropping three hundred bucks or more on a pair of boots. The online consensus seems to also consist of both lovers and haters of the Red Wing Iron Rangers. Well, in both instances, everything you’ve read about them is true. They are a complete (literal) pain to break in. But once they are broken in, they are one of the most comfortable pairs of boots you can own. But the break-in period is completely cumbersome. I’ve heard everything from “place them in front of the tire of your car and run them over” to “wear them for an hour a day until they’re broken in.” In reality, I think the best piece of advice for breaking in any pair of footwear is to wear them “casually,” that is to say, don’t get yourself into a situation where you’re out and about, unable to take them off to slip into something more comfortable.

Just about the worst thing you can do with a new pair of Red Wing Iron Rangers is wear them out on the job before they’re broken in, where you won’t be able to get your feet out of them. If you want to break in a new pair of boots, of course you have to walk around in them, but for anyone that has decided to wear a pair of shoes or boots out in order to break them in and ended up with blisters on their feet knows how miserable of a situation that is to be in. And it gets worse with every step. Don’t do this.

What I have found to be the safest way to break in a new pair of boots, is to first wear them around the house. Since they’re new, they are clean, so even if you normally have a strict no shoe policy inside the house, perhaps you can make an exception for breaking in a new pair of Red Wings. Another good reason to wear your new Iron Rangers around the house before venturing out in them, is that it will give you a very good idea of how much breaking in you need to do, and how much you can get away with before needing to take them off. It also helps to put them on first thing in the morning, as your feet will sometimes swell more later into the day. If you’re able to keep them on for the whole day in the house, then you may be ready to take them for a walk around the block or to the park. Just don’t bite off more than you can chew.

So if it’s such a pain to break in a new pair of Red Wing Iron Rangers, what’s the point? Well one of the reasons it’s so tough to break in a new pair of these boots, is because the leather is very rigid, but this is also what makes the Iron Rangers so durable. They really are well-built and if you’re not doing intense work in them, they should absolutely last a lifetime. Even if you are doing heavy duty work in them, they can withstand quite a lot, and will last a very long time if you take care of them.

A good regiment with any pair of boots or leather shoes is to use a solid horsehair brush on them after every wearing to knock off dust, dirt, and other particles of debris. Let them dry out between wears, use a leather conditioner when they start to appear dry, and boot wax to protect them. Follow these simple steps and your Red Wing Iron Rangers may just outlast you.