The early history of iron mining on Minnesotas Mesabi Range is intertwined with that of Red Wing Shoe Company. The miners needed tough but comfortable boots that could stand up to the long days and tough conditions a northern Minnesota mine pit presented. Red Wing responded with a boot made of thick leather with an oil resisting outer sole, speed lacing hooks, and a comfortable cork midsole. The defining characteristic of these boots though, was their double layered toe, capped to protect the miners feet from injury as they labored with hand tools and heavy machinery. That boot is still made today, the fittingly named Iron Ranger, and it represents not only Red Wings commitment to making boots for working men and women but also its Minnesota origins.
Goodyear Welt construction is the pinnacle of shoe-making. The Iron Ranger is constructed by attaching a welt, a thin piece of leather, to the bottom edge of the upper leathers. Both pieces are further connected to a canvas rib cemented to the bottom of the insole. The rib leaves a small cork-filled cavity to give a breathable and malleable bottom filler. With the welt fully secured to the upper leather and insole, the midsole is stitched onto the welt with rand and "Nail Seat" construction.
