I've always been a sucker for the classic Red Wing 1907 Moc Toe Boot. To be honest, I don't even need these boots--I have a sedentary job and I keep a pair of Vasque Sundowner hiking boots for hiking, which double nicely as work boots around the yard. But still, every time I would see a pair of those Red Wings, with all that gorgeous full-grain, triple-stitched, made-in-the-USA leather goodness, I would purpose in my heart to have a pair of my very own. Typically, I would get as far as typing in my credit card info before guilty feelings over the $240 price tag would cause me to reluctantly remove the 1907s from my cart and go sulk in front of the TV.
This time however, while searching for the Red Wings, I came across Thorogood Men's American Heritage 6" Moc Toe Boot. Welt construction? Check. Triple-stitched, full-grain leather? Check. Made in the good old USA? Check. That classic white sole? Check. My heart leapt when I saw the $120 price. Was it possible? Although the Thorogoods in the Tobacco Gladiator color certainly looked as handsome as the Red Wings in the pictures, a nagging doubt entered my mind. Surely they would break my heart by being the same odd orange color one sees on the Chinese knockoffs. Or they would be poorly sewn. Or fit badly. Nevertheless, driven by desperation and buoyed by Amazon's liberal return policies and the thought of saving $120 dollars, I pulled the trigger.
When the boots arrived, I couldn't have been more pleased. My wife swears that she saw a single tear of joy roll down my cheek when I opened the box and gazed upon them for the first time. The fit is fantastic, the quality superb and the price amazing. I was surprised that they aren't as clunky as my hiking boots and they're very well cushioned. And the leather...well, it's just beautiful.
Highly recommended!