 This is the second video in the series what next after entry-level boots Last year I did a series called new to quality heritage boots But in this current series of what next I assume that while new to heritage style quality stitched boots You're ready to move into a mid-range of boots for your ongoing boot journey So what's next for your next service boot? Hey guys, welcome to boot loss a fee my channel reviewing boots and boot related things If you're new here, my name is tech and I invite you to subscribe to my channel. I Acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands. I live and work on the Wajik people of Nungabudja now last year, I did a four-part series for people new to the quality stitched boots world and recommended some entry-level boots for around 200 US dollars One of the videos in that previous series was about service boots and you can watch it here if you didn't see it the category of service boots is probably the type of boot you think of Even if you're new to the boot world, I mean even the cheaper and more fashion-oriented brands Will put out boots in the style of service boots including some very popular brands like say Doc Martens and Timberland Not that there's anything necessarily wrong with those brands But if you're getting interested in the world of good year-welted or stitched-down boots And you've tried the Thursday captain and you're ready for the next step. Those aren't the ones So what is the next step? As I said the service boot category is probably the most Imagine type of boot that people think about yet the definition for that category is probably actually quite vague Of course, you can tell from the name that it's Probably intended to look like military boots But honestly the service boot category can easily morph into a kind of work boot or an ankle boot category Because the definition is actually pretty vague However, I think it's fair to say that boots like these fit into that category more rather than less generally when you think of service boots, you're imagining a Six-inch high boot with a low block heel and open lacing system like these called the Derby lacing system with the quarter pieces stitched on top of the vent piece Sometimes they have a cap toe like this pair and sometimes they don't like this pair Sometimes they look chunky and bulbous like this and sometimes especially modern designs They look sleeker and lower profile But ultimately they'll fall into the service boots boot style If they look like they were worn by the early and mid 20th century's military forces By now if you're interested in boots and especially if you watch the previous series You know the Thursday captain the entry-level service boot Now that sells for 200 US dollars And if you then wanted to dip into the next price range with a matching rise in quality quality finishing and materials Here are the two contenders for your consideration This is the Red Wing iron ranger which sells for 350 US dollars This other one is the Parkhurst Allen boot made by Parker's brand and selling for the mid 300s Now I chose the iron ranger because it is such a classic and has been around such a long time And it's also a fine example of a cap toe boot The Parkhurst Allen is from a newer company and like others who started in the late 2010s Came up with a service boot pattern that was modernized and made to look much more contemporary And although Parkhurst also make cap toe models their Allen boot is a great example of a plain-toe service boot But let's take a look at the iron ranger first It's made by Red Wing a nearly 120-year-old company that was started in the town of Red Wing in Minnesota in the United States I think you can categorically say that Red Wing Minnesota is a company town Especially since Red Wing is such a big company turning over 320 million US dollars in financial 2022 and Since 1986 when it acquired SB foot tanning, which is also situated in Red Wing It became a vertically integrated operation from making its own leather to Manufacturing their boots to owning the retail stores that they sell in In 1922 the iron ranger was first launched Initially made for the iron ore miners working in the Minnesota, Masabi mountain range The modern iron ranger was actually based on the 1922 model But it was redesigned in the late 2000s by the Japanese designer Aki Iwasaki who was retrieving archival designs and then modernizing them into Red Wing's heritage line Which was becoming very popular in Japan and Asia This pair is the model 81 11 in foots amber harness oil tanned leather You can check out my review up there The iconic characteristics about the iron ranger are the chunky and bulbous real cap toe The toe spring and the line of the slope at the collar of the shaft all making it immediately recognizable It is 270 degree good year-old it where the wealth are connecting the the soul to the uppers runs around the front Frequers of the boot leaving the heels glued and nailed to achieve the straight silhouette down the back Being good year-old it is water resistant and it is we craftable when the outsole wears out The toe cap is real in the sense that it is a second piece of leather on top of a full vamp piece Many toe cap boots these days Actually two pieces of leather The materials under the foot are leather and cork That's a traditional gold standard and intended to continue to form to the shape of your foot the more you wear them And bear your weight into them on Mine the sole is made of nitrile cork a treated rubber compound infused with pieces of cork Iron rangers made after around 2016. I think utilized a Vibram 430 mini lug rubber sole to provide more grip The uppers are from SB foot and is chrome tanned Four grain leather meaning it's from the top and best part of the hide and it's then oil tanned to finish so that it feels Actually oily and waxy and you can see the oils move around as you apply pressure to the underside It is over 2 millimeters thick and some people report a vicious breaking period when you first put them on Because the leather is so thick and firm, but others say that breaking wasn't that hard for them One thing though once broken in the oil tanned leathers become very supple and malleable And the comfort just gets better and better with age Being pumped full of oil in the tanning It's an easy leather to look after using any kind of oil or wax-based conditioner and a lot of brushing While it may turn off some people the chunky barbers toe Some say clown shoe toe is easily recognizable and is susceptible to toe spring where the toes turn up with wear Which adds to the clown shoe look It's advisable that you use shoe trees if you don't like that look You certainly can't accuse the next option for being clown shoes This is the Parkhurst Allen boot in a leather choice called dark roast Dublin Parkhurst is a much newer brand started by Andrew Savisco in 2018 If you're interested in what drives a modern bootmaker go and watch my interview with Andrew up there Being a new company and basically a one-man band Parkhurst had a big struggle over the pandemic years Andrew started Parkhurst with a desire to support his local suppliers and factories He sourced all his materials from local suppliers Even including imported materials such as UK made day night souls Making sure he bought them from the local supplier rather than buying direct and probably cheaper if he bought direct He partnered with a factory in Western New York State to make his boots The pandemic almost ended Parkhurst materials became very hard to come by as his local suppliers slowly started closing The New York factory finally closed and luckily for Andrew his relationship with other US partner factories Let him to contact a Spanish factory, which now manufactures his boots With Andrew himself finishing them off in his upstate New York warehouse Parkhurst in total contrast to Red Wing is a small batch director consumer manufacturer This means that he buys batches of leathers and makes limited runs of boots Often when a particular type of leather runs out, he may not make them in those uppers for a while if ever Recently with the Spanish factory Andrew has been able to source Core product hides like his wax suede range, which are continually available But he will still reach out and make uppers from Horween, Seidel and Charles have stayed from time to time This Allen boot is no longer available in this dark rose Dublin leather, which is from Horween tannery in Chicago However, the Allen is still available in a smooth full-grain mahogany as well as black as well as in roughouts and wax suede It's built on a much sleeker last his 602 last or that's a 3d moan on which the boot is built Much sleeker than number eight last in the iron ranger. You can see the lower profile with no hint of bulbous anywhere This is the epitome of a modern service boot shape almond shaped toe low sleek toe box Solid low block heel leather welt and midsole Internally, this has a veg tan leather insole and midsole with cork filling in between The heel counter is made of leather and the toe puff is a thermoplastic giving it shape The sole is a day night studded sole, but today's models from Spain use a proprietary version of this same sole The Allen is a 360 degree good your wealth meaning the wealth construction goes all the way around the boot and as such like the iron ranger is Water-resistant and totally recraftable If your preference is for a plain-toe service boot Modernized looks sleeker and lower profile then the parkers is well worth a look You can check out my full review up there So there you go. If you are recently into discovering quality stitched construction boots and you've picked up your entry-level service boots and now you would like to keep going Here are your next steps to look at You can't go wrong with the iron ranger if the chunky barbers toe box doesn't turn you off If it does take a look at parkers My preference in this arena To the Grant stone diesel boot which in my opinion Leans towards the dressy rather than the more definitive service boot design now if you like this video don't forget to click on the like below and If you want more stuff like this more boot reviews Then don't forget to subscribe so that YouTube knows to bring them to you Until the next time stay safe and see you again soon