Supporting American workers from the ground up.
1905 | MINNESOTA, USA | Charles H. Beckman

Charles Beckman, who emigrated from Germany at the age of 17 and worked in a leather goods factory before running a boot and shoe sales company, founded the brand RED WING in 1905 with 14 partners.

In 1908, the company began manufacturing Goodyear welted shoes. At the same time, they started operations in a four-story brick factory, establishing a production system capable of finishing 450 pairs of shoes per day, and meeting the military demands of the 1914 and 1942 World Wars. In addition to workers such as farmers, cowboys, and oil drillers, they also offered a variety of products to meet diverse needs, including boots for women and children. Their high practicality and durability made them popular not only throughout the United States but also for export overseas.

In 1940, they launched a "mobile shoe store" set up in a trailer towed by a Chevrolet. This initiative, which aimed to deliver Red Wing shoes to workers across the United States and improve quality by gathering customer feedback, continues to this day. This is another example of the company's customer-centric approach.

Some of the most representative models include the "IRISH SETTER" 877 model, a hunting boot said to have propelled Red Wing to its current status; the "BECKMAN," a dressy style named after the founder; the classic "CLASSIC WORK" work boot; the laceless "PECOS" boot; the buckle-fastened "ENGINEER" boot; and the "POSTMAN" service shoe, among many others.

Red Wing is known as one of the few shoemakers in the world that owns its own tannery (leather tanning factory). There, high-quality leather, processed appropriately for each shoe, is transformed into highly durable shoes by skilled craftsmen operating Puritan sewing machines that have been in operation for over 70 years. It can be said that Red Wing is one of the few brands that continues to produce MADE IN USA shoes with the good old American craftsmanship.