THE DIFFRENCE between doc now and then, you could get a pair of docs in the 90s for around £50 and if you got the kids sizes they were cheaper. I know because i got my first pair of DOCs 1460 from the army and navy store they were a uk 5 and £39 .Docs are just a brand now they dont care about the product they are selling they have quadrupled the price and halved the quality.
It’s a shame because they are a lovely looking boot but they wear down for you so quickly. Happy Christmas to you and Mrs DR, thank you for all the fab reviews and helping me pick my boots this year 🎄☃️🎄
Was a 25+ year purchaser of Doc Marten products but could no longer justify the price. Solovair quality and variety is what made me a fan of this style of shoe/boot all those years ago.
Just bought mine, had to go shopping and walked for 40min with them straight out of the box for the first time and they where perferct; felt like walking on cloud, not a single pain for the whole walk, i love them already !
Good review, and thanks for it. I remember the quality diminishing in the nineties though, in US at least. I had a pair of Underground boots with steel toes and those lasted six years of daily wear, had them resoled twice. Great boots, don't know if the company is still around or not.
I've found rubbing coconut oil into the boots works a wonder. Breaks the boots in faster and cleans the leather. I coat the inside of the boot heavily aswel as the outside. Let them dry and then rub the dried oil into the leather further. You'll have to buff the shoe occasionally before wearing them as you'll have "white dry oil residue" but no other way to have a quick wearable comfy boot.
Re: the Wonder Balsam, I'd recommend using it on the inside leather as per the website's recommendation. Definitely helps with break-in. Oddly enough, I found the width of my MIE 1460s to be fairly generous. I normally wear US size 11.5 EEEE (my feet are really wide) and I find my size 12 Doc's pretty darn comfy.
I got a 1 year warranty and same balsam. I see it as an investment and I hope It will last long and will give me a comfortable boot. I bought it today. And I think also 2 year warranty for the sole.
Thank you for this - I have these boots too and the leather creased badly and thinned in 2 areas even when well cared for with mink oil and regular cleaning routine.
I bought solovair boots and I have to say to everyone who wants to buy a pair, that the shape of them has nothing to do with dr martens! They are completely different boots in design. I also want to mention that the soles of my solovair 11eye boots lasted exactly the same as my MIE dr martens, 7 months.
Rose Anvil said that even Solovair are not that perfect and even Reg Wings. I actually couldn't find any of his videos where he actually says anything good about any brand.
Hello, I have a question about these boots. I have two pairs, and although they are my size and my feet fit in OK, when I walk seems that the heel is not well gripped, and my toes touch the point of the boot. I had to use insoles that make smaller the room in my heel, so my toes don't move. Did you experience something like this???
I still have my 1994 10 eyelets doc worn for 2 years every weekend when it was a big trend. It was very durable but took months to break in. Before break-in, it has bad comfortability, and even after break-in, their comfort level is still far from other boots. If further compared to sneakers, Doc lost hands down. I still occasionally wear them once in a few months but they are still the same less comfy shoes.
I have had, and still have my pair of standard 1460s in smooth black for about 4 years now. In my expierience what absolutely kills the boot is that the fabric and the top leather layer on the insoles start to delaminate, which causes the leather to slip forward and form a bulge exactly where the bone of your heel ends, which can make it painful to walk in the shoes. Shame that they dont offer new insoles, my toes almost dug through them by now. The other problem i have is that the soles wear off, but as far not as much as yours do. I also expierienced the cracks in the toe area, probably caused by working in the supermarket for a month, all while bending down and flexing the boot in exactly this area. But other then that, they held up perfectly, been to concerts, wore them almost every day, also in winter, rain, and mud, brought them to india as rainboots. No leaks, feet stayed dry.
I have this exact Made in England model (Oxblood) and love them. Like you’ve said, I worry about the soles wearing out. For what they cost, I’d hope they would have lasted much longer
Hey Devin, I know I’m late to the party but, I noticed a couple of things about the Made in England’s as well, I normally wear a 9.5 US but, my size 9 Made in England Docs fit like US 9.5s. So they run half a size bigger. I have narrow feet so the width works for me and sadly why Solovair’s won’t work as I have heard they run wide. Cheers. I dig your content and RoseAnvil’s you guys Rock....
Yeah, the sad truth. I have the 10 hole cherry reds from before 2013 and they have nothing in common with those new ones with the paper thin leather and soles that wear out within a month. Hell, two years ago I bought a pair and within six months they literally looked so beaten, that I couldn't believe it. And mind you, I have other pairs, so they go on rotation, not wearing them everyday. luckily, we have Solovair - the black greasy leather is a gift from the heavens. And we also have William Lennon boots - now this is something on another level. Easily the best boots I've ever worn. And you can customize your pair as you wish - all kinds of leathers available.
Going back to the skinhead era of the 70's when I was in my teens, if I'm not mistaken the sole of the Doc Martens boots was a little thicker unlike the sole of the pair in the video.
Did you consider adding halfsoles to your boots? A good cobbler can sand down the pattern just a tiny bit, and glue a sole protector on. When they worn, you just ask to replace it. This is possible with many of rubber soled shoes, and this is also possible with the heel too. A good shoetree can help a lot with the wrinkles on the vamp, it does't allow them to became too deep. This leather is coated with plastic, so it will crack inevitably, (because leather care products just not soak into it properly, and the coating also prone to cracking). I think you should buy something with a better uncoated leather.
Kind of miraculous that the inner heel reinforcement hadn't split already leading to the usual outer tear proceeding up the back and along the stitch line.
I've worn DM's since the 70's and I don't think the heel lining ever made it much past a month before starting to crack, it's a real race between the outer heel leather starting to tear because of that and the bald spot on the front of the sole splitting, always.
I was in the military in the 90’s and our boots had hard leather. We,I would put them on and go for a walk in the ocean. It would mess up the finish, military needed a shine, but they buffed up fine. We,I were able to get them comfortable real fast.
I do the initial break-in by hand while I am watching TV. I just work all of the areas until the original stiffness is gone. Takes about an our per boot. It is easy to feel the difference when it becomes supple. Once I have done that I feel they conform to my feet better/faster, they are immediately comfortable and it prevents those annoying creases. Those creases will split on the Made in China Docs sometimes ime, so to me it is obligatory on MIC docs. But it saves the day aesthetically as well. All I want to see is the form of my feet. lol I bought two pair of Dr. Martens x The Who 1460 (MIC)- England size 9-last summer. One fit perfectly the other was super tight. Not too consistent. If they fit really tight I use a hairdryer and the balsam to stretch them out. Sometimes I will force a golf ball into areas that need to stretch to conform to my feet. The tight pair took a LOT of effort to break-in/stretch, over a couple of days. But they are my favourites now. I love my Chinese Docs boots, but my MIE Kudus and Brogues weigh more than the MIC boots. So that says something to me even as a layman. PS Great vid.
It’s great to outsource the production so production is less expensive but quality stays the same and consumer prices are lowered accordingly. Problem with docs is that the quality fell, thus prices rose accordingly (and were likely increased beyond that).
Looks like my boot wear patterns. Heavy wear on the side of the heel calls for replacement boots too quick. The more wear, the more tendency to walk on the side of the foot.
Dr Martens soles needs the durability of the American Red Wing boots! When I was a kid, my dad had a clothing shop and he sold Santa Rosa Boots. Those Santa Rosa work boots were made in Santa Rosa, California using thick bullhide and built like a tank! One popular boot was the 6 inch boots with see through gummy soles. All the boots were factory leather conditioned so the wrapping paper and sometimes the boxes would be oily. Never did one of Santa Rosa boots came back to my dad's shop for lack of quality control. The only problem was that people didn't oil the leather and it began to crack. The life expectancy of those boots were, depending on the environment, around 4-5 years if worn daily on 8 hour shift. Customers would come back with their boots all beatened the hell up and compare the old boots to the exact new ones for brand, style and size. They wanted to be absolutely sure they purchased the identical pair.
"Obenauf's heavy duty leather preservative". I haven't tried it on DMs yet, as I've just recently ordered my first pair, but have been trying other products on my good boots such as Danners for years. Decades really. This is the best leather product I've tried.
I have a pair of regular Doc Martens. When the soles start to get flatspots i'll get my cobler sand them flat and glue sole protectors on to extend their longevity!
So I ordered a pair of Made in England 1460 oxblood boots from Dr. Marten. Everything else checks out, but there is one weird thing. The back of the tongue doesn't say "Made In England." It says "Dr. Martens, Docs." Is that a new thing?
I'd like to ask the same, question, I can't find any info on wether the coated leather (in this case on my Solovair 8 hole derbys) even "accepts" any oils or balsams. It isn't permeable, is it? I guess after it cracks you need to treat in somehow, right? My coating of my older Martens cracked but the leather split as well.
Is it actually coated though? My understanding of corrected leathers such as Quilon is that it is 100% leather but the show surfaces are ironed smooth - for want of a better description - and then buffed, sometimes with faux natural hide patterns pressed in. Smooth corrected leathers just have a finish that doesn't seem to be improved with polish until they are broken through. My Solovair Astronauts are very much like this.
@@TristanJCumpole Thanks, I'm not sure if this is exactly the case with the 8 Hole Derbys and 1460s, though. I researched a bit and on the NPS website (on the "about us" subpage) they talk about a "manmade coating" finish for their hi-shine leather shoes. Are Martens Made in England boots using the same smooth/hi-shine leather? Because youtube user Rose Anvil used Mink oil to break them in and it obviously had a huge effect!
@@hannsrhinesdale9769 I'm sure that high shine is that sort of lamper look rather than Quilon or smooth leather. The latter may have a coating, yes, however I'm mostly certain that actual Quilon is a "natural" corrected than a coated leather. I may be wrong. I think I'm going to apply mink oil to my DM Wincox (smooth leather I believe) and Solovair Astronauts since it's winter here in Finland. We'll see how that breaks smoothed, potentially coated, leathers. To be fair, I'm really gassing for some greasy leather boots....much easier maintenance, and you get what you see. I hope that Quinlon isn't being farmed out, because that would truly make DMs one more level worse than they are now.
I've had my oxblood 1490 MIE since 2007 they've been put through a lot of mileage worth of walking throughout the years, punk shows, rain, dirt, and mud, they've held up well for all that time. And the leather is still tough. The soles on the other hand have understandably worn down. Nevertheless they are still serviceable and I plan to wear them until they fall apart. Judging by how long my 1490s have lasted, its going to be a long wait until that happens.
Comfortable... But, the soles do wear down fast if they are your daily wear. I tend to mix it up wearing different boots and shoes to extend the life of the soles on my DMs
I'm gutted I didn't research on Dr Martens more before buying the 101s in Butterscotch. They look awesome but the creases are atrocious probably due to being made overseas but the soles are better wearing than on this video with the x design. I just had a pair of Thursday Captains delivered to UK from the states and you definitely need to check these out mate if you like a good boot.
Guessing they might use a different rubber compound for the made overseas DMs. I know for a fact that leather is nowhere near as durable as the made in England DMs. On the other hand Solovair boots looks to have a more durable rubber compound for there boots and sell replacement soles while still keeps the soul of the original design. I'm sold!
On the inside of my dr martens made in England, where the double loop is on the inside, at the end it came undone. This is on my left boot on the right side and on the other side also in the same spot. Is this something I should worry about? If so where can I go to get it fixed?
I had them once in elementary school and never again because of the pathetic quality soles. Even though I like the looks of some models, I'm always hesitant and decide against because of the soles. They're just too soft and wear out fast
I know the comparison is difficult and it also comes down to personal preferences, but I have to say that I think the DM are overpriced for what you get. I wear Red Wing shoes on a daily basis and frankly for 100-130€ more you do get a lot more. Look at a an Iron Ranger or a Blacksmith, you clearly get a much better construction and quality. Excellent review! I highly appreciate how objective and informative you are. Thumbs up.
,the boot is not broken in yet but the soul is done, looking at yours after 6 months i think i will puncture a pair in 4 ! put them on soak them in the bath and wear them till they dry. what costs a new soul fitted£ now , i am looking to buy a pair , would you buy another !
Breaking in the easiest in my opinion: laces as tight as possible, use every 8 holes. No oil treatment or something. Just wear them regularly. Start for very short time: a walk of 15 minutes around the corner or so. Use good hard wax to polish, sometimes liquid shoe polish. When the shoes are new your feet shouldn’t move a millimeter with laces as tight as possible. Break in through wearing. Mink oil and other strange stuff can change the leather permanently.
The 1980’s MIE line were superb. If you can get a new old stock pair of them you’ll be set. Sadly in the 90’s they sold their soul. Never been the same since - even the new MIE range. I wear Grinders now.
These days they regularly have that wobble in that spot. It's a shame and I don't see why it needs to occur. With pairs from the 80's you can sometimes see where they have gone over that area again, just to flatten out the wobble.
I was MASSIVELY disappointed with my made in England 1460 cherry red Docs! I had Docs when I was a kid, and not only did they last years, but they were relatively cheap too (if anyone out there is old enough to remember Alexei Sayle's song "Dr Marten's boots" on The Young Ones TV show in 1982, it contained the line "and retail for only nineteen pounds, ninety nine pee") Many years later I bought a pair of Asian made, oxblood 1460s and loved them....for about three months, until the soles on both boots started coming off! Splits started appearing along the line on the sole where the colour changes slightly, and just got worse and worse until they were unwearable. The uppers were still great though, and had mellowed to a really nice colour. The box said they were "Inuck" leather, which I think is the same or similar to Pascal leather. So, I shelled out over £200 of my hard earned money on a pair of Made in England 1460s in cherry red. I loved them, at first. The soles stayed on and didn't split anywhere. The same can't be said for the uppers though! I polished them religiously with Dr Marten's own brand polish (which I also think is overpriced garbage) but cracks started appearing along the line where your foot flexes, just back from the toe. The cracks got worse and worse and turned into splits! Not only that but the heel cap (which is basically just thick cardboard!) cracked and disintegrated as well. It was lockdown at this point so I couldn't take them back (I didn't have the receipt anymore either). I was furious! What a rip off! What a waste of 200 quid as well! I wished I could take the soles off my Made In England boots and put them on my old Asian made boots, but most cobblers (if you can find one anymore) won't touch Docs. I love how Docs look though (and Solovair just aren't quite the same. I want yellow stitching!) So, I've just bought a pair of Thai made 1460 Ambassador Pascal leather Docs in Cashew (which is a lovely reddy brown colour) This is Dr Marten's last chance!!! If these soles or the uppers split, that's it! I'm never buying Docs again! ok, rant over!
It sounds harsh but after it was clear my feet wouldnt break in the heel of my MIE boots, I took a 7 oz hammer to them. It worked like a charm and I havent had problmes since nor did I cause damage to the boot.
Yes defo a very narrow last on these. I was born in the 60s and have worn DMs much of my life and I have to say that the soles have always worn down quite quickly. The leather on the Solovair is more like the original DMs, the MIE leather is slightly thicker (on my boots anyway).
You wear those without insoles? I was under the impression that the MIE don’t come with insoles, you have to put your own insoles in. I have an older pair that killed my feet until I put in an insole ...
My mom gave me her old uniseex Docs she got from her mum when she went on vacation back home in the late 80's early 90's, There still in the family and my son is next up to wear them, that is fucking quality
I find out that there are different soles, even at the made in England... there a actually 2 different types. Made in England and The Original - Made in England. The Shoes you review are the Made in England which have the weaker sole compared to the sole of the The Original - Made in England.
@crazy russian show I have never slipped in DM’S I have a pair that are over 20 years old that are completely smooth on the bottom that I still wear. I haven’t ever had a traction problem.
@crazy Russia show I’ve owned one pair of Cat boots in my life they were so uncomfortable they ended up in the trash after a month of wear! I would agree that dr martens are not snow boots . But most of your other claims appear to be opinions. A true good pair of boots can cost $400-600.
Those soles are crazy mate after six months😳 Are those the Vegan leather? The brown tab usually suggests the vegan range but I may be wrong😂 Try out Renpour Leather Balsam to restore and sink into the leather, excellent stuff and goes on all my leather footwear and accessories like belts and watch straps.
But the outer layer is so 'finished' that any leather treatment will be unable to penetrate till the creasing turns into cracking at which point it's half too late.
I want to buy another pair of Docs but I just can't get over those thin as soles compared to the old school lugged commando soles that Docs used to have.
PT111111 I bought the ICON 7B10 Steel Toe Utility work boot. Yes, they’re made in China, but with a soft leather and thin lining, real safety rated steel toes and a thicker lug sole, I feel they’re the best value and you get more boot for the money.
Dr martens are much more comfortable as they used to be. And this is because of their new soles. They don’t last as long as they used to, but it’s like walking on air.
Just an FYI: Dr martens no long offer "Hard Life" greasy leather replacements for those who have the for life guarantee. They only offer the poor quality, basic 1460 "Smooth" styles.
I found a pair of made in England Dr. Martens on sale for $180. I was going to get Solovair boots but they were $220. So I went with the obvious choice. They gave me a blister so I went and bought some big and tall diabetic socks. Diabetic socks are thicker than regular socks. I wear 2 socks on each foot to put an extra thick layer between the boot and the blister. I have no more problems with blisters or discomfort while walking in them. To me this is the best way to break in new boots.
you mentioned rose anvils channel when he did a comparison of DMs...he did a video on breaking them in and used mink oil liquid...i used it on my asian DMs and had the same results as rose anvi...not successful...you have the made in england ones and he said the mink oil liquid worked best on those
@@minerforjob32 The R Griggs Group Limited, headed by Dr Martens founder Bill Griggs, has been acquired by Permira Funds for £300 million. The deal will be completed in January 2014.
Altbergs Ledergris Xtreme and a hairdryer works very well. Perhaps you would consider a resole/rebuild, while Brian the bootmaker does astonishing work, I've heard nothing but great word about Yorkshire Sole in Bradford if you want to keep it British.
The docs in the 90s were much better and I stopped caring about the docs that are being sold nowadays. However, when I saw the Solovairs, it was a kick in the childhood since they looked more like the boots that made the docs great in the first place. It turns out that Solovair was actually a company that was contracted by Doc Martins from 1959-1996, which I would consider their iconic period. When Doc Martens decided to cut ties with Solovair, instead of Solovair closing up shop and selling their machines, they stayed in business and remained as a time capsule while Doc Martens started to slowly cheap out production, and finally, around the mid '00s, they manufactured oversees, where only 1 percent of Doc Martins are actually "Made in England." The only thing I'm going to miss is the iconic yellow laces that made the docs so iconic. But other than that, I'll be getting a boot that's more like the great Doc Martens as opposed to the Doc Martens nowadays.
I'm wondering what you guys gonna do with those worn out boots, the uppers are pretty descent, I believe they can last years but they are hard to resole, isn't it too pity to just throw them away?
@@DevonReviewer I'm thinking about getting a pair of 1460 Pascal Cavalier MIE, they're on sale through to site. Granted they are quite the investment. If I take care of the premium Horween Leather I like to have them re-soled two or three times. They want $315 Canadian, which I suppose is okay for quality, comfort and fashion.
Docs (Airwair/Solovair etc) were really designed to be stood in on a factory floor for hours on end, and not really for walking in. That's why the soles wear out so quickly and are rubbish for grip on outside surfaces. (We used to have sliding competitions in them on icy playgrounds back when i were a lad because they were so crap!). They never really were a serious boot tbh and are essentially now just a fashion item for young middle-class women and ageing lefties.
The soles wear out quickly because the rubber isn’t as hard wearing as it used to be. Back in the 70’s and 80’s they had a deserved reputation for being hard wearing but useless on a building site or hill walking
I wish they would just make the regular 10 eyelets boot with commando soles like they did back in the 90s. Right now it's a novelty thing that comes once in a while or on funky "Jadon" boots made for goth kids or what not.. The regular DM sole is terrible and outdated. The very least they could do is make the grooves deeper.
so asian manufacture vs UK has half size difference you think? or like 0.25? I have an asian size 11 US which is fine and comforable..I ordered earlier today made in uk the exact same size 1461.. do you think they will fit or they will be a problem? thank you!!!
