The Big Boot

Congratulations are in order for Red Wing Shoes for creating the world's largest boot. Immediately, it was recognized by officials at the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest shoe.


Giant Red Wing Shoe
A herd of 80 cattle had to be skinned to make the 16-foot tall boot which will be on display at the company's facilities in Red Wing, Minn., to commemorate 100 years in business. The anniversary celebrates Red Wing Shoes' commercial success for a century as a "Made in the U.S.A." company which one report says "has proven that American manufacturing companies can compete when they produce stellar products, good marketing and a commitment by ownership to weather economic changes when they are buffeted by tough competition."

Unfortunately, another report says David Murphy, president of Red Wing Shoes, is running for his life trying to keep up with foreign competition. In three years, the company has downsized from 720 workers at two plants in Red Wing to 424 workers at one plant. The company continually seeks to apply additional streamlining and has increased their purchase of components from China for assembly in Red Wing.

Another avenue being pursued by Red Wing Shoes is to get tax dollars dedicated to subsidizing the workforce. The JOBZ (Job Opportunity Building Zones) program gives subsidies to companies planning on hiring in rural areas. Murphy is seeking an expansion in the program to include subsidies for companies to prevent the loss of jobs. Several lawmakers plan on introducing legislation next month to enlarge the scope of JOBZ, but there presently doesn't seem to be much support.

In summary, Red Wing Shoes built a big boot to commemorate its 100th anniversary as a "Made In The U.S.A." company, however, the future success of the company is not clear because of persistent commercial pressure from foreign suppliers.