Red Wing Shoe Store

My husband and I went in to the store this weekend to look for a pair of work boots for him, since I also work in the shoe branch and also sells work boots I do have some knowledge about this area. When we came in to the store there was a small Asian guy sitting behind a desk playing on the computer, since there were no one in the store at the time I didn’t think to much about it, he greeted us and asked if we wanted help, but since we were only looking (and just entered the store) neither of us had any questions or wanted help at that time. After looking a at the merchandise for awhile I did have some questions for him, he got up from his chair came and poked quickly at the shoe and answered me as he was walking back to the computer to continue what he was doing there. When I had another question, this time about the insoles, he nonchalant turned the chair answered me and turned back to the screen. At this point he really started to annoy me, I looked over at the screen to see if he was doing something work related that would explain his absence of customer service, but no, he was surfing for jeans. This continued all through our stay, even when my husband wanted to try on shoes he quickly went back to the computer after handing him the shoes. Also, he did not listen to our questions but interrupted us in the middle of a sentence to give us the wrong answer. The whole experience was so ridiculous especially since I know how upset I get at my coworkers when they don’t engage with the customers at my store. The fact that he ran back to the computer all the time like his life depended on it made me beyond upset since we were the only people in the store and he was looking at jeans. The store doesn’t even deserve one star, I will never return to this location again.

Ummm. This is a strange review to have to write. The woman operating this store genuinely hates Red Wing customers and chases them out of the store. There’s no more or less concise way to describes her temperament. Her pissed off attitude caught us completely by surprise. It’s not clear why anyone would shop here.
We bought a pair of Red Wing Iron Rangers about two years ago, this was our first pair of Red Wings. Look them up, absolutely classic. We make furniture for a living and wanted work boots that would be classic in styling and go from shop to forest with ease, hard working work boots. We were sold on Red Wings philosophy and their claims to make boots that last a lifetime, as well as their claims to be able to repair shoes with any problem at all. Spend some time watching the touchy-​feely videos on the repair section of their website and you’ll be sold too.
The first thing we noticed about these Iron Rangers two years ago was that the quick rivets were cutting holes in the tongue within a few days of wearing them. Knowing that Red Wing can repair anything we didn’t worry about it, and the tongue gradually got more and more chewed up. We simply assumed that the tongue was meant to be worn out and replaced, because the design of the boots and location of the rivets was rapidly wearing out the tongue. We bought a second pair about a year ago and the exact same predicament began.
We are the kind of people who buy products and clothing that can be repaired, items that will truly last and be serviceable. Again, that’s why Red Wing seemed so awesome. So when the tongues were totally trashed on the first pair we went back to Red Wing’s website, watched some more touchy-​feely videos and figured out how to send these bad-​boys in to be repaired. The Red Wing website says you need to go to a Red Wing Store to initiate this process so we found this store on the Red Wing website and took our boots along with.
After arriving at the store, she acknowledged us after about five minutes, which was a little strange because the store is about 200 square feet, so it was weird to be ignored in such a confined space. Then she had us wait another ten, she was helping other customers, no big deal, we chatted with each other, we were in a good mood.
Then she came over to the counter and grabbed the shoes out of our hands. To envision the way she communicated you need to read these quotes with your voice raised and snarl dragon breath. She didn’t even let us ask how the repair process works, or what we were there for, she went straight away into berating us, keep in mind every time she asked a question and we tried to answer she would raise her voice over us to continue her tirade. She did not want answers. «You didn’t buy these here!» «When did you buy these?!» «No cobbler local, or anywhere in the world can fix these!» «Are you getting the soles redone?!» «Where did you buy these?!» «When you buy shoes at a corporate location you get three things, better customer service, free laces, free repairs…» «Red Wing CANNOT replace tongues!!!» «You should have come in sooner!!» «We could have redone the rivets, that’s it!!!»
We made several desperate attempts to interrupt her to explain what service we were looking for. She would not let us speak. Her insistence that we waited too long is shear ignorance. The rivets chew up the tongue, it happens with every pair, coming in sooner would not have resulted in a magical redesign of the boots.
We finally interrupted her and snatched the boots back, told her what we thought of her and left.
Please spare yourself the stress and avoid this horrible shoe store, and the horrible woman who operates it.
PS. There are hundreds of cobblers who are happy to repair the tongue on these boots.

Came in and saw I was in the right place. The salesperson was a cool patient dude and helped me out greatly when looking for the right show for my work needs.

I went in placed my old pair of overly worn out works shoes on the counter and said I want these exact shoes again. They brought them out. I put them on and purchased them it took about 5 minutes.
I normally go to redwing in Federal Way and they give me $ 20 off with out a coupon, this store didn’t. Oh well it’s a great shoe that takes one hell of a beating even when it’s worn out and the seams are coming apart it’s a damn good shoe so $ 100 to keep my feet, legs, and back healthy so I can work all day long with out ever sitting down is a great deal to me.
When it comes to my feet and my health I only buy redwing shoes for work. I tried going to Nordstroms stylish not a good work shoe I even getting a pair of crappy shoes for crews they lasted 3 months. My employer got us all shoes that Mario Bartali wears (they are light but they suck I was the first to say send mine back after 10 minuets others followed later)
Until I find a better shoe with a descant fair price I’m going to stay with Red wing.
Hint ladies if you are a chef like me and you want a great shoe for work. Leave the women’s shoe area go to the men’s shoes and get a pair if them. WHY
Better leather, better sole, far better support longer life better shoe. Same maker better price

This is a pretty good decent shop to get your steel toe shoe needs. My other job requires these tuff shoes and my once-​new pair have now exceeded their, uh, use of life…
The shelves aren’t as diverse as other work shoe stores I’ve been to in the south end but (and maybe because it’s how Red Wing rolls?) it’s decent, nonetheless. The black lady working that Sunday was rather chill and friendly; a nice surprise given how quiet it probably often is there. I found a nice pair that seemed to be a nice fit.
It’s probably brought down to average _​because_​of their selection. The more pricey shoes look good and the cheaper ones look ok – and had one I wanted – but the tread on those shoes wasn’t as a good as the higher priced ones… can’t someone be able to buy a good pair of cheap or pricey steel toe shoes AND have some better treads? The pair I got was probably the middle ground for price and tread for wet conditions.
It’s worth a peek for your ST shoe needs.

Honestly, the only reason why I am giving this store 1 star is because it wont let me give it NO STARS!
I am required to wear special SD Steel Toes for my work and I must get them from Redwing because we have a contract with them. Otherwise I would never waste my time coming to this store every year. I have been a 5 year customer of this store, and every year I have the exact same problems with them. 1) They do not have my size and must order it. 2) They say they dont have the shoe that I want to order. 3) It takes at the minimum 3 weeks to get my shoes. 4) I never get a courtesy call. 5) They mysteriously do not know about my Employer’s Payment option with their store.
I dont mind waiting for shoes, or that they have to order them. but when I am a returning customer and I have to call you three times asking where my shoes are and I never get a call from you saying they are being shipped or have arrived I find that to be very poor customer service. Also, every single year I have to have my boss call down to their store to remind them about the credit card number on file to pay for my shoes, even after I explained that to them!
If it were up to me. I would not ever give them my business. Do not waste your time coming here!

Redwing shoes, along with beer and the jeep, are proof if you keep improving a product it will only get worse and more expensive.
Red Wing shoes and their stores were the quintessential American shoe store: excellent selection, very high quality product, perfect service anyplace in the USA and expensive. They now are OK products made largely in China with mediocre service and high prices. How’s that for progress.
In the 70s and 80s I could buy their superbly crafted shoes at any Red Wing store in the USA and they had my size on file, the shoes fit — there were many choices in width — and I’d have them resoled a couple of time thus lowering the overall cost. They fit the average American foot –my foot — first time and every time. The leather was of such high quality it was worth restitching if needed. (We have some great cobblers here in Seattle!)
Now most of the shoes come in one or two widths and are produced on a odd form as they don’t fit any foot very well; they are distinctly not produced on a Munsen or American last (i.e. form). Most of the shoes are not resoleable or even worth rebuilding. The owners of the store just don’t seem to care either. Oddly enough the prices are still high without any of the best attributes that I came to expect.
Red Wing gets two stars for what they were not what they are at present. They’re not alone, Ecco went from five stars to one for similar behavior.