It’s a Shoe-In: Stroll on Over to Red Wing

Lauren Fisher |

Sometimes, you just want to give your family the boot. And you can do just that in Red Wing, Minnesota, home of Red Wing Shoe Store & Museum, which is home to the largest boot in the world. 

All right, so maybe you can’t literally give them the boot – it would be a little difficult to stuff all 2,300 pounds of this oversized item of footwear into your minivan – but you can show it to them during a quick perusal of the museum, which features friendly staff, exhibits explaining the shoe-making process, and a history of the more than 100-year-old company. It’s a quick tour, perfect for youngsters with short attention spans.

Red Wing is also home to several museums, including the Goodhue County Historical Society, the Aliveo Military Museum, the American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame and Museum (where a few Eau Claire folks are enshrined), and the Pottery Museum of Red Wing, each of which give day trippers a peek into a different facet of Midwestern life. After a day on their feet, families can enjoy a show at the Sheldon Theatre, from movies to music to locally produced plays.