Suitably in time for spring, the American footwear company Red Wing releases a new low version of their famous moc toes, called Shop Moc Oxford. Available in three different leathers, and initially only dropped in Europe and Japan, this is a new potential best seller.
Red Wing is a brand that needs no introduction. The huge American footwear company who successfully have managed to merge tradition and modernity (just the fact that they have a woman CEO and several other women in their highest management team is a testament to this), whose Japanese branch sort of kicked off the entire workwear boot craze we currently see when they started their Heritage project a few decades back. The crown jewel of this segment has always been their iconic (this highly overused term is surely correct in this case) Moc Toe Boot. A style that one definitely can see works as a low shoe too.
The new low moc toe version, here in the popular medium brown Oro Legacy leather.
If I have my records straight, Red Wing has had low versions several rounds before, most recently the Moc Toe Oxford (yes, it’s stupid that some American’s call a derby for oxford, we just have to live with it and laugh behind their back) which was introduced in 2010. That differed in some significant ways to the Classic Moc Toe boot, with a faux Norwegian storm welt (sole stitch of course a real seam attaching the rubber midsole, but the Norwegian stitch was just decorative, they had a regular Goodyear welted construction), single front piece with decorative apron seam, no heel counter stitch, and was canvas lined.
The very light coloured suede Hawthorne Abiline makes for a spring-summery feel.
Now they introduce the Shop Moc Oxford, which has much more resemblances with the classic Moc Toe boot. A regular flat welt, two separate leather pieces attached with the apron seam, the heel counter stitch, etc. It also has five pairs of eyelets compared to four for the previous low moc rendition, and the regular Traction Tred wedge sole. Price is €330, and it’s initially only dropped in Japan – at for example Red Wing Japan – and Europe – at for example Lester, Hep Cat, Red Wing Berlin and Liqeur Store Clothing – but many of these retailers ship worldwide.
The third available version is in black leather. All pictures: Red Wing Japan / Aron Rice
