Best Irish Setter model
Irish Setter Work Boots, Model by Model
Red Wing's work-boot brand, built on a different promise than Red Wing itself: rated toes and waterproof membranes at mainstream prices instead of welts you resole.
The short answer: buy the Kasota if you want the brand's best current boot and a non-metallic toe, the Hopkins if your ground is loose and you want a rated toe that weighs less, the Two Harbors only if shaft height is a hazard requirement, the Ely if you need a plain rated boot cheaply, and the Ashby if your site has no safety-toe rule at all.
Irish Setter has been Red Wing Shoe Company's second label since 1950, and the division of labor between the two is worth understanding before you spend anything. Red Wing's own work boots are Goodyear-welted, largely US-made, and sold on the promise that you will resole them - the arithmetic behind that promise is in are expensive work boots worth it. Irish Setter is built on a different bet: globally sourced, direct-attach construction, waterproof membranes and ASTM-rated toes at prices that sit under the parent brand. You are buying a specification, not a repairable object.
That makes the brand genuinely good value in one specific way. A rated, waterproof, EH boot from a company with Red Wing's leather sourcing, at a mid-market price, is a real proposition - and the leather quality does show, particularly in how the uppers hold their shape after a year. It also means the comparison people most often want is not Irish Setter against Timberland PRO but Irish Setter against the welted brands, which is why Thorogood vs Irish Setter exists as its own page.
What the line is actually built on
- UltraDry waterproofing. Irish Setter's own membrane-and-lining system, used on the Kasota and Hopkins. Waterproof in practice; like all membranes, it keeps heat in as well as water out.
- Direct-attach construction. The upper is bonded to the sole unit under pressure rather than stitched to a welt. It is lighter, more flexible out of the box and watertight at the joint - and it is not resoleable. Goodyear welt vs direct attach covers what that costs you over a boot's life.
- ArmaTec overlay. An abrasion-resistant layer over the toe and other wear points on the Kasota. It addresses the real failure mode on a safety boot, which is the upper wearing through above the cap long before anything else goes.
- EH ratings across the rated models. Electrical hazard protection is standard on the Kasota, Hopkins, Two Harbors and Ely rather than an upcharge, which is not true of every brand at this price. What the marking means is decoded in ASTM F2413 safety ratings explained.
- Removable footbeds. All of these take an aftermarket insole, which is the cheapest meaningful upgrade available to any work boot.
Quick picks
Ranked by our published scoring rubric. Tap any row for the full write-up.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Irish Setter Kasota 6" Non-Metallic ToeThe modern Irish Setter: composite toe, UltraDry waterproofing and a footbed worth keeping. | A non-metallic boot you keep in rotation | 9.5 | |
| 2 |  Irish Setter Hopkins 6" Aluminum ToeAn aluminum toe at the same rating as steel, on an outsole built to bite rather than glide. | Loose ground at a lower weight | 9.4 | |
| 3 |  Irish Setter Two Harbors 11" Steel ToeEleven inches of leather and no laces - a height decision rather than a comfort one. | Spatter, grain and standing water | 9.2 | |
| 4 |  Irish Setter Ely 6" Steel ToeThe unglamorous 6-inch steel toe - EH rated, comfortable early, and the cheapest rated boot here. | A plain rated boot that just fits | 9.2 | |
| 5 |  Irish Setter Ashby 6" Soft ToeThe soft-toe Irish Setter - the brand's leather without the cap, the weight or the price. | Shops with no safety-toe rule | 9.1 |
#ad Prices pulled from Amazon and stamped as of November 14, 2026; they change, and we show no number we cannot verify. How we are funded.
Top pick · A non-metallic boot you keep in rotation
Irish Setter Kasota 6" Non-Metallic Toe
The modern Irish Setter: composite toe, UltraDry waterproofing and a footbed worth keeping.
#ad Price as of November 14, 2026. How we are funded
- Our score
- 9.5/10
Category-defining
If you are buying one Irish Setter without a special requirement, buy this one. The Kasota is where the brand put its current thinking: a non-metallic toe rated to ASTM F2413, covered by an abrasion-resistant ArmaTec overlay exactly where toe caps normally scuff through, and UltraDry waterproofing bonded to the sole by direct-attach construction rather than relying on a seam. The footbed is a removable memory-foam and EVA unit, which matters more than it sounds - most boots at this price ship with a flat die-cut insert you throw away immediately.
The non-metallic toe is the real argument for it over the rest of the line. It clears metal detectors, and because it does not conduct the way steel does, it does not act as a cold bridge straight to your toes in winter. What you pay for that is money: this is the dearest boot on this page, it cannot be resoled when the outsole goes, and the waterproof lining is also a vapor barrier, so it runs warm in July. If heat is your complaint rather than water, hot weather work boots is the honest alternative.
Specs that matter
- Toe:
- Non-metallic composite toe, ASTM F2413
- Height:
- 6 inch
- Waterproof:
- UltraDry waterproofing system
- Build:
- Direct attach, EH rated
Rubric profile
Raw per-criterion marks out of 10, before weighting — this is the shape of the pick, not its published score. A low mark is a scope limit, not a fault: how we score.
- Comfort
- 8.6
- Durability
- 8.2
- Protection
- 8.8
- Weather
- 9.0
- Value
- 7.6
Why we picked it
- Non-metallic toe clears detectors and does not pull heat out of your feet
- ArmaTec overlay protects the toe cap area that usually scuffs through first
- Removable memory-foam footbed, so an aftermarket insole drops straight in
Good to know: The priciest Irish Setter here, and the waterproof lining runs warm in summer — buy it for the fully non-metallic build.
Best for rough ground · Loose ground at a lower weight
Irish Setter Hopkins 6" Aluminum Toe
An aluminum toe at the same rating as steel, on an outsole built to bite rather than glide.
#ad Price as of November 14, 2026. How we are funded
- Our score
- 9.4/10
Outstanding
The Hopkins is the boot to buy when your ground is uneven and your complaint is weight. An aluminum toe meets the same ASTM F2413 impact and compression rating as steel while weighing noticeably less, which over a ten-hour shift is the kind of difference you feel in your hips rather than your feet. It is waterproof through the same UltraDry system as the Kasota, it is EH rated, and the lugged outsole is a genuine traction pattern - heat resistant to 475F, with enough depth to hold on fill, gravel and wet clay where the flat wedges this site recommends for concrete simply slide.
The compromises follow from the same choices. Aluminum is still metal, so it still sets off detectors and still pulls heat out of your toes in the cold - if either of those is your situation, pay up for the Kasota. Deep lugs also pack mud and track it across anything finished, which is why finish trades hate them, and like the rest of the line it is direct-attach, so the sole's life is the boot's life. The toe-material trade-off in full is in steel toe vs alloy toe.
Specs that matter
- Toe:
- Aluminum toe, ASTM F2413
- Height:
- 6 inch
- Waterproof:
- UltraDry waterproofing system
- Outsole:
- Lugged, heat resistant to 475F
Rubric profile
Raw per-criterion marks out of 10, before weighting — this is the shape of the pick, not its published score. A low mark is a scope limit, not a fault: how we score.
- Comfort
- 8.0
- Durability
- 8.0
- Protection
- 8.6
- Weather
- 8.8
- Value
- 8.4
Why we picked it
- Aluminum toe hits the same ASTM rating as steel while weighing less
- Lugged outsole bites on loose ground where a flat wedge slides
- Waterproof and EH rated together at a mid-market price
Good to know: An aluminum cap still conducts cold and still shows on a detector; the deep lugs track mud onto finished floors.
Best for height · Spatter, grain and standing water
Irish Setter Two Harbors 11" Steel Toe
Eleven inches of leather and no laces - a height decision rather than a comfort one.
#ad Price as of November 14, 2026. How we are funded
- Our score
- 9.2/10
Outstanding
This is the specialist in the lineup and the one most people should not buy. The entire case for it is shaft height: eleven inches of full-grain leather means falling spatter, grain dust, chips and standing water have nowhere to get in, and the pull-on shaft means there are no laces to burn, fray or soak. For welders, grain handlers and anyone working ankle-deep in something, that is not a preference, it is the specification - the same logic that drives work boots for welding and pull-on work boots.
Everything else about it is a cost. That much leather does not breathe, so it is genuinely hot; it is the heaviest boot here; and pull-on sizing is the hardest fit problem in work footwear because the shaft has to clear your calf and then stay put. There is no lace adjustment to rescue a loose heel. If you do not have the hazard that justifies the height, a 6-inch boot from higher up this page will be more comfortable every single day.
Specs that matter
- Toe:
- Steel toe, ASTM F2413
- Height:
- 11 inch pull-on
- Electrical hazard:
- EH rated
- Upper:
- Full-grain leather
Rubric profile
Raw per-criterion marks out of 10, before weighting — this is the shape of the pick, not its published score. A low mark is a scope limit, not a fault: how we score.
- Comfort
- 6.4
- Durability
- 8.8
- Protection
- 9.0
- Weather
- 8.2
- Value
- 7.8
Why we picked it
- 11 inches of leather is real protection against spatter and debris
- No laces to burn through when welding
- Red Wing-family leather quality
Good to know: An 11-inch shaft is a hazard requirement, not a comfort feature — hot and heavy by design, and calf size drives the fit.
Best value · A plain rated boot that just fits
Irish Setter Ely 6" Steel Toe
The unglamorous 6-inch steel toe - EH rated, comfortable early, and the cheapest rated boot here.
#ad Price as of November 14, 2026. How we are funded
- Our score
- 9.2/10
Outstanding
The Ely is what the brand sells to people who do not care about boots. It is a 6-inch laced steel-toe boot, EH rated and waterproof through the same UltraDry system as the Kasota, on a slip-resisting PU V-Grip outsole, and its single best quality is that it is comfortable earlier than most steel-toe boots at this price - the construction is simple and there is not much in it to fight you. For general construction, yard work and warehouse shifts where the site rule is 'safety toe' and nothing more, it covers the requirement without a conversation.
What you give up is refinement rather than weather. The PU V-Grip outsole is unremarkable on loose ground next to the Hopkins' lugs, and direct-attach construction means the sole's life is the boot's life. A steel toe is also the heavy, cold-conducting option. If your budget is the binding constraint rather than the brand, compare it against the rest of work boots under $150 before you commit.
Specs that matter
- Toe:
- Steel toe, ASTM F2413-24 I/C
- Height:
- 6 inch
- Waterproof:
- UltraDry waterproofing system
- Electrical hazard:
- EH rated
- Sole:
- PU V-Grip, slip resisting, direct attach
Rubric profile
Raw per-criterion marks out of 10, before weighting — this is the shape of the pick, not its published score. A low mark is a scope limit, not a fault: how we score.
- Comfort
- 7.8
- Durability
- 7.6
- Protection
- 8.2
- Weather
- 8.6
- Value
- 8.8
Why we picked it
- Comfortable out of the box by the standards of steel-toe boots
- EH rated, which many boots at this price are not
- Simple construction with little to go wrong
Good to know: Waterproof through the brand's UltraDry system and stocked in both D and EE widths, but the sole is bonded on — when the PU V-Grip wears flat the boot is finished.
No. 5 · Shops with no safety-toe rule
Irish Setter Ashby 6" Soft Toe
The soft-toe Irish Setter - the brand's leather without the cap, the weight or the price.
#ad Price as of November 14, 2026. How we are funded
- Our score
- 9.1/10
Outstanding
Plenty of work does not require a protective toe: shop floors, delivery routes, light maintenance, farm chores. The Ashby exists for exactly that, and it is the cheapest way into Irish Setter leather. Without a safety cap there is nothing overhead for your toenails to hit, which removes the single most common source of the black-toenail complaint, and it is comfortable from the first day rather than the second week.
Be clear about the two things it is not. It is not rated, so it is ineligible anywhere protective footwear is required - no amount of leather quality changes a PPE rule. And it is water resistant rather than waterproof: it will shrug off a spill and lose to a wet day. Uninsulated too, so it is a three-season boot in a cold climate. If a soft toe is what you want generally, soft toe work boots is the wider shortlist.
Specs that matter
- Toe:
- Soft toe (no safety rating)
- Height:
- 6 inch
- Weather:
- Water resistant, not waterproof
- Insulation:
- Uninsulated
Rubric profile
Raw per-criterion marks out of 10, before weighting — this is the shape of the pick, not its published score. A low mark is a scope limit, not a fault: how we score.
- Comfort
- 8.8
- Durability
- 7.8
- Protection
- 2.8
- Weather
- 5.0
- Value
- 8.0
Why we picked it
- Red Wing-family leather without safety-toe weight or cost
- Comfortable from day one — no toe cap for your toenails to find
- The lowest price in the brand's work line
Good to know: Soft toe and water-resistant rather than waterproof — a comfortable three-season boot where no cap is required.
The lineup at a glance
| If your day is | Buy | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed site work, detectors, cold | Kasota 6" Non-Metallic Toe | Rated non-metallic toe, UltraDry waterproofing, ArmaTec wear protection |
| Gravel, fill and broken ground | Hopkins 6" Aluminum Toe | Same rating as steel at lower weight, with a lugged outsole that grips |
| Welding, grain, standing water | Two Harbors 11" Steel Toe | Eleven inches of leather and no laces to burn or soak |
| A site rule you just need to meet | Ely 6" Steel Toe | Plain rated steel toe, EH, comfortable early, cheapest rated boot here |
| Shop or farm work with no rating needed | Ashby 6" Soft Toe | The brand's leather with no cap, no weight penalty and no rating |
The toe decision, which is most of the decision
Across this lineup the price differences track the toe material more closely than anything else, so it is worth being deliberate. Steel is the thinnest and cheapest cap at a given rating, which means the most toe room inside a given boot - but it is heavy and it conducts, so in genuine cold it makes your toes colder than the rest of your foot. Aluminum hits the same rating at lower weight and slightly more bulk. Non-metallic composite is the lightest and does not conduct, which is why it is the right answer for cold work and the only answer where metal detectors are in play, and it is the most expensive.
None of those options is safer than the others. They all pass the same ASTM F2413 impact and compression test, and a boot either carries the rating or it does not. We lay the whole comparison out in composite toe vs steel toe, and the by-spec shortlists are steel toe work boots and composite toe work boots if you would rather shop the spec than the brand.
Sizing Irish Setter
The laced models run close to true to size and the brand publishes width options more consistently than most of its price competitors, so order your measured length rather than sizing up to buy toe room. A safety cap is a hard ceiling: if the boot is even slightly short, the cap is what your toenails meet, and that is a sizing failure rather than a boot failure. The in-store checks that catch it are in work boot fit and sizing.
The Two Harbors is the exception and deserves its own warning. An 11-inch pull-on has to clear your calf going on and then hold your heel once it is on, and those two requirements fight each other. If your calf is large, the shaft is the constraint; if it is small, the boot will feel sloppy no matter what length you buy. Try it on, with the socks you actually work in. If something already hurts in boots you own, why work boots hurt separates the fit problems from the support problems before you spend again.
What we would skip
Skip the Two Harbors unless height is a hazard requirement - it is bought on reputation far more often than it is bought on need, and people then complain about heat and weight that were entirely predictable. Skip the Ashby if there is any chance your site introduces a safety-toe rule, because an unrated boot becomes worthless the day the rule arrives. And skip the whole line if resoleability is what you are shopping for: direct-attach boots are replace-it boots, and no amount of leather quality changes that.
One last honest note on winter. The rated models here are waterproof but uninsulated, and the Kasota's non-metallic toe helps in the cold without being a cold-weather boot. If you work outdoors through a northern winter, insulation grams and a liner that dries overnight matter more than brand - winter work boots and boot insulation grams explained are the right places to start instead.
Frequently asked
Which Irish Setter work boot is the best?
The Kasota 6-inch non-metallic toe for most buyers: it is the brand's current best boot, with a rated composite toe, UltraDry waterproofing and an ArmaTec overlay on the wear points. If your ground is loose and uneven rather than wet, the Hopkins 6-inch aluminum toe is the better tool for less money.
Is Irish Setter the same as Red Wing?
Same company, different proposition. Irish Setter has been Red Wing Shoe Company's second label since 1950, but where Red Wing's own work boots are Goodyear-welted and built to be resoled, Irish Setter work boots are direct-attach builds with waterproof membranes and ASTM-rated toes at lower prices. You get the leather sourcing without the repairability.
Are Irish Setter work boots waterproof?
Some are. The Kasota, Hopkins and Ely all use the brand's UltraDry waterproofing system and are waterproof. The Ashby is water resistant rather than waterproof. Check the specific model rather than assuming the brand.
Can Irish Setter work boots be resoled?
Generally no. The work line is built with direct-attach construction, where the sole unit is bonded to the upper rather than stitched to a welt, so when the outsole wears out the boot is finished. If you want a resoleable boot from the same family, that is Red Wing rather than Irish Setter.
What is UltraDry waterproofing?
It is Irish Setter's own waterproofing system - a membrane plus lining construction rather than a licensed laminate like GORE-TEX. In practice it keeps water out reliably on the models that carry it, and like every waterproof membrane it also keeps heat and moisture in, so a waterproof boot always runs warmer than an unlined one.
Do Irish Setter boots have electrical hazard protection?
The rated models do. The Kasota, Hopkins, Two Harbors and Ely all carry EH protection, which under ASTM F2413 means the sole and heel are tested as secondary protection against open circuits up to 600 volts in dry conditions. EH is not a substitute for de-energizing a circuit, and the soft-toe Ashby carries no rating at all.
Our recommendation
If you read nothing else on this page, these are the two to look at — the one we would buy, and the one to take instead if its trade-off suits you better.
Top pick · A non-metallic boot you keep in rotation
Irish Setter Kasota 6" Non-Metallic Toe
The modern Irish Setter: composite toe, UltraDry waterproofing and a footbed worth keeping.
#ad Price as of November 14, 2026. How we are funded
Runner-up · Loose ground at a lower weight
Irish Setter Hopkins 6" Aluminum Toe
An aluminum toe at the same rating as steel, on an outsole built to bite rather than glide.
#ad Price as of November 14, 2026. How we are funded
Prices are read live from Amazon and stamped with the date. How we pick.
Sources
Back to Work Boots, or see how we pick. Spotted something wrong? We publish corrections — see our editorial policy.
