Red Wing Shoe Company opens first Manhattan flagship

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Mar 20, 2019

American footwear group Red Wing Shoe Company has announced the opening of its first Manhattan flagship.

Located at 11 Penn Plaza in Midtown, the 3,300-square-foot store is a tribute to the brand's core principles of craftsmanship, carrying Red Wing's signature work boots and its heritage collection, in addition to offering a variety of special in-store services. 

Visitors to the Manhattan flagship will have access to a boot repair and care bar, which will host interactive shoe care demonstrations and offer reconditioning and repair services for customers' Red Wing shoes. A staff of experts will be on hand to advise shoppers on the best size and fit for their needs at the bar, which will also feature a selection of accessories like laces, inserts and socks. 

In homage to the flagship's location, the store will also feature an interactive installation, called the New York City Wall of Honor, which will present the stories of real New Yorkers who are fans of Red Wing boots.

In a press release, the Minnesota-based company, whose shoes primarily catered to workers in the past, explained that opening urban stores is part of its strategy to achieve consistent growth. 

"Red Wing Shoes have been a mainstay on New York City job sites for more than a century, but until now we haven't had a physical presence in Manhattan," said Mark Urdahl, Red Wing's chief executive officer. "We are excited to make it easier than ever for New York's workers, residents and visitors to find the right product and services for their needs, whether it's working on a construction site or commuting to the office."

Along with its brick-and-mortar expansion into big cities like New York, the company also recently launched Red Wing for Business, a digital footwear program that makes it easier for companies to offer Red Wing boots to their workers. 

Established in 1905, Red Wing Shoes offers a variety of work, safety and lifestyle footwear and work apparel.

The company's family of brands includes Red Wing, Irish Setter, Vasque, Worx and S.B. Foot Tanning Company. These brands are distributed in more than 110 countries through over 500 Red Wing retail stores, third-party partners and company-owned e-commerce platforms.