Any opinions on Dr martens?

B

Backwoods_VT

Joined
Mar 27, 2006
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142
I was looking at the old school dr martens , the boots with yellow laces. They come with a nice soft sole and look pretty comfy. Ever own a pair and what did you think?
 
I love them. The combination of comfort, durability, and style is unmatched. Some brands are more stylish, but sacrifice durability or comfort or both. I think Doc Martens have a great balance. I have a few pairs of their basic oxfords, but I've never really worn any out, even after years of wear. I definitely recommend them.
 
I bought a pair of the old oxfords with nondescript black stitching and laces when I was 21. Ten years later, I am still wearing them in all types of weather. They are very comfortable. All they really need is a coat of beeswax and the occasional shoe shine to keep them looking pretty.
 
Had the same black steel toes for 4+ years, wearing them nearly everyday. With a bit of polish, they still look awesome, though the soles are worn, and I need a bigger size. New Docs are made in China, and have a brown sole. It's hard for me to justify paying the premium on the new ones.
Anyone have a source for the old school, england made, black soled boots?

Thanks
Desmond
 
Got some Docs a few years back. I currently own five pairs. One pair is from England, one pair made in Thailand, and the other in China. Not sure about the other two. They're all going strong.

I spend a lot of time on my feet on the job, and they are without a doubt the best brand I've run across in many, many years. The air cushion system takes a lot of the shock out of walking or standing on the feet. I've owned Rockports, and even they didn't last as long, or were as comfortable. I'll only buy Doc Martens from now on. Some of the styles might be a bit funky, but they do carry some more conservative styles that will fit in right at work, with dress slacks and a tie, if need be.
 
I've got a pair of Dr Martens loafers, and a pair of their dress shoes. I'm a big guy, and these shoes are very comfortable. They look good to boot.
 
When did they start farming out the shoes to china? I have a couple pair. I should check where they are made.
 
I had some regular old-school Doc Mart oxford/loafers a while back. Lasted a while, but even after years, I couldn't walk very long/far in them without some discomfort in the toe and heel.

Switched to Danner boots 5 years ago and never looked back.

YMMV, a lot of people LOVE their DMs. I think my foot just doesn't fit them.

-j
 
I've had 4 or 5 pairs over the years.I used them as a motorcycle boot for a number of years and they stood up to that ok, but after about 12 months the airsole would puncture and they were not as comfortable.Nice and light but I prefer something a bit more sturdy.
 
Backwoods_VT said:
I was looking at the old school dr martens , the boots with yellow laces. They come with a nice soft sole and look pretty comfy. Ever own a pair and what did you think?
Click to expand...

I still have and wear my 1985ish Doc 1460's. The soles have lasted 21 years and the leather and stitching have held up to some serious abuse (mosh pits, stage dives, wild bass thumping). I can't comment on the newer stuff. I haven't needed a new pair to even compare!
 
They are great boots......good looking and tough as all get out, at a very reasonable price. Buy a pair, I promise you won't regret it.
 
Be warned, they are pretty stiff at first (more than alot of other boots in my opinion), but once they break in they're great. I own 2 pairs, 8 and 14 eyelet.
 
I have five pairs, and have worn out a couple more....Love them, but In my opinion they are absolutely worthless in snow and ice. I have almost ended up on my hindquarters a couple of times....
 
I am currently wearing in a pair of Doc Marten shoes. The backs are very rough and are rubbing. I have already rubbed them with Olive Oil and tried to smooth them with a dinner knife handle. think I will try some wet and dry sandpaper on Monday.

For old style Docs, try online shoe stores.
 
Interesting reading here , I am curious as to how many of us wore our Docs in "the pit" , I did not ever picture Mr. Collucci stage diving on someones face lol :D

I still have my old pair of steel toe shoes from back when they were made in the U.K. , I wear them for 'dressy' occasions.
I had a set of 10 holes from about 1994 but I gave then to a younger buck since I never wore them anymore , the quality of the old shoes/boots was mostly good.
Nearly everyone I hung with back then wore Docs , most of the time they lasted years , sometimes a set would come apart in a matter of months but the return policy was okay. Then in the latter 90's they started making shit products that would not last one round on the dancefloor , so when it came that I wanted a new set of steel toes I bought a set of Rangers (GetaGrips) instead , those I still have and you talk about a tank of a boot. :thumbup:

I think the modern Docs are okay , my co-worker wears a couple of different pairs.
 
I bought a pair right before they moved their production in england and I really love them. However, I've heard from multiple people that the quality has gone down on them since the move. I think they might be a little cheaper now though.
 
rebeltf said:
Interesting reading here , I am curious as to how many of us wore our Docs in "the pit" , I did not ever picture Mr. Collucci stage diving on someones face lol :D
Click to expand...

For ass stomping, accept no substitute. I had a buddy wear his doc's into the pit at a flogging molly/dropkick murphy concert. I beleive he was the only person that came out alive.
 
I was a skinhead in my misspent youth and still have a pair of 8 eyelets in
black. They are perfect if you have to work standing on hard floors all day or
for walking on concrete. Don't get the steel toes and the soft airware sole
,if you drop something on them the steel will chop your toes right off.
They were so popular for a while in the 90's you should be able to find a nice made in britain pair at second hand shops. For hiking or motorcycling a hard sole is preferable I had a pair of 14 eyelet cherry red getta grips(Rangers)
that were exellent. Doc Martens were the first thing I came into contact with that was built with a sense of craftsmanship and kicked off(pun intended)
a love for well made old world products like handmade knives.
 
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