Mod to Suedehead

[logboy]

The sole of one of my Solovair boots is coming away. Any recommendations? Should a High Street cobbler be able to fix it?

i've asked solovair directly, only recently. recommended > http://www.bootrepaircompany.co.uk
which is something around £50+ shipping (both ways at about £8 a time, which they arrange)

 

[DonkeyJacket1]

i've asked solovair directly, only recently. recommended > http://www.bootrepaircompany.co.uk
which is something around £50+ shipping (both ways at about £8 a time, which they arrange)

They are taking the piss

 

[logboy]

Im having a late 20s crisis never mind a mid life crisis!

The dr martens 101 actually look quite nice in choc brown, are they worth 125 quid tho?

no. i've had many DMs in recent years and they're okay in a 50% off sale. a pair lasts me a year to eighteen months with around an hour of walking a day.

here's the lesson i learnt only recently. look for solovair. now, a lot of people don't seem to realise that solovair were the original makers of DM; 'dr marten by solovair' on the boxes. solovair are still handmade (and welted, as always) in the UK, and DMs are made in various small countries elsewhere in the world, cheaply. the styles are the same, the price and quality are not. if you check eBay, lots of people dig NOS out on a regular basis. this is because solovair have also made boots on contract for the goverment, and workers have them issue and possibly didn't always use them. post men / woman, for example - DM still make for them, but they were once solovair.

NPS Shoes & Solovair | Handcrafted British Made Footwear

The official online store for Solovair and NPS shoes and boots. All our footwear is 100% made in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, England.

www.solovair-shoes.com

 

[logboy]

They are taking the piss

no, that's extremely typical of the price you will find anywhere online or the highstreet, if not a little cheaper. don't forget new solovairs are expensive for the most part, and very well made, properly welted not just faux welter in thailand.

 

[DonkeyJacket1]

no, that's extremely typical of the price you will find anywhere online or the highstreet, if not a little cheaper. don't forget new solovairs are expensive for the most part, and very well made, properly welted not just faux welter in thailand.

No it isnt for just a bit of a split sole, my uncle is a cobbler. He would say you are being ******* ripped off, full replacement maybe yes, repairing a split sole isnt a massive job cobbler deal with that **** all the time.

 

[logboy]

No it isnt for just a bit of a split sole, my uncle is a cobbler. He would say you are being ******* ripped off, full replacement maybe yes, repairing a split sole isnt a massive job cobbler deal with that **** all the time.

full replacement is what i am talking. if your sole is split, the usual tip is probably a very hot knife - that's what's used for welting in part, anyway - and melt the edges of the split and push together. don't know how well that holds.

 

[DonkeyJacket1]

wasnt massively impressed with soles of modern solovair boots i had few year ago, they were nearly worn out at the heel just after a year, the vulcanised rubber soles on my 70s 6 eye british army style boots have not even worn by a quarter on the heel after a year. kind of expected the soles of a pair of boots which cost 180+ plus quid to last longer.

 

[Inkss]

Shoe Goo always works well.

Yep I second that. The sole came away at the heel of one of my Bostonian brogue/tassle loafers a while back (non-welted) and I used Shoe Goo and G-clamped it down 'till the adhesive cured. They're still going strong after quite a bit of wear.

 

[logboy]

wasnt massively impressed with soles of modern solovair boots i had few year ago, they were nearly worn out at the heel just after a year, the vulcanised rubber soles on my 70s 6 eye british army style boots have not even worn by a quarter on the heel after a year. kind of expected the soles of a pair of boots which cost 180+ plus quid to last longer.

i half agree, though i don't know how to judge it. the solovairs i wear now seem to date from 25 years ago and were NOS when i bought them. vulcanised, i think, rather than airwair style as they use now. they're lasting longer on the heal, but the soles are getting flat in the middle after a year. i asked solovair about wear, and (as with levi's a few years ago) they'll apparently deny any degradation of quality over the decades with vagueness and generalisations about it being affected by how you walk, how much you use them, what you're walking on and so on. i would still buy solovair over DM, but i am also looking into other more expensive welted boots and hoping to try some if i can get them on a decent offer in a sale. trickers, for example.

 

[DonkeyJacket1]

They are just not as good, i had an older pair of solovairs and the dm sole was thicker and lasted longer, they were a bit small for me tho. only paid 25 quid for the old 70s boots and i have got far more use out of them.

 

[andyf]

no. i've had many DMs in recent years and they're okay in a 50% off sale. a pair lasts me a year to eighteen months with around an hour of walking a day.

here's the lesson i learnt only recently. look for solovair. now, a lot of people don't seem to realise that solovair were the original makers of DM; 'dr marten by solovair' on the boxes. solovair are still handmade (and welted, as always) in the UK, and DMs are made in various small countries elsewhere in the world, cheaply. the styles are the same, the price and quality are not. if you check eBay, lots of people dig NOS out on a regular basis. this is because solovair have also made boots on contract for the goverment, and workers have them issue and possibly didn't always use them. post men / woman, for example - DM still make for them, but they were once solovair.

NPS Shoes & Solovair | Handcrafted British Made Footwear

The official online store for Solovair and NPS shoes and boots. All our footwear is 100% made in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, England.

www.solovair-shoes.com

View attachment 1189881

Dr marten haven’t supplied footwear for Royal Mail for a couple of years now. Cheaper trainer type or magnums at our place.
Plus DM still do have a small made in England outfit. Still at Wollaston northants.

 

[Mr Knightley]

Gents, you may be interested in the Friday Challenge 'Spring Jackets', the poll for which has just, rather belatedly, gone up:

FRIDAY CHALLENGE May 19th 2019: Spring Jackets

Welcome gentlemen to the May Friday challenge! Jackets in spring are an essential item depending on what part of the globe you live in. Whether its rainy, damp, cold or plain snowing; you need something that protects you from the elements..well we want to see how you get it done stylishly! It...

www.styleforum.net

A new Challenge is now up and one that might appeal to posters here.

Friday Challenge June 2019 : MILITARY INSPIRED

Military clothing has always been a great inspiration for menswear, it's timeless and even seem to be fashionable these days. In this Challenge, i don't expect you to look like GI Joe, rather to incorporate one or more military items (inspired or genuine) in your outfit, be it Classical...

www.styleforum.net

 

[Newton heath]

Does anyone have views on the loake “ design “ shoes , I’m looking at a pair of square toe brogues, supposedly half price at £87, from Debenhams

 

[The Saint]

Does anyone have views on the loake “ design “ shoes , I’m looking at a pair of square toe brogues, supposedly half price at £87, from Debenhams

I can't fault the Loake footwear I own but how about a picy , Newton. .

 

[Newton heath]

I’ve tried to put a photo on but failed miserably ??‍♂️, I just wondered if the “design “ type of loakes is the “ budget “ version of loakes or maybe the end of the line run?