As more and more fashion goes to waste at an alarming rate in this country (an average American will throw out 81.5 lbs of clothing this year), Red Wing is encouraging customers to keep their boots as long as possible. Now, the brand is stitching tiny wills into the tongue of each boot, so wearers can pass them along to the next generation.
Launching today as part of the brand’s Will Your Wings campaign, tiny “Worn By” and “Left To” labels can be added to customers’ boot tongues. The move comes on the (well-worn) heels of the brand’s “Out of Fashion” campaign, describing its consumer as someone who eschews trends in favor of Red Wing longevity. Instead, the brand’s handcrafted product gets better with age. Its Minnesota repair shop refreshes, re-soles, and reconditions nearly 40,000 boots each year, diverting 54 tons from landfills.
Starting today, customers can receive a free Will Your Wings tag in-store or with any purchase online. Global flagships in Tokyo, Paris, and Red Wing, MN, (as well as select retailers across the globe) will also be hosting stitching events for customers to have their tags sewn in by store associates.
“The Will Your Wings campaign gives our stores and retail partners a powerful and tangible way to showcase what Red Wing Heritage stands for — premium, handcrafted products built to endure,” offers Aaron Seymour-Anderson, Head of Brand and Creative at Red Wing Shoe Company. “Not only are we creating a wearable statement that highlights our commitment to timeless style — we’re creating an in-store experience that celebrates our audiences, gives them something tactile to engage with, and delivers on Red Wing’s values.”
Over the years, customers have shared testimonies about their boots being handed down 50-plus years. Some even “willed their Wings” back to the brand to be retired in the corporate archives.
