Get to know your local cobbler

1990's Red Wing 875

Earlier this week, I decided to drive down to Dover, DE to visit the Red Wing Store and to my surprise, I spotted these boots on a shelf with other vintage Red Wings. The cobbler told me that he bought an array of Red Wings shoes from the previous owner but couldn't sell most of them because of the small sizes. The boots did seem a little small but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try them on. They were a size 8E and I'm typically a 9 or 9 1/2 but for some reason or another the shoes fit perfectly.

The boots were already marked down from $160 to $80 but after a little bargaining (and after reciting my knowledge of Red Wing Shoes), I walked out with a pair of boots for $32.

And since I have never seen this imprint before, I sent a few pictures to Mike, who manages the Red Wing Store in Newark, DE and has 30 years of experience with the company. He quickly gave me the back story on the boots: 

875 back before 1998 was a part of the Irish Setter line. When the line was moved to China, we moved 875 and 877 over to the red wing line because they are made in the U.S. That color pictured was 875's color in the '90's and is known as 8131 now in the Lifestyle line. The 09 91 is the manufacturing date.

Score.