Footwear to go with our jackets

[Zoro]

Maybe someday someone will do some GYW docs in nice leathers, half and wide sizes

I think that's as likely to happen as Zara releasing Maryam horsebutt GYW boots.

 

[Bfd70]

I’m not a boot guy and these are bottom tier but I love these doc marten Chelsea boots. They are wide enough for my platypus foot and super easy to walk in.
View attachment 763392

Welcome to the dark side.

 

[Pandemic]

I think that's as likely to happen as Zara releasing Maryam horsebutt GYW boots.

I don’t know. We’ve seen some high end takes on the old donkey jacket, so anything is possible. If the English ever go deep into heritage workwear, Docs are sort of like their Redwings. Solvair played around with some slightly nicer leathers a few years ago in their MIE range, though so far no one has made lasts in half sizes or wides.

 

[Edward]

I’m not a boot guy and these are bottom tier but I love these doc marten Chelsea boots. They are wide enough for my platypus foot and super easy to walk in.
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The Airwear sole definitely has a lot to recommend it that way. Of course, that's by design, the original Doctor Marten having specialised in orthpaedics.

I don’t know. We’ve seen some high end takes on the old donkey jacket, so anything is possible. If the English ever go deep into heritage workwear, Docs are sort of like their Redwings. Solvair played around with some slightly nicer leathers a few years ago in their MIE range, though so far no one has made lasts in half sizes or wides.

I certainly wouldn't rule it out. I think for now Solovair are more likely to do it, but with the brand recognition that DMs have, they could probably leverage that. The main thing for me would be for the upper to reach a quality that it's worth resoling at least once. Back in my Docs days (early to later-mid 90s) the issue I had was the uppers splitting or wearing through before the soles were done. Still not back for the price; my first pair were the last generation of the eight-hole boots to be made in England, and they lasted eighteen months of being worn hard for about seventy-five to eighty hours a week before one of them started to split on the top over the balls of my feet. For a boot that cost £45 in 1993 (the equivalent of about £100 today, adjusted for inflation), that wasn't too bad a lifetime, and in those days the received wisdom was they couldn't be resoled. Change that, and maybe... One of the reasons I moved away from them was I didn't care for the look of those soles any longer (too modern for my preferences), but if the boot was otherwise on the same level as a RW Iron Range, say, resoleable, and they could markedly undercut RW on price, I'd certainly look again. I have seen offerings from bigger-money brands like George Cox, Grenson, and even Trickers with a Solovair sole in recent years (part of the post-lockdown pivot to offer some more "business casual" options as many more people WFH or are in an office with an uber-casual dresscode than used to be the case), so it's not a look that is exclusively associated with "cheaper" boots any more.

I'd be surprised if they did half sizes (not many brands seem to any longer), but some wider lasts would surely make sense.

 

[Pandemic]

I still think back to 1985 when I wore Doc shoes to school and boots on the weekends. How much have my feel grown longer and wider since I was 14-15 and how much did I just not know any better about how they should fit - jamming my 10.5EEE feet into size 9/10 Docs?

 

[Zoro]

I don’t know. We’ve seen some high end takes on the old donkey jacket, so anything is possible. If the English ever go deep into heritage workwear, Docs are sort of like their Redwings. Solvair played around with some slightly nicer leathers a few years ago in their MIE range, though so far no one has made lasts in half sizes or wides.

Obviously, everything can happen, but I just don't see it. Docs have just become mainstream and I think their natural evolution will be towards becoming even worse quality for higher prices than now. They're not different than sneaker companies such as Nike or Adidas as of today.

I can see them doing collabs with (t)rappers over playing with quality leathers. Their current customer/fan base doesn't care about leather quality, lasts, resoleability... Right now their core is people who value Docs in the same way they value sneakers, and that is clearly working out as I can tell their presence has grown massively in the recent years, having flagship stores in lots of cities around Europe. I've literally gone from barely being able to find them to seeing them everywhere.

 

[Tom71]

I don’t know. We’ve seen some high end takes on the old donkey jacket, so anything is possible. If the English ever go deep into heritage workwear, Docs are sort of like their Redwings. Solvair played around with some slightly nicer leathers a few years ago in their MIE range, though so far no one has made lasts in half sizes or wides.

Well, in fact there IS the “Made in England“ line for a limited range of boots, including the iconic 6/8 eyelet boots.

They are still made in Northamptonshire, use Goodyear-welting for the soles and use slightly thicker leather. It still has that lacquered look though, but that is equally part of the iconic appeal, me thinks.

They do have an upcharge, but overall I find them solid value for money.

 

[barnabus]

I'd be surprised if they did half sizes

Just looked on the Dr Marten's website and there appear to be some half-sized MIE boots.

Still eye-wateringly expensive for "cheap" boots though.

 

[barnabus]

overall I find them solid value for money

Ha, just saw this.

MIE DMs are two thirds the price of Red Wings here in the UK. Based on nothing, it feels to me like the Red Wings might be better value.

 

[Zoro]

Ha, just saw this.

MIE DMs are two thirds the price of Red Wings here in the UK. Based on nothing, it feels to me like the Red Wings might be better value.

They are better value. There's also Loake in UK for similar price as Red Wings.

I would consider Sendra or Panama Jack to be better options than Docs for a similar price too. Never tried or even seen Meermin, but I would also risk it with them over DMs. For cheaper, I would just go for Clarks.

Tbh I don't even know how good DMs were back in the day™ but nowadays I just find them absolute cr.ap.

 

[Tom71]

They are better value. There's also Loake in UK for similar price as Red Wings.

I would consider Sendra or Panama Jack to be better options than Docs for a similar price too. Never tried or even seen Meermin, but I would also risk it with them over DMs. For cheaper, I would just go for Clarks.

Tbh I don't even know how good DMs were back in the day™ but nowadays I just find them absolute cr.ap.

Are you talking about the Indonesian made standard boots or the MIE line?
I wonder what might make the later “****” in your opinion. They are nothing special by all means, but the only bootmaker manufacturing out of England for a similar price would be William Lennon.

 

[Tom71]

Ha, just saw this.

MIE DMs are two thirds the price of Red Wings here in the UK. Based on nothing, it feels to me like the Red Wings might be better value.

I agree that RW makes (much) better boots than DM MIE. As for “better value” for the respective price, I guess much depends on what you are willing to shell out.
As an entry-level (semi-) handmade boot, the MIE work for me IF you are after a solidly made Doc Martens boot.
If you don’t care for all the vibe that comes with DM, I doubt you’d find ANY reason to favour them over other option.

 

[Zoro]

Are you talking about the Indonesian made standard boots or the MIE line?
I wonder what might make the later “****” in your opinion. They are nothing special by all means, but the only bootmaker manufacturing out of England for a similar price would be William Lennon.

I believe in store I've only seen the not-England made ones (unaware exactly where). The leather looks and feels like stiff plastic and comfort wise I've found them the worst piece of footwear I've ever tried. Wearing their boots (the Chelseas if I remember correctly) for a split second at the store made my feet hurt for 20 minutes after removing them. And they aren't very durable as per my second hand experience through my friends who wear DMs, who all had to replace them within 2 years (funny enough, most of them went on to buy the same exact pair to replace them).

I have never seen Solovair in person, but as far as I'm aware, aren't they basically manufacturing in UK in the old DM factory? Edit: Oh, and Loake! Probably there's more manufacturing in UK not in our radar.

 

[barnabus]

As an entry-level (semi-) handmade boot, the MIE work for me IF you are after a solidly made Doc Martens boot.
If you don’t care for all the vibe that comes with DM, I doubt you’d find ANY reason to favour them over other option.

I do care for the vibe, I used to wear DMs in my youth but abandoned them as soon as I realised other options were around.

But while I liked the vibe, even back then I didn't like the weedy laces that broke all the time, or the uppers where the leather split, or the insoles that wore away to nothing really quickly, or the outsole that split right across at the ball of the foot.

More recently I've genuinely considered getting some Solovair, to maybe capture that same vibe but hopefully avoid all the problems I remember from DM ownership.

I just had a look on Solovair's site, and their 1460-alike is made in Woollaston in the UK, is available in half sizes, and cheaper than DM MIE.

 

[barnabus]

I have never seen Solovair in person, but as far as I'm aware, aren't they basically manufacturing in UK in the old DM factory

And I'd missed this too.

I'm not trying to gang up on you @Tom71 !

 

[Pandemic]

I have never seen Solovair in person, but as far as I'm aware, aren't they basically manufacturing in UK in the old DM factory?

They are one of the two original manufacturers of DMs, still going in the original factory. Back in the day, there was much debate whether Airware/Griggs or NPS/Solvaire were better (main difference was 3 or 4 eyelets in the shoes and a slightly chunkier sole). I was always a Solvair guy.

https://us.nps-solovair.com/pages/history

 

[Harris HTM]

I was a big fan of the mie dms in the 90's. Todays overseas made dm's are indeed of lower quality. Solovair are as good as the old dm's. Why would anyone spend any cent on current dm's while he can get a better quality, mie, identical product for less with solovair is beyond me.

 

[Tom71]

I believe in store I've only seen the not-England made ones (unaware exactly where). The leather looks and feels like stiff plastic and comfort wise I've found them the worst piece of footwear I've ever tried. Wearing their boots (the Chelseas if I remember correctly) for a split second at the store made my feet hurt for 20 minutes after removing them. And they aren't very durable as per my second hand experience through my friends who wear DMs, who all had to replace them within 2 years (funny enough, most of them went on to buy the same exact pair to replace them).

I have never seen Solovair in person, but as far as I'm aware, aren't they basically manufacturing in UK in the old DM factory? Edit: Oh, and Loake! Probably there's more manufacturing in UK not in our radar.

Ok, that makes sense. The Indo made Boots are indeed quite underwhelming.

While the MIE Boots have the same last, the leather is much nicer. Thicker and properly dyed, not that “spray-paint” the standard version has. Still the same glossy and vinyllike topcoat, but that’s what you expect.

I do see where you’re coming from though.

 

[Tom71]

I was a big fan of the mie dms in the 90's. Todays overseas made dm's are indeed of lower quality. Solovair are as good as the old dm's. Why would anyone spend any cent on current dm's while he can get a better quality, mie, identical product for less with solovair is beyond me.

Would you say the Solovair are better than DM Made in England or is that roughly the same ballpark?

 

[Tom71]

And I'd missed this too.

I'm not trying to gang up on you @Tom71 !

Haha, I didn’t think you were.

Admittedly, I always have a pair of DM because of how they made me feel in my twenties. I only wear the MIE anymore though.