"Give a boy the right boots, and he can conquer the world" — an almost accurate Marilyn Monroe quote

With the 3340 this past 6 months I have… hiked in the mountains, done gardening, helped out friends on their farms in the mud, cleared bramble patches, trekked through the Belizean rainforest, hiked accross coffee farms in Guatemala, took the boots on and off an absurd amount of time through TSA, done woodworking, welding, painting, sanding and all the other good stuff, I have been to numerous farmer’s markets loading and offloading a bunch, also sat my ass down a lot for some inevitable office time, danced with my partner, went to dinner with friends and family, sometimes walked aimlessely through city streets, just for the heck of it. And much much more.

Break in for the 3340 went ok, considering I took them on a 10 miles hike in the mountain on day 3. My feet did hurt that day but I’m not so sure I can genuinely blame the leather... Otherwise it withstood whatever I threw at it, and always came back to its sheen and temper after brushing. No conditioning yet. It seems the oils packed in it are doing their job. Regarding patina, the purple hue has given way to brighter reddish tones, while the highlights and points of friction seem to teacore (can a non black leather teacore?). Whatever it is, I like it, and I can’t wait to see the process continue !

It really took until month 5 before I could fully say the leather and the soles have fully broken in. Now it really feels like a tailor made, contoured experience when putting them on in the morning. Sizing wise, I have come to realize that my left foot is verging closer to E width than otherwise ideal. Next pair on the #8 last will have to be E width. Length wise .5 down from brannock worked really well for me.

I was drawn to bulbous service boot look of the Blacksmith, and liked that it wasn’t as ubiquitous as its cousin the IR. Although down here in France, the brand is remarkably niche and far and few between. In terms of how the boot is built : I really put them through their paces, on tough terrain, in the mud, in the sand, in the dust… and not a stitch has popped, nothing seems to delaminate. So far, Red Wing lives up to its reputation. I could say something about finishing, as my right boot was lasted crooked. But I’m not gonna as coming at this pricepoint and from a high volume factory such as RW’s it is to be expected every now and then ; plus I find it endearing now.

Not a cloud here. The V430 managed the elements with grace all while being low profile and casual. Cherry on the cake : there’s plenty life left in it. For reals.

Many consider Red Wings an entry level brand. It probably is. But it was perfect for me.