News

Thorogood 1892 Boots and Brews Event

November 04, 2017

We invite you to stop by and meet the good folks from Thorogood 1892.

Inspired by the legendary designs of Wisconsin master craftsman A.H.Weinbrenner,
Thorogood's new 1892 Collection captures the dedication to quality of Weinbrenner's original handcrafted American footwear.

To compliment the new styles, Thorogood craftsmen work with only the finest Horween CXL leathers, hand-selecting hides true to the high standards demanded by mens footwear connoisseurs.

The local Marz Brewery will be serving up their delightful small batch brews.

Enter your name for Filson Travel Bag raffle!

Introducing Peregrine Made in England

September 28, 2017

Peregrine..

Peregrine Clothing was established as a brand in 1956 as a separate entity from the manufacturing business. It is still very much a family brand, Tom Glover, current managing director and designer took over the company in 2003 looking to revitalize the brand during what were challenging times for British clothing manufacturers.

Thorogood 1892 125 LE Collection

August 20, 2017

In celebration of 125 years of footwear manufacturing, Thorogood boots releases 125 LE series. Two styles are available, Portage and Janesville wrapped in Mustard color leather.

Golden Bear Sportswear for Mildblend Supply Co

August 19, 2017

Golden Bear Sportswear began in 1922, crafting dockworker coats for the longshoremen who hauled cargo up and out of San Francisco Bay, their sturdy leather collars upturned against the fog and the cold. By the 1940s, they have added bomber jackets to their line, as customers sought the rugged style of the pilots who roared high above Europe in the cockpits of the Flying Tigers, Hellcats, and Flying Fortresses. Twenty-five years down the line, you could find their fringed jackets on the backs of young adults on Haight Street and sported by icons of the counterculture—the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane.

By the 1960s, Golden Bear had moved to Valencia Street, with a stop at 1^st Street on the way, producing our timeless classic coats and some new styles, too. They took in worn jackets for repairs and dressed anyone interested in that timeless look of San Francisco. Varsity and motorcycle jackets joined the classic bombers and dockworker coats on the racks in their showroom, which you’d find next to the factory floor, up three flights of stairs from the street below.

Irish Setter Limited Series- Irish Setter 9875 and Irish Setter 9866

July 22, 2017

In the postwar years of the last century, Red Wing Shoe

Company introduced a 9-inch lace-up boot for sportsmen—

bird and deer hunters who spent autumn days in the woods

and marshes of North America. The boot, called the Style No.

954, made use of leather tanned with the bark of sequoia trees

that gave it a distinctive deep reddish-orange color known as

“Oro Russet”. It was so similar to the coat of a certain breed of

hunting dog that it was given the name, “Irish Setter” in our

1950 catalog and it quickly became a popular boot.

In 1952, the Irish Setter evolved further, taking on a form

that has come to be synonymous with Red Wing ever since.

Retaining the distinctive moc toe of the 954, the new 8-inch

Style No. 877 replaced its predecessor’s heel with a wedge sole

made from a white crepe rubber that promised to be quiet

underfoot in the woods. This sole had been used on shoes

before but the No. 877 Irish Setter was the first to use it on a

tall hunting boot. In addition to its benefits for the stalking

hunter, its comfort also found favor on the job site and soon

the Irish Setter was seen in the factories and on the scaffolds

of a growing America.

Since the 1950s, the Irish Setter changed little from its origins.

A 6-inch version and a few other colors were introduced,

as well as some subtle new construction techniques but

otherwise it remained the same boot that was ceremonially

presented to President Eisenhower in 1960. By the 1990s, the

original No. 877 became simply known as the “Classic Work

Boot”, while the Irish Setter name branched off for an entire

family of hunting boots made by Red Wing.

A few years ago, we embarked on a project to recreate the

iconic Irish Setter boot, as close to its original form as

possible, for our Japanese market, where Red Wing has long

enjoyed a loyal following. It was an ambitious undertaking.

We dusted off old machines at our Minnesota factory, called

in help from retired workers, and experimented with tanning

methods that could recreate the original Oro Russet color

but adhere to modern environmental practices. Finally, after

three years, the boot made its debut. And now we’re bringing

it back to the American market.

The new limited series Irish Setter appears as if out of a time

machine from 1952. In addition to its matched color, which

we’re now calling “Gold Russet Sequoia”, the boot has all the

exacting details of its historic forebear. The “Red Wing” name

is embossed on the inside quarter of the boot, the moc toe is

finished with a distinctive rectangular bar-tack stitch, and

the backstay chain-stitch is once again done on our ancient

Puritan Stitch machine, which has its origins in the 1890s. We

use the same mahogany and sage thread of the original, the

top band is double-stitched, and the laces are leather instead

of Taslan. All of these features are subtle differences from our

standard No. 877 Classic Work Boot but they add up to an Irish

Setter that is both unique and true to its name. Finally, to

finish it off, we’ve added the traditional woven “Irish Setter”

label inside the tongue and the boots come in a box that

features the original logo and text from the 1950s.

Pure Blue Japan

June 27, 2017

Pure Blue Japan is known for their slubby textured denim. PBJ is one of the best fading denim around.

Wolverine 1000 Mile Boots

May 06, 2017

In the early 1910s the Wolverine Tannery was able to develop a unique method of processing shell horsehide which made it soft and pliable, something no other tannery had been able to accomplish. A few years later, the company introduced the "1000 Mile Shoe", handcrafted with durable shell horsehide, and named because it was said to give you 1000 miles of wear.

The Thorogood Story

April 13, 2017

An true American success story.

The Weinbrenner Shoe Company is the achievement of Albert Weinbrenner, the son of a German immigrant and cobbler. Albert began his apprenticeship at age 13 working for his father. By his early 20's, in his spare time, Albert was designing work boots specifically for the trade jobs his friends had around Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1892, at the age of 27, Albert started his own cobbler business with partner Joseph Pfeifer.

Weinbrenner and Pfeifer enjoyed immediate success - becoming
well known for the new fangled "jobber" boots they made. So, from the start, innovation and craftsmanship have been at the
heart of the company's success.

By 1908, Weinbrenner's reputation for making quality-affordable work boots expands tremendously. As a result, five distribution centers are built around the country to help insure speedy delivery of footwear to customers - this is when our famed Wing and Wheels logo is born. Back then and even more today, it symbolizes our determination to be self-relient and steadfast to react to our customer’s needs.

Leading the way through innovation.

Weinbrenner is a leading manufacturer and innovator in the footwear industry, initiating many of the significant occupational safety features that are common today. Over the last 120 years we have collected countless patents for footwear safety and comfort designs, and manufacturing technologies. In 1919, Weinbrenner was recognized for building the first self-sustaining factory in the country - with a steam generating power plant in the basement.

We are constantly exploring new opportunities to improve safety, comfort and performance in every product we make. Our benchmark for quality is high - demanding nothing less than what our customers should expect in premium handcrafted footwear.

Dedicated to quality craftsmanship.

The Weinbrenner Shoe Company is employee-owned; unique in the footwear industry. Our domestic product originates from our two manufacturing plants in northcentral Wisconsin (USA) and is managed in partnership with members of local labor unions.

Iron Heart Denim at Mildblend Supply Co Chicago

December 09, 2016

About Iron Heart (Works Inc)

Shinichi Haraki established Works Inc (AKA The Works Inc, Japan) in 2003. After 20 years of working in the garment industry in Japan, beginning as a pattern maker for Edwin and advancing to designer and producer/director for the company, he decided to create a heavyweight Japanese clothing brand, aimed initially at the Japanese motorcycling community.

Giles Padmore and Haraki san started working together in 2005. This close partnership and firm friendship, coupled with the increased focus on the market outside of Japan which Giles brought to the party, has generated a loyal following throughout the world. Our customers come from all walks of life, and many of them – but certainly not all – are bikers. The common factor is a love of ethically manufactured, beautiful and durable clothing.

Iron Heart Clothing

Iron Heart was originally made for bikers, and even today that focus guides design and construction of the clothing. Confident that the clothes appeal to a variety of owners, Haraki-san conceives of them to be worn by riders and for their preferences. Iron Heart garments are in the main made from heavyweight fabrics, designed to be durable, and to some extent protective for motor bikers. Iron Heart clothing is classic in materials and styling, using mostly flannels, denim and chambrays for shirts, and basing jackets on time tested military or riding favourites. Some designs – for example the 25oz XHS (extra heavy selvedge) denim jeans - are at the limit of what can actually be woven and sewn: “over-engineered is our starting point.”

Find Iron Heart Denim Here:

https://mildblend.com/collections/vendors?q=Iron%20Heart

Red Wing Women's Heritage Collection

August 27, 2016

RED WING SHOES was built on America’s great promise; if one worked hard enough, one could achieve anything. Since 1905, that work ethic has been poured into every cut and stitch that crafts a Red Wing boot. From the first boot to leave the factory floor, Red Wing has proudly stood not only for getting the job done but getting it done right. By combining the finest leathers and quality materials with uncompromising craftsmanship, Red Wing’s Heritage collection continues to build upon a legacy of usa-made excellence so the boots built tomorrow are as enduring as the boots built 100 years ago.

RED WING SHOE COMPANY started making boots for women in
the midst of the Roaring Twenties. These women were pioneers of their
era, breaking free from the constraints of long skirts and corsets in favor
of short hair, pants, and boots. Red Wing Shoe Company responded to
these social changes by creating a collection of ladies’ boots that were
specifically suited to the needs and activities of independent women
of the time, using the same purpose-built craftsmanship and care
found in their men’s shoes.

Today, women are breaking molds again by seeking products that hearken back to an era that valued quality over quantity, when shoes were crafted by hand and brands stood by their product after years of use. Red Wing Heritage Women’s Collection celebrates their legacy of building premium, iconic footwear for independent women.

Meet and Greet with Andrew of Freenote Cloth Thursday 16th 5-8pm.

June 15, 2016

Freenote creates classic American menswear and honors tradition by manufacturing its collection exclusively in the United States. We source the finest materials and demand the highest level of craftsmanship so we can offer quality clothing that is made to last. We take our inspiration from authentic American culture and its timeless style icons. And we believe the best menswear is that which marries design and utility with contemporary, tailored fits.

Brothers Matt and Andrew Brodrick founded Freenote. Its headquarters are in the historic district of San Juan Capistrano, a town that embodies the rancho era of territorial California. It is the ideal home for Freenote, which embraces America’s rich heritage and its classic menswear.

Naked and Famous Denim

May 28, 2016

Naked & Famous Denim uses only the most unique and rare denim fabrics from Japan. The prestigious mills in Japan, from which they import all their fabric, are committed to producing only the best (and most expensive) denim in the world.

Every pair of Naked & Famous Denim jeans are proudly and ethically Made in Canada. They also produce Made in Japan series of denim under MIJ. We are very proud to stock MIJ along with other special make up N&F denim at Mildblend Supply.

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