Dr Martens, Yay/Nay?

[davichan]

Im a boot guy..
i have worn a few different brands in the past years i would say..

Trickers
Vibergs
Whites
Alden
Redwing
Real McCoy's
ect....

I had not worn a pair of Doc Martens since being a 14 year old punk, so about 20 years ago (early 90's era),
and don't remember anything horrible about them, besides an initial week or two break in, which was rewarded by a boot that lasted me with badass comfort till i was at least 17.. cause i grew right out of them...

I have to say, I was ready to give them a shot again..
because they are kinda the converses of Boots i feel, and having a pair alongside my other boots would serve me well.

So I purchased a pair of MIE Rub-off Langston's a few months ago. they were top price, coming close to $250USD at the time. ****!!!!!!!!
Docs have gotten more $$$ then what i had remembered.. since a kid...

don't get me wrong, i believe in what you pay for.. but i'm also really a nut for quality made boots.
but these boots looked really nice, something as close to the old british skinhead astronaut boots i lust.... so I was so excited to get a pair of what looked to be close.

At first looks at my Langston's, they were definitely a deep rich eggplant color that i thought was very nice tone for a Dr Marten. the brass eyelets, and blacked out welt lacing, def gave the boot a bit of class next to a traditional pair of 1460's. nice!

laced up proper, with a proper sized fit, i could feel that i was def not used to the immediate rigid cardboard feeling of the Corrected Grain leather they used for this boot. hmmmm...
upon closer look at them, the leather has this plasticky, poor-less kind of look to it, which i personally find ugly and cheapens the boot. hmmmmmm...
i dont remember my pair from the early 90's looking this way.
maybe i just didn't know any better as a kid. but my original boots then felt oily, and rugged.... thick and meaty is even a good way to describe them.
these new Langston's, did not not have that feeling at all....
they felt.. well.. kind of cheap'ish... and looked like the made in china hyper girly colors that make me hate Doc Martens to be honest.

Regardless of my initial first thoughts on the leathers appearance...
I was excited to see how the leather might change-up with a proper break in, and some thrashing around NYC in them...

Before starting to wear them out of the house for real.....
I do a proper pre-wear beat down on these boots,
first, starting with a deep moisturizing on them with a good amount Mustang Paste, inside/out.
Then lots of hand massage to bend the boots up and inside themselves, some light hammer tapping the Achilles heel area(knowing this is always a bitting problem in a boot like this) and light sole flexing...
just to get some stiffness out of the boot, and help it ease up into the natural creases my foot would eventually put into it.

Then i can admit..
I did some home yoga type squats, up-and-down my 5 flights of stairs in them, anything i could do trying to force some in wear creasing into them, before wearing them out..
i wanted to find where the hot spots were.
so i could target them with more attention.
and also pre-bandage and areas that might be saved from a blister.

****....
this is already too much work to put into for a pair of boots.....
but i'm kinda of freak, and i was up for it....
and i hope sharing this info helps others..

well, they were not perfect, but they would def be ready for an hour or two of walking.
i prepped my a achiles with band-aids still, and took a walk.

all seemed well, and i can say, after wearing lather and composite soles for years now..
The super light and comfortable bouncy feeling that the Air Sole gave me, was almost like a game.
it was so nice to have a stride with a little... oomph and bounce in it from the sole at work..
BUT... after a few city blocks in them..
i could feel that the corrected-grain-leather was not as forgiving, as the genuine-full-grain leathers that i have become used to with my other boots.
i slugged it out and wore them uncomfortable for about three hours.
BAD MOVE...

upon getting home in them...
my feet were just a pair of sweat-box's in them..
they just didn't really breath, and trapped too much moisture under the soles of my feet.
this caused two rows of nasty water filled blisters to form on both bottoms of my feet.
******* painful...
i never have had this happen to me with any boots.
i was super ******* pissed off at myself for walking an extra hour in them and of course the boots.
i looked down at them already now as miserable cheap boots..
they were put away until my feet could heal in two weeks.

upon looking at them closer..
i noticed that the finish on the leather after one wear started to strip off.
in an ugly way as well.
this ******* sucks.
and really made me dislike the boot even more to be honest.

So I decided if i were to want to wear these again.. i would have to do a little home project and strip the bullshit Burgundy polish off them down by hand...
this was a few hours of elbow grease and micro-soap sponge that did the job really nicely...
reviewing a really nice wonderful Cherry'ish color..
you can still see the Burgandy i didn't quite get off towards the top of the boots in picture the left (lying on it's side).

but i was really excited about them again..
the texture of the leather slightly improved after being stripped away of it's shiny burgundy treatment..
but it still looked plasticky compared to other Dr Martens i have seen.
i figured i would give them another go.
i wish this story ended better... but it didn't.
after two more short hour wears around my neighborhood in them.
the MIE Langston sole began to completely separate from its welt on my right foot.
What the ****..
not even more then 8 hours in them...
and they were fucked.

i was completely ******* pissed off, and just had enough with them.
off to the trash they went.
end of story on the Langstons.

please tell me someone has a better experience with them, because another friend of mine has them in black, and says simalr things about the comfort, and really was pissed how the black leather started to peal away after a few weeks of wear...
Made in England.... hmmmmmmm
i so wanted to believe in these...
but they seem to fail a few.

OK....!!!!
but not to leave this story in total peril...
there is a light still.

because i just couldn't give up on my lust for Dr Martens...
i dont know why.
but i ended back up in the NYC soho shop.
and somehow walked out in a pair of Matte Black, For Life (Made in Thailand) boots.

a complete different story.
i didn't want to belive after spending only $180 on these, that they were going to really amount to much.
but i was so wrong.

as of now.
and i can only say i have owned these for one week.

But, i have worn them for 4 days straight with no prep, oiling or anything.
right out of the box.
onto my feet... and wore them to work.
14-hour long days on my feet in these.
a pure ******* JOY to wear.
im still waiting for them to break, or show me something that will make me retune to this post, and hate them.
(i hope not) because i really like them..

from what i can admit, the leather is def not the traditional or MIE leather by far.
it is from what i read, a proper full-grain-leather that has been hot-stuffed with plenty of waxes and oils pre-hand, which gives for it's buttery-soft glove like fit.
they still have some balls in them, but they feel like ballet slippers compared to any other Doc Marten i have worn, right out the box.

im gonna keep wearing these till i can break them.

 

[pk977]

At present, Dr Martens production in China not England.

 

[yankmod]

Ok, so this brings me to another question which has been rolling around my head for years.

Since you seem like a bit of a veteran in this field, I'm sure you have an opinion. Is there any right way to blur the lines of subculture, or to wear many different subcultural, or non-subcultural, styles of clothing without being a sell out?

What had always bothered me about the skin/punk subculture was that it was either all or nothing. Either you're a punk and only listen to punk, go to punk shows, do punk things, or you are simply not a punk. For this reason, I felt a bit boxed in and decided it wasn't for me. Not that I ever completely shut myself off from the punk/hardcore/ska lifestyles, I just broadened my horizon. As I get older, I'm beginning to see that maybe things weren't as black and white as I had thought, and I am interested in getting back into the scene. Both in manner of dress, as well as going to shows. So, I guess as someone who seems to have backed out of the scene to do your own thing, how can one actually pull this off.

What you describe is Indie Rock Hipster style.Starting in 81' all the previuos threads were ransacked and you combined whatever you wanted.

 

[IanChan]

I've got a pair of size 8 docs yesterday, I am worrying about the size, because it feels too loose for me.
But size 7 seems to be too short in length, my toes could feel the top of the toe cap, while walking in them my toes almost started to hit the end of the shoes.
My toes are feeling free while in size 8, but it's too loose, my heel got slipped up when walking.
Should I change them for a size 7 for better walking, or keep the 8s?

 

[davichan]



I've got a pair of size 8 docs yesterday, I am worrying about the size, because it feels too loose for me.
But size 7 seems to be too short in length, my toes could feel the top of the toe cap, while walking in them my toes almost started to hit the end of the shoes. 
My toes are feeling free while in size 8, but it's too loose, my heel got slipped up when walking.
Should I change them for a size 7 for better walking, or keep the 8s? 

from what i learned with them,
i would suggest a size 7 in your case.
(im a US8 and take a UK7)

when you have Docs laced down tightly, preferably cross-bar lacing, they will secure down your ankle, and there wont be as much heel slip, unless, you have sized too big.
they will stretch with a few weeks of solid wear as well.
if they are the UK docs, the leather will take slightly more time to break into your ankle and mold to your foot.
but will, just takes time.

the toe cap will lightly flatten out and give in the over all width of the boot. it gets better in my opinion.
dont expect them to get an inch longer in the toe, but they should give a little.

hope that helps

 

[Mr Barnets]

I have a pair and they are VERY comfortable. I would recommend them to anyone who values comfort on the 1st place. Cheers

EDIT : You can find Dr.Martens on sale over here. Really good prices in my opinion

 

[mariamolino]

YAY! I soooo like them!! I myself already have two pairs and now willing to have the one's Fashionvibe is wearing here: http://blogandthecity.net/dr-martens-boots. What do you guys think of those lower ones?

 

[miggyramone]

Sorry for bumping an old thread but I have a dilemma. I'm stuck between the a pair of vintage black 1461 or a pair of vintage oxblood 1460. Which would be more versatile? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Juana]

Has anyone ever changed their Docs of color. I have a zebra docs and want them all black. Suggestions?

 

[suitforcourt]

I own a pair of Made in England Doc boots, and a pair of GT Hawkins shoes (I am told made at DM factory).

Both are battle hardened warriors. Some polish and keeping them in shoe trees have kept them in top shape.

I've had the Hawkins for close to 20 years now. No need to resole. Heels are worn, but overall in excellent condition.

The DM boots are mint. Don't wear them a lot, but they're comfortable and versatile especially when it comes to casual/going out clothes.

I'm looking at buying another pair of MIE DMs in the future. Definitely pricier, but an investment that will last forever.

 

[Thomas CM]

not much to say, docs are no more what they used to be. even nowadays MIE are nowhere near the 80's/90's docs. I still have mine from the 90s, a bit worn-out but still in good shape. i wear them each and every day, even in the summer time. i have another pair of boots, homemade here in italy, they are well done but all in all i prefer docs over them. also, thse DIY boots are too cold in winter