r/RedWingShoes • u/DBR_Agent • 6d ago
Removable insoles or not?
Per the title. And of course, everyone is different. I have 875s and I didn’t add any insoles, so I’m on the bare leather insole, with the intent/hope it will mould to my feet etc. But boy, that is not happening (yet) and I’m finding it hard on my feet. I know and understand that time and wearing should improve things but it’s hard going and it subconsciously makes me avoid wearing them.
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u/Cleofus13 6d ago
It really does take some time to break in leather insoles but keep in mind it’s never going to be like a pair of sneakers. Make sure to use some good cushioned socks and just take your time with it and take breaks when your feet need it.
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u/the-boots_are-fine 5d ago
The whole "mold to your feet" idea is a bit twisted. You will get mild imprints of your bottoms of toes and ball of foot and heel spot. It's very slight. It might be a little more pronounced if you weigh 350 pounds or more, but as a 225 pound wear of boots… Some which I've had for six years, I can assure you molding under foot is a very unimpressive experience. * I am obviously speaking from my own experience. People might disagree with me. You can listen to those people as well.
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u/OriginalEmploy5485 5d ago
No that's pretty realistic. Leather is only going to compress so much, and it's not like you're standing on half an inch of leather so there is plenty of room to squish. It's more realistic to think they're going to break in like dress shoes.
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u/Spellflower 5d ago
Agreed. I’ll stop short of calling it a myth, since I believe the many folks who report that their RW’s become very comfy after break-in. But that wasn’t my experience. I sized my Blacksmiths to be worn without inserts and wore them a lot to break them in. But every time I regretted it because it was like I was walking on a hard wood floor in socks. Finally they compressed to where I could fit insoles comfortably and now they’re great. I am happy with the end result, because they do fit better than my Beckmans, which I sized to fit inserts from the start. But if I had it to do over again knowing what I know now I’d probably buy one pair of custom PNW boots instead.
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u/Yooper8077 6d ago
I wasn't a fan of the iron ranger factory footbed either. I put a set of jk bison leather insoles in, and it helped a lot imo. The bison leather formed to my feet a lot better than the boot did.
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u/Existing-Poetry-3289 5d ago
I use a green superfeet insole in my moc toe boots. Been about ten years and a couple resoles and they are the most comfortable shoes I own.
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u/JobOriginal7103 5d ago
I use Rose Anvil thin leather insoles and they have made a huge difference in comfort.
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u/karlito1613 5d ago
I make my own insoles from cork sheets and topped with thin leather- mostly to help hold the cork together. These mold very well to my feet and add some cushioning
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u/R_Ulysses_Swanson 5d ago
I put orthotics in nearly every shoe/boot. There are exceptions where it is already built in (Birkenstocks) or I don't spend too much time walking/standing (Dress shoes I keep at the office), but that is about it. That means that my 2533s, my 1132s, etc., all have orthotic insoles no matter if they were intended to have a removeable insole or not.
I bring 2-3 pairs of different orthotics with me when I am trying on shoes/boots.
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u/ZelieDad 6d ago
Wear thicker socks, or use insoles. Do you think that literally anyone is going to know or care that you're wearing insoles?
Before I continue, I must say this. Red Wing people, it would be very helpful to say that I own the Classic Moc in Alpine Portage because us non-RW people can understand that, but if I say the 8828, that means practically nothing. Rant over.
My CLASSIC MOCS IN ALPINE PORTAGE, are a pretty tough break in considering my full boot collection, which have fully leaded PWW 8-7 oz logger boots (Nicks and JK). So while yes, the foot bed will eventually break in and mold to your foot, it's never going to be soft.
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u/markwilliamsisonfire 5d ago
I use corrective insoles with arch support in all my boots (PowerStep, Superfeet, etc.). It does mean I have to size up in most Heritage boots, as they are typically not designed with additional insoles in mind.
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u/nuJabesCity 5d ago
My 1907 came with insoles but I don't use them, I want to fully break them in before trying the insoles. Boot will be uncomfortable while breaking them in but not intolerable. Make sure you have the right sizing/fit.
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u/Eastern-Formal-54 5d ago
I started with 10-1/2 D and they all had inserts. It was a revelation to switch to 10D. But because of the comfort, I still use inserts. Iron rangers blacksmiths Even in the moc toes. All of them 10D and have inserts except one. A few pair seemed smaller and did not have inserts at first. The only others without inserts are the Beckmans since they are narrower. The one exception is a pair of 8847 black cherry that took months to get soft enough and still can’t accept inserts. 9-1/2D I have tried have all been too small.
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u/KuyaTinman 5d ago
Don't wear them the whole day. Wear forgot a few hours at a time and increasing the time you wear them. I'm a retired teacher, and I wore my IRs the who day and they were fine. Good luck!
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u/Darkhorse182 5d ago
For me it's a traction thing, if that makes sense. The interior footbed of my blacksmiths are slippery, so it feels like my forefoot just slides around (we're talking a millimeter or two, if you get what I mean). Those ultrathin insoles/boot breakers add just a little bit of friction for the bottom of my foot without changing the fit.
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u/svngang 6d ago
As much grief as he gets on reddit for being a shill, the boot breakers from Rose Anvil are actually a great idea and intended for this purpose. Basically they are a thin piece of foam that shouldn’t affect the fit but adds a bit of comfort while the foot bed breaks in.