The Iron Ranger is a term that refers to the miners who worked in the iron ore mining region called "Iron Range" in northern Minnesota, where Red Wing Shoes is located. They wore cap-toe boots, which had a single piece of leather added to the toe to protect their feet. These cap-toe boots were named Iron Ranger boots.

This cap-toe design was widely adopted for work boots in the early 20th century, and looking at Red Wing Shoes' catalog from 1910, out of the 37 work boot models featured, 33 were cap-toe designs. As time passed and the steel toe became the standard safety shoe design, cap-toe boots began to decrease in popularity. However, some steel-toe boots retained the cap-toe design until the 1990s as a feature for toe protection and reinforcement. The refined cap-toe design that has been passed down to today is the Iron Ranger.

The last used for the Iron Ranger is the 8 last, which is widely used in Red Wing's round-toe boots. The spacious design of the work boots is comfortable to wear. The Vibram #430 Mini Lug sole, known for its grip, is used for the outsole.

The leather used for #8111 is Amber Harness, a pull-up leather that contains plenty of oil. When scratched, wrinkled, or soiled, it deepens the leather's character. It is a perfect leather for the Iron Ranger, which inherits the design of the work boots originally used in harsh work environments.