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reconfirming knowledge

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RECONFIRMING WHAT I ALREADY KNEW!!!

Yesterday (Saturday) when I left my office I noticed one block from my factory in a strip mall a Redwing shoe store. I stopped and went in, inquiring when it opened, to my shock 16 months ago. How I missed it I just don’t know but I did. I am sure this store is owned by Redwing.

Being there I obviously looked at the selection of boots which is vast. Just a guess but probably 200 models of all types. I asked which were if at all made in the USA and was told those with an American flag on the price card under the displayed boot. If five present are made in the USA that is a lot.

Every boot is made with a multitude of pieces possibly 20 versus mine which are made with 5 pieces and I am only referring to the upper exterior part of the boot. No telling how many components are used to make the lining and sole, but I am sure from what I saw when I cut open the boot for the u tube video it is numerous versus mine. Pricing varied from about $150.00 to $250.00 and higher. Considering the number of components required they must be made in China because making them in the USA would be impossible to sell at these prices. I also noted that the bulk of the boots are made with nylon versus leather so they will break down in no time. I also do not believe the support is near as good as an all leather boot provides. The way these boots are made strongly suggests they are made with planned obsolescence in mind.

I inquired as to the temperature guidance for one model that had 600 grams of Thinsulate; the answer I received was “I can’t tell you that”. I asked why there isn’t some guide line and he said because maybe the same boot on each of us would be different. I further asked what the policy was if I bought a pair of boots that had the 600 gram insulation in them and my feet were cold, noted after a month’s use. He said there was none. I then asked about moisture retention and was told that Gore-Tex “wicked” the moisture away. This young fellow was becoming noticeably irritated with my questions; I then told him there was a boot available in Grand Junction that actually gave guide lines about temperature use from a company called Wiggy’s. He said they were around the corner. I agreed.I was wearing a T-shirt with the Wiggy’s logo on it which may have been exposed under my jacket and I was parked in front of the glass door so he may have seen my Wiggy’s license plate as well. Or maybe he has been in the showroom and knew who I was to begin with.

Both of the young men were I am sure in their twenties, one early and the other late.

What I knew that was confirmed to me is the lack of knowledge they have about the basic performance capability of the product that they are selling: winter boots. I suspect these employees were originally trained by factory representatives at the time they were hired. So all these young men know is what they were taught and they do not know they have been given erroneous information about these boots for the most part. This scenario is played all of the country in every Redwing store as well as any other retail stores that carry their boots or any other brand of boot.

The fact that they believe the Gore-Tex membrane is a wicking material was actually a new description for me to hear versus it breathes. When I asked what it means when he said the insulation is 600 grams as for insulation he couldn’t say.

Since Wiggy’s is located so close maybe some of their potential customers will find Wiggy’s for their footwear.

One more time who gets the short end of the stick, the consumer because the consumer is not getting truthful information about the product they are either interested in or are purchasing.

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Wiggy’s Inc.
PO Box 2124
Grand Junction, CO 81502

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2482 Industrial Blvd  •  Grand Junction, CO
(970) 241-6465

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