And here’s the video. A compilation of images of the Red Wing Shoes Factory and the S.B. Foot Tanning Company. The video is accompanied by some really nice live played tunes by Tom Kok after the rough cut by Daan Gast. Enjoy!

About a year ago Red Wing Shoes Amsterdam was invited to Red Wing, Minnesota to pay a visit to the Red Wing Shoe factory and tannery. Our mission:  to discover first hand the deepest secrets  of the American, old school  production process. The factory is home to a hospitable team of employees, most of whom have worked at the Red Wing factory for nearly 30 years. All the craftsmen and -women ply  their own particular craft on the old machinery. Some of the Red Wing machines  were  patented in 1893 and have,  to this very day, not been replaced.
The S.B. Foot tannery is older than the  Red Wing Shoes factory itself. The brand bought the tannery in the 80s to control the entire production process of the shoes. Almost  all  the machines are sourced from Italy because that is where the best equipment for this purpose  comes from. Most of these  have  been altered  so they can process the thick leather that’s used for work boots.  After sorting and shaving,  the leather is colored, dyed, oiled, waxed, dried and finished to the exact requirements of a specific type of leather shoe. 
It was not just the mechanical supremacy that  was a sight to behold. The human elements involved, such as the workers’ loyalty, craftsmanship and the pride they take in their work was something we had not witnessed before. Our friends at Hypebest featured the video we did. Here’s a series of pictures we made.