Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Comfort, Looks, Reliability |
| Disadvantages: |
All good things come to an end |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
I could start off by telling you a bit about the history of Dr Martens brand. I could tell you that Dr Klaus Maertens injured his foot during a skiing accident in Germany, 1945. I could tell you that he invented a shoe with 'bouncing soles' made from old rubber tyres that cushioned air between the layers of the sole and thus helped said Dr Maertens to walk whilst his injury healed.
I could even go on to tell you how Dr Maertens then went on to join in partnership with Dr Herbert Funck and how the Dr's had a devil of a job to get any manufacturers to give them the time of day over their 'gimmicky' shoes.
I could go so far as to tell you that Dr
Martens - the name brand and spelling we know today - was born on the 1st April 1960. Hence the logo 1460. Clever stuff - and a good date I'm sure you'll agree for a gimmicky shoe to be named. (April Fools Day…geddit?)
I could spout forth about the many seemingly separated, segregated groups in society that have adopted Dr Martens as a symbol of 'their' culture: Goths, Mods, Rockers, Punks etc, etc, etc…
But I wont.
Because I would have just lifted all that from the fabulous Dr Martens website. (www.drmartens.com) Yeah I mixed it round a bit and put it into my own words but lifted it none the less.
Personally I don't really care about all that - though I am eternally grateful that Dr Maertens fell off that mountain (or whatever he did, no offence Dr if you're still alive and by some remote chance reading this!) But had the good Doc not boogered his leg, I would not have been tramping around in my rather fine pair of metallic purple Airwair Dr Marten boots for the last 10 months or so.
I've wanted a pair of Dr Martens boots for years and years and years and years and… well you get the picture. For some reason I had always assumed that they were disgustingly expensive and so had satisfied myself with much pining but no actual research into prices etc. Hark one fine and sunny summers day dodging the Morris dancers at the Faversham Hop Festival and what do I spy? A young man with a stall of shiny customized Dr Martens. T'was love at first sight (the boots not the young man) but with empty purse (as per) and heavy heart I trudged home to mourn once more the seemingly rubbish shoed fate that had come to be my feet.
What ensued can only in all honesty be described as a disgusting display of shameless begging, hinting, bartering, weeping and much a wailing to anyone and everyone that would listen (or not outrun me) until something glorious happened.
The postman arrived with a package. For me. Moi! My man had purchased some funky metallic purple Airwair boots with even funkier in your face purple/black laces from eBay, brand new and at the bargain all in
price of £40.00.
£40.00!
Well I was allowed to try them on before they were put away for Christmas (Ha! These men they are fools!) Being as this was September and the boots a perfect fit, there was no way on this planet that those beauties were going to hide their gloriousness in a dusty old cupboard until Christmas. Well come ON!
And so enough of my rambling and onto my analysis:
From that day to this my babies have left my feet only long enough for me to sleep. For the first month I had to wear plasters on my heels and little toes while the leather was broken in. Once that initial period of mild discomfort was over I was left with THEE most comfortable piece of footwear I have ever been fortunate enough to wear.
The thick cushioned 'Bouncing Soles' not only provide supreme comfort and look fabulous, they are also guaranteed to withstand your traipsing through OIL, FAT, ACID, PETROL & ALKALI (?)
The height of the boots end just above my ankles, giving huge amount of support whilst walking. Up until 2 months ago I walked everywhere in these boots. Be it the couple miles into town and back or just walking the mutt. Public transport was too expensive and even worse too unreliable so my boots took me everywhere.
After passing my driving test, I find the boots easy to drive in, although the soles are thick I can still feel the peddles of the car and can drive as well as if I were to wear a thinner pair of shoes.
Only now after what I would consider an excessive amount of wear my boots are starting to wear thin. The thick ridges on the underside of the sole have worn smooth at the ball point of my foot and the back edges of the heel. The inner sole is starting to disintegrate and I can feel the hard soles starting to come through.
I haven't taken as good a care of the leather as I have been warned to and the creases where my foot flexes across the middle of the boot are starting to crack and peel. However had I cleaned and buffed my babies as they deserved this probably would not have happened.
My poor Doc's have been through wind, rain, trekking through fields, climbing up yonder and down dale, been in the sea, and been caked in mud, oil, cow poo and probably dog poo too. (I like nature walks and don't tend to look where I'm going) Of course I clean all the grime and muck away at the end of the day but I haven't put in the hard elbow grease and polish that my boots deserved.
I'm devastated to say my babies are dying - after nearly a year of hard service they have sprung a leak and are looking a bit sad.
I'm definitely going to replace my Doc's. (Sorry Guys) I'm going to search out my young man at the Faversham Hop Festival - get a customised pair methinks.
Do I recommend Dr Martens boots? Yes indeed. A year might not sound like a long time for £40 to stretch but these boots have been my ONLY piece of footwear for nearly a year. That is not an exaggeration, that's a fact. I do a massive amount of walking and even did a stint of jogging once in these boots (had an energy spurt - most unlike me) I have put these boots through their paces and then some.
They have literally carried me and are going to be sorely… or should that be solely *groan* missed.
If you don't have a pair in your wardrobe - go correct that error right now!
Dr Martens come in a wide range of styles from sandals to boots to knee highs to clogs.
The recognised site to buy (i.e. where you are directed from the official site ) is www.cloggs.co.uk - as with all things shop around and find those bargains.
R.I.P my purple friends!
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Apologies if this is in the wrong section - am unsure why it is categorized under 'sailing!'
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