Real People. Real Craft. Real Stories.

For over a century, Red Wing has built footwear with a single purpose: to serve the people who rely on them. In Amsterdam, that purpose has always come to life through the community the craftsmen, creatives, and everyday wearers whose boots carry the marks of their work, their cities, and their stories. Life in Red Wing is our way of honouring that.

This new series turns the lens toward the individuals who shape our world: people who live with craft at the centre of what they do; people who value durability, character, and things that gather meaning over time. Each episode introduces someone from the Red Wing Amsterdam community whose lived experience reflects a simple truth that boots don’t just accompany a life; they become part of it.

Since opening our Reestraat doors in 2010, we’ve seen how a pair of boots becomes a shared language one that connects people across professions, backgrounds, and perspectives. Through fittings, repairs, conversations at the counter, and return visits years after the first wear, a community has formed around the belief that quality is something lived, not just made.

The first chapter in this series introduces Dylan Griffith, co-founder of Smörgåsbord Studio — a design practice shaped by clarity, curiosity, and a deep respect for ideas that endure.

Dylan’s world is one where concept and craft meet. As a designer, he moves fluidly between disciplines from brand identity to furniture, interiors, type, and architecture. As a creative partner, he builds long-term relationships rooted in alignment rather than scale. And as someone who has made Amsterdam home, he draws energy from the city’s talent, pace, and openness.

In the film, we join Dylan in the places that make up his day: the studio, the workshop, the streets he cycles through, the quiet moments where ideas settle and sharpen. His approach mirrors the qualities that define Red Wing boots versatility, purpose, and a belief that the things we use daily should be built to last.

Dylan’s boots carry the marks of countless projects, deadlines, prototypes, and conversations. They’re worn in the way good boots should be honestly, with time and repetition. His story sets the tone for this series: real people, real work, and lives shaped by the things they live with.

Life in Red Wing begins here with a craftsman who values the long game, the lived-in feel of things that endure, and the beauty that comes from doing work with intention.

We look forward to sharing more stories from our community in the months ahead stories that honour not just the boots we make, but the lives lived in them.

Discover More About Dylan & Smörgåsbord Studio

Behind Smörgåsbord Studio is a simple truth: great design doesn’t require a large agency just the right people. Founded by Dylan Griffith and his business partner Alex, Smörgåsbord operates as a deliberately small, hands-on studio supported by a trusted network of like-minded specialists. Together, they build custom project teams, choosing collaborators based on alignment, talent, and the needs of each brief.

From brand identities and fonts to interiors, furniture, books, and product packaging, Dylan’s work is guided by a single “golden thread” the core idea that shapes every touchpoint and keeps the outcome clear, honest, and cohesive. This approach has earned the studio a reputation for tackling challenging and thoughtful projects across all scales, partnering only with clients whose principles resonate with their own.

Their portfolio reflects this mindset: AFC Ajax’s recent rebrand, the Cymru/Wales nation identity created for the Welsh Government, restoration experts Cool ’n Vintage, coffee roasters LOT61 and Coaltown Coffee, and Amsterdam start-ups like PHOAF and BONI gym.

Smörgåsbord is built on long-term relationships rather than pitches, on trust rather than scale a philosophy that mirrors the values at the heart of Life in Red Wing.