White s Semi Dress Boots Vs Iron Ranger

I've just received my new Whites MP Service Boots, and thought I'd share some initial impressions. It's a bit too soon for a full review, but I thought it might be interesting to compare them to a very popular boot, the Iron Ranger. Both are heritage style boots, both have cap-toe designs (at least, the Whites in the configuration I ordered do), and both are casual boots designed to take a beating. The Red Wing is considered more of an entry level GYW boot, whereas Whites are regarded as a higher-end piece. I thought comparing and contrasting the two might be fun.

Red Wing 8111 Iron Rangers on the left, Whites MP Service Boot in Cinnamon Waxed Flesh on the right.

Sizing and fit:

I'm a UK 9 in sneakers, and wear a UK 8.5 in the Red Wing number 8 last. A UK 8.5 is the equivalent of a US 9.5, and I'm a fairly standard D width. Following the conventional 'size down half a size from your sneakers' approach, a US size 9.5D in the Whites would therefore seem the logical choice. Surprisingly, that's not what size my Whites are. They're actually a US 8.5D, which would theoretically make them a UK 7.5; a full size and a half down from my true size. Interestingly, they fit very similarly to my Iron Rangers; the toe box has a lower profile, and the Barrie last they're built on is quite long and narrow, but they fit well. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison, as the Red Wings are broken in and the Whites are new, stiff, and quite snug; but the length is good, the ball of my foot lines up with the correct part of the boot, and the arch support is right under the arch of my foot.

Sizing is always fun; not only do sizes vary across different makers and different lasts, but the conversion from US to UK sizes doesn't seem consistent either. From now on, I'll refer to the boots via their US sizes to avoid confusion.

Iron Rangers and MP Service Boot in profile.

The above picture shows some key similarities and differences between the two boots. Length-wise, the 8.5D Whites are about the same as the 9.5D Red Wings. The number 8 last of the Red Wing clearly has more volume in the toe, and the shaft of the boot is wider too. Again though, it's hard to compare the fit between a well broken-in boot and a brand new one; you can see in the above pic where the Iron Rangers have stretched to conform to my pinky toe. I'm sure the Whites will do likewise in time.

The feel on the foot is quite different, break-in notwithstanding. The Iron Ranger has a fairly flat leather insole, and a cork midsole that molds to your foot over time. The MP Service Boot has more pronounced arch support right out the box, which, coupled with the relatively low volume last, really makes your foot feel supported and encased in the boot.

Leathers:

My Iron Rangers are in Amber Harness leather. It's very common, so I won't go into too much detail about it, other than that it comes from Red Wing's own SB Foot tannery, is oil tanned, and starts off stiff before getting pretty supple fairly quickly.

The MP Service boot is in Cinnamon Waxed Flesh, which is a waxed roughout leather from Horween. Fundamentally, it's 'inside-out' Chromexcel. The leather on the Whites boot is thicker than on the Iron Ranger, though both are hefty slabs of cow skin. Both also show marks and scuffs pretty easily, with my new Whites boots already showing a couple of marks out of the box. This is a good thing to me, as I love a bit of patina on a boot, but something to bear in mind if you want to keep pristine looking boots.

Build Quality:

This is an intersting topic. Although Red Wing's are often considered a fairly 'entry level' GYW boot, the truth is that Red Wings last well, and use good materials.

The Whites boot is a thing of beauty; thick leathers, lovely leather midsole (and leather shank, interestingly), and a hand-stitched welt. They also smell fantastic out the box, and come with both flat waxed cotton laces and a pair of leather laces.

Comparitive value is harder to define; the Whites are beautifully made, but here in the UK they're also twice the price of a pair of Red Wings, and they aren't 'twice' as nicely made. The hand-stitched welt, waxed flesh leather, and level of fit-and-finish are all excellent; but the Iron Ranger is also a great boot, and known to last well. The price of Red Wings is lower; in part due to economies of scale, and in part because they have their own tannery. This reduces two of the major costs to boot making; labour and materials. And even with the higher priced Whites boots, the ocassional loose thread is still visible.

Both are good boots, and both reflect value within their respective price points; but the law of diminishing returns is always a factor above a certain price point.

Other differences:

My Iron Rangers have the, now discontinued, nitrile-cork sole. It gives a sleek silhouette, but it's rubbish on wet grass, mud, or ice and snow. I've got other boots for that kind of thing. My Whites have the Dainite sole, but they're also available with a Vibram half-lug. The Dainite seems a good compromise between sleekness and traction, though it still won't be any good on ice, or on muddy inclines.

The Iron Rangers also have speed-hooks at the top, which makes getting them on-and-off a lot easier than the rows of eyelets on the MP Service Boots. This, again, isn't an apples-to-apples comparison, as I always find new boots harder to get on-and-off until the tongue has broken-in a bit and you're not wrestling with it quite so much. The heavily waxed laces do tend to stick to themselves too; though again this will get better with time as the wax wears off.

The clan together, with a cheeky pair of non-goodyear welted boots photo-bombing the pic. Left to right; Salomon Quest 4D hiking boots, Red Wing Ice Cutters, Whites MP Service Boots, and Red Wing Iron Rangers.

Initial thoughts:

My new Whites are beautiful, and I can't wait to start breaking them in. The quality is excellent, the leathers are beautiful, and the comfort (particularly the arch support) is great. That said, I'll be wearing them in rotation with my Iron Rangers, and I wont feel that the Iron Ranger has suddenly become a bad boot whenever I pull them on.

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Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/goodyearwelt/comments/d1rpwk/whites_mp_service_boot_compared_to_red_wing_iron/

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