Walks in RED: Tim

This month we’re starting something new, “Walks in RED” an ongoing series where we meet people in the our community and find out a little about the paths their shoes have taken since leaving our workbench.

Our first walk is with Tim. If you’re local to us, you might know him from Seiclo Dyfi, the community bike shop in Machynlleth. Tim spends most of his days outdoors, so we joined him for a gentle wander and a chat about his well-worn RED shoes.

Make it stand out

Where have your REDS taken you so far?

Fresh out the box, they walked the Druids Way across Ynys Môn (blister free!) for my 40th, with my partner and our two dogs in tow. Countless miles since with the same crew, up and down hills, through fields and forests near where we live. I've been dragged through bogs in them, hauled sheep out of ditches in them, gone to work in the woods in them. In between times, they’ve been dressed up for birthday parties and weddings, and worn casually on any and every occasion. They're good to ride a bike in - I can even run in them at a pinch.

They’re my all-round boots and certainly the most versatile footwear I own. If I can’t wear these to it, I probably don’t want to go...

What first drew you to a pair of RED shoes?

I’d been hunting for boots like this ages, long before we moved to Machynlleth in 2018. I'd had lightweight barefoot running shoes for years, but I need boots as my primary footwear, and I need them to be repairable. I've had well-made boots before, but until these, that always equated to heavy, inflexible, and not foot-shaped. The more I wore light, nimble footwear, the more I disliked wearing the boots. RED shoes were the boots I knew I needed, but didn't know existed until I came to Machynlleth. They're the best of all worlds - lightweight, well made, indefinitely repairable, customizable (uppers, eyelets and soles), foot-shaped with a generous toe box so your feet can actually spread, made (and repaired) here, by a lovely bunch of people you can talk to. Win-win-win-win &c.

What made you choose lace-up boots in tan leather?

I’m not one for bright colours or flashy details. I knew I wanted lace-ups, but other than that I wanted boots that were simple and didn’t show up every bit of dirt. Much like the rest of my wardrobe, I wanted them to be practical, understated, and easy to live in.

You can find out more about our bespoke boots here