Introducing the new Munson Ranger 8011

We are super excited to have the new Munson Ranger 8011 in White Ash Settler leather. Previously made exclusively for the Japanese market, it will be available as a one off and in limited sizes only.

The Munson Ranger is a very special boot with a fascinating story behind its design and thats all because of the last that its built on. 

All footwear is constructed around a foot shaped model called a Last. The word last comes from the Old English “Laest” which means footprint. A last can be made of a variety of materials like wood, cast iron or plastic and is one of the most important aspects of any shoe as it determines the fit and feel when the shoe is on the foot.

Dr. Edward Munson with X-Ray of soldiers foot in Munson Last.

In 1912 Dr. Edward Munson patented his last after spending 4 years studying and measuring the feet of over 2,000 soldiers. Dr. Munson’s aim was to rid soldiers of foot ailments related to ill fitting service shoes. His solution was a boot with a natural toe box that followed the shape and contours of the foot. Before too long the Munson last was adopted by the US military and came to be used on the standard infantry boots in WWI and WWII and well into the ’60’s as well as being used in civilian work and service shoes. 

New 8011 in White Ash next to well worn in 8012 in Burgundy

As a homage to this iconic piece of American History, Red Wing have made use of this last once again. Following on from the 8012 in Burgundy we now have the second Munson Ranger. A boot that perfectly encapsulates the origins of those first Munson designs with history on the battlefield and in everyday work.