Submitted by thechoochlyman t3_yd6kyr in BuyItForLife
Comments
BoostinDubs t1_itrh8vw wrote
Red wings aren’t bifl anymore. Mass produced in China to increase quarterly profits.
F-21 t1_itrmrsp wrote
Redwing has a wide lineup. A lot of them are of course still made in the USA, especially the heritage line.
thechoochlyman OP t1_itrspjt wrote
I had one pair of Chinese and I liked them, but they didn't last very long. Keep buying American and you're good.
regaphysics t1_itrlj50 wrote
Neither mass production nor made in China mean something isn’t bifl.
BoostinDubs t1_itrn6gd wrote
When a company goes to manufacturing over seas to boost profits instead of making a better product it’s going to effect the longevity of the product.
IronicBread t1_iu8pgua wrote
What if manufacturing was moved overseas to the UK? Would you suddenly still think they are going to effect the longevity of the product?
regaphysics t1_itrviba wrote
You have assumed away the question. Manufacturing over seas can save labor costs, which can allow more money to go into the product; they can also produce higher profits but you have no idea which is the case (often it’s both). One thing is certain: Products made in higher labor cost countries absolutely cannot put as much money into the product.
BoostinDubs t1_itumkpw wrote
I think you are bit confused on how capitalism works. Every quarter a corporation must make more profits than the last quarter. Eventually a company will come to a point where they plateau and don’t make as much profit as the quarter before. They must make a decision at this point. Either improve the product or get cheaper labor to improve profits. Unfortunately when they decide to have manufacturing done in China they are choosing cheap forced labor instead of product development to increase the profit margins.
regaphysics t1_itva2y3 wrote
lol, I understand how it works. There’s nothing inferior about production in China. When forced with either reducing costs on the product itself in order to remain in a high cost place like the US, or outsourcing to a lower labor cost environment - the latter is better for a consumer.
[deleted] t1_itv8dx7 wrote
[deleted]
BoostinDubs t1_itrnk1r wrote
Only the heritage line is made in the us and super pricey. They built the brand for being made in the us. When I bought my boots I was under the impression they were made in the us. I was disappointed after seeing made in China on the label. Overpriced and they didn’t last very long.
thechoochlyman OP t1_itrt1fa wrote
They still make plenty of models in the US that aren't heritage.
thechoochlyman OP t1_itq8eir wrote
I bought these boots brand new when I started at my current tool shop in 2014. The soles were worn completely out, and the Red Wing store I spoke to said that they don't re-sole the glued type, and that the boots are "pretty much done at that point." I found a guy in Minnesota through TikTok who specializes in Red Wings, and he had a few videos of replacing the glued soles. I mailed them off to him about 6 weeks ago and got them back yesterday. Only cost my shipping label and $105 for boots that are already broken-in by me and ready to go for hopefully another 8+ years. Very happy with these!