I still have and continue to wear my first 3 pairs of docs: purple 8 ups bought in 1984, green 12 ups bought in ‘85 and aubergine shoes from ‘86. My daughter wears a late 80s black shoe to school every day. The old ones are still fab, are easy to polish, havent lost their brass eyelets, were re soleable, and all made in England from quality leathers. The docs I bought from the mid 90s onwards have not fared as well. Less than 200 hours saw my red patent 12 ups begin cracking and the patent finish peeled, my violet 8 ups are made from such shite leather that they stretched from size 5 to so big i may as well be wearing skate shoe gumboots… I have tossed 3 other 2000’s pairs. It makes me really uncomfortable that something that was so great and continues to make the awesome original looking styles, just can’t be bothered to at least continue making those styles in the quality that they were famed for.
Definitely. My first pair from the 80's lasted six years at least. The pair I bought in the 90's lasted two years. After that I stuck to regular combat boots.
So pleased that you mentioned Solovair! I own a pair of them and they're SO much better and more durable than previous DM's I've owned (although be warned, Solovair's take AGES to break in).
I bought my son a pair of Solovairs back in July when I was in the UK. One month later they are falling apart because of the cheap materials they use and the poor workmanship.
Mine have gone a year now and been great. And I'm very hard on my boots, especially the heel. But they broke in quite quickly. My Angry Itch boots took 2 years to break in, so I was prepared but it was fine.
My dad wears the same pair of Docs he got in the late 80s and they're still in great condition. He wears a workboot doing construction now but for about a decade he even wore them to work. I got a pair in 2009 that lasted until 2021. I got a new pair, and they wore out in six months working as a store manager, not exactly tough on shoes. I only learned of the "generations" of Docs since then, but it makes perfect sense now that I know about it. The mission of the brand was once to make an affordable, durable, comfortable boot; In stages, the mission became to cheaply make a drastically overpriced boot that superficially looks like that previous boot, because people will buy that boot at a high price for the sake of fashion.
i have been told by cobblers that the newest docs make it harder (impossible) to resole, discouraging repair and encouraging customers to just buy anther pair instead. as someone who frequently gets shoes fixed rather than just toss them, that felt like an extreme slap in the fact. my non doc boots have been going strong for over 15 years of almost daily wear though, so I'll stick to resoling instead of buying a new pair every 2 years
@@cicooooooo Yeah I'm curious too! My Docs were secondhand, but I've been wearing them pretty much nonstop for about 5 years now. I'd like to know of what I could replace them with when/if the time comes.
@@Ace-1525 Thursday Boots, Red Wing, Grant Stone, Meermin, Beckett Simonon. All good brands in the $150-$400 range, Red Wing is probably the easiest to access if you don't live in a big city since they have stores everywhere where you can go try them on. If your willing to spend a little more and want a truly bulletproof boot, PNW bootmakers like Nicks, JK Boots, Whites, and Wesco are probably the best boot for your buck out there.
I highly recommend buying them secondhand if you love them! I've had 3 pairs and every one was found in a charity shop...my current pair cost $20.00 AUD after I explained to the lovely old lady that these boots are worth a lot of money and refused to pay only $5.00 for a near-brand new pair which must have been made in the 80s because they are so solid. The real 'punk' movement wasn't about spending hundreds of dollars on a pair of shoes - it was about the working class/poor which is why I'm glad that every dollar spent on my Docs went to local charities.
I know real punks who were taken under someone wings in the 80s when they were barely a teenager. The boots used to be hand me downs from someone else, because affording a new pair was rare even then, especially for someone so young. I know a couple guys who still have their second hand boots decades later. The quality of DM boots was already going down by the late aughts, before the financial crisis rearranged the planet. There's no way I'd wear them now, personally.
@@RevShifty agreed, my first pair was super old and a size too big that I found at a music festival when I was 13! My second paid had no grip and eventually the leather at the back ripped...but by then I'd gotten my third - and last pair when I was around 18-20 which I actually stopped wearing to work after ten years or so because they were So Damn Heavy! So one day they'll either be hand me downs or returned to the op shop for another lucky teenager.
My docs were thirdhand from an artist out in Texas. Her mum wore them originally, then she took them on and painted them for a play she was in, but really hated how they felt, so she took to Etsy asking for $30. Just my size, the paint is still holding in spite of everything I've put those poor things through, and to date they remain the comfiest & sturdiest shoes I own, next to a pair of vintage combat boots I found at a rummage sale for $2. I can't recall the brand exactly- they're Canadian and ridiculously sturdy.
It is so beyond disgusting to me that Doc martens went out of their way to remove all listings of doc marten boots from independent sellers to gain "total price control" and force people to pay those insane prices. Also, the alternative brand is extremely expensive too. $250 a pair...
@@tombaily29 that part. if it really costs that much to provide a super high quality clothing item, fine, but the issue is that the average working class individual can't afford it these days.
Old punk rocker here, I had a few pairs back in the 80,s early 90’s they were literally all I wore for years, and that worn very broke in look actually made the boots better, I recently acquired a used pair, practically new at a consignment shop and I still love them. Very nostalgic. Great video, sad about their current direction 😢
I love my Solovairs. They actually broke in really quickly, although I was prepared for it to take longer. After a year they are still so good. I wore them as a grade school teacher and they really gave good support.
As a millennial punk living in Salt Lake City (which was put on the punk-map somewhat thanks to the SLC punk films). and also as someone who's into leather / footwear care, I'm really glad you highlighted a lot of the lesser known history about Docs; as well as featured Rose Anvil's clips (who's also local to SLC for bonus points). I don't personally love where Docs have gone in terms of production, and I can agree they're "falling off" in a lot of ways. On the flip side, they were a cornerstone of my youth, and I'm glad Solovair is getting the flowers they deserve as the "torchbearer" of better-made Docs.
I don't know if it's because i grew up poor or because i grew up under a rock, but i didn't even know about this brand until a couple years ago when a friend mentioned buying some (and the absurd price for them)
@@FutureProofTV Oh yeah they may just have not been popular in my community. Most people around where I live were always wearing Jordans and the like. The skate shoes you called back to were more familiar to me than Docs haha
honestly they are actually fairly cheap compared to proper boots, sure stil expensive compared to normal sneakers and shoes, but for a boot they are pretty cheap
I was a teen in the late 90s and very very early 00s. Docs were THE shoe to have! From the boots (worn with skirts, dresses, and under our flare jeans) to the fisherman style sandals to the thick soled Mary Jane’s!
I actually bought a set of Docs just a month ago. Of course, I settled for the classic black 1460s. The brand may have fallen from its heights, but I like the boots I got. After breaking them in have they gotten super comfortable. I was never influenced by influencers or collabs to buy these. I just liked the punk vibe they had
@@aapur LOL, you people are clowns. Buying shit on name rather than function. Thank god I don't suffer from your lack of identity and suffering from the need to receive validation from others by being a salve to "trends".
They’re not even punk anymore tho, they used to be but now it’s a huge company with an overly corporate marketing catering towards the alternative audience(& others too of)
I can say Red Wings are in this category. My old Red Wings lasted 11 years with five resoles. The new ones are just not the same, they feel cheaper and i’m on my third resole in the past three years. It really sucks when they just cheap out but the boots are $260 USD
I've noticed this with my Converse, too. I have "vintage" pairs that are still going strong, meanwhile the newer ones I've bought over the last few years are falling apart almost as quickly as the knock-off dollar store versions.
@@Ace-1525 no doubt. Many I know have been noticing the drop in quality. They just feel so cheap. The soles just start wearing out after a month and half which is insane
@@aprescoups4593 Red Wings are pretty much still made the the same way though. You can look at the Rose Anvil videos where he cuts boots in half and analyzes the materials used. It's pretty much the same as before with the exception of models like Iron Rangers where they are using vibram mini lugs for more traction instead of the smooth nitrile cork soles.
When I was in high school, I found a pair of vintage Doc Martens at the thrift store for around $20. Wore them for about 10 years until my feet out grew them and I couldn’t fit them anymore (I’m 27). Recently bought a new pair to replace the old ones and I’m pretty disappointed in how they fit and feel and the quality issues you mentioned. I’ve had them for over a year and they are mad uncomfortable still so I think I’ll be selling them 😢
Our generation's Doc's (early 2000's) would probably be Timberlands with the rise of hip hop and r&b. Baby blue suedes and white soles is where it's at!
Yeah I'm a 1986 kid, and Timberlands were the way to go where I lived. I didn't even know what the hell a Doc Martin was until now. Just thought those were generic combat boots posers had. Goth mainly. A few hard core skaters (ones before it became super popular by Tony Hawk had them, but they didn't wear them religiously or anything. More like when they were up to no good to be honest. Literal combat boots.) White Timberlands... I remember wanting a pair. I don't even think they made them back then in 2004. Think custom only at the time. Could be wrong, I am no historian. I just visualized them.
A few years ago, I purchased a vintage pair of the classic 1460 style in black from the late 80's a thrift store. They definitely weren't in pristine condition when I got them, but over 5 years of near daily use, even using them as hiking boots on rough terrain, they have been incredibly resilient, and barely look any different from when I purchased them. I can't imagine what made the original owner part with them. I've never had a shoe this durable and long-lasting. While they could use some cobbler touchups for wear and tear (for example, I melted a small piece of the outsole off sitting too close to a campfire), I don't see myself having to replace them anytime soon, if ever. A couple years ago, I purchased a brand new limited edition print (Van Gogh Sunflowers) 1460 from the Doc Martens store in the same size. They were TERRIBLE in comparison. For one, I could barely get them on my feet due to how much narrower the shoe was-- specifically the stitching near the vamp and toe box. That seemed like a clear material and cost-cutting measure. Even if I could brush that off as just needing to break them in, I could immediately tell how much cheaper the construction and materials were. It's hard to describe since I'm no shoe expert, but the leather felt plasticy and the shoes overall looked cheap.
It's poor quality leather with a polyurethane coating to make it smooth and shiny. Using traditional leather care products is useless because the coating is so thick. After a while it cracks and flakes off.
Doc Marten boots didn't find their way into fashion with the Punk movement.... they actually started there way into fashion with the Skinheads (I know, as I was one) and later followed on to the Punks
Makes sense with the whole working class blue collar skinhead sentiment that they'd probably aquire them originally to work and kept them on to kick heads in at the after work show. (ps I'm a rude boy 😂)
I bought the 1460 FOR LIFE for $192 back in 2015 when they still offered them and have been through 4 pairs in 8 years. I wear them around 85% percent of the time. Only had to pay $30 for replacements. I love them but I would NEVER pay full price for replacement pairs considering how expensive they have gotten recently.
Perfect timing! I literally just bought a pair of Docs from a mom on Facebook Marketplace. She sold 1460s (kids' size 4, women's size 5) to me for $45. Her kid had outgrown it (she's 12, I'm 35). All my Docs are 2nd hand. They're still the only boots I wear during the winter season tbh. And because I don't care about brand new, works for me. My oldest one is 4 years old, Crazy Horse made in England and you can definitely tell the difference versus the one I have that's made in Thailand.
If you're in the UK and don't want to wear real leather, Vegetarian Shoes make a vegan Doc Martens clone that use the Solovair soles and they're the same price as actual vegan Doc Martens (which is significantly cheaper than actual Solovairs). I've had a pair for about four years and have used them for festivals, hiking, motorbiking, even spelunking and they're still absolutely rock solid whilst my actual DMs lasted two years. Hell, they've even got a shop in Brighton that looks suspiciously like a Doc Martens store
I havent watched the video yet, but hope you mention Solovair. Solovair, still made in the UK - the oeiginally manufacturers of Doc's before they moved their manufacturing abroad. They don't have the yellow stitching, but grey. Unlike Docs they use less faux/synthetic materials, their boots still have a shank and the leather is better.
I bought my first pair of Doc's in like 1998 and those things were absolute tanks. I worked in warehouses, construction, as a mover, and restaurants in those boots. They lasted like six years in those environments. Second pair developed a crack across the width of the sole within months. Ok, maybe they weren't up to snuff since I got them at Ross. Third pair, the upper tore away from the sole at the heel on both boots within months. Damn shame.
My daily treads are a pair of black Dr. Martin shoes I bought in London in 1994(!) Yes, they have some scuffs but the soles are amazingly good and they polish up beautifully. I also have a pair of purple boots I bought at the same time that I break out for special occasions. It's amazing how durable goods can be when companies try.
I was a teen on the 90’s and these are my boots. And they’re still my boots for the same reason, but now I buy them second hand. I usually can find new second hand (or close to it!) ones also. They’re not what they were, even in the 90’s, but since they’re second hand, I’m pretty happy to keep up my rebellious style (or at least one piece of it!). Thank you for sharing Solovair. I’m off to check them out now!
With my first paycheck from the Arches, I went to Target, and bought a pair of nice looking skate shoes. I have always been classy as hell, I cashed my MicyD's check, and went to Target, to buy a pair of off brand skate shoes. All because I couldn't be bothered to catch the 55 to the mall, and get real ones. God, that was like in 03, or 4. I think I'm starting to actually get old!
For what it's worth, you didn't ruin the brand for me; if anything, you validated my opinions. The brand was ruined by seeing them worn by the kind of middle class suburbanites who want to buy their way into the _image_ of being anti-establishment without _actually being_ anti-establishment. In fact, a lot of them tend to be very _pro-establishment_ for the developed West, though they'll never admit this.
Solevair is actually the original Docs. When Martens and Funk went to the UK, it was Solevair’s uppers combined with the air wear soles. Those soles at the time were used by various companies. But the iconic Docs we know today, at least the highest quality ones, are the Solevairs. Only difference is the yellow stitching. Side note: Docs has a “Made in England” line which is supposedly crafted as well as their old line.
I had a pair of DMs that lasted me some 10 years before the soles broke. Sadly people still see skinheads as nazis and don't bother to learn about the history of the movement, so sometimes they saw the boots and tought I was a bonehead. Now DMs are cheaply made fashion icons, so I ditched them and use loafers instead, I'm a stylish skin now.
I wasn’t aware of the quality issues. Bought a pair of “I think” 1461’s 8 years ago and they still look brand new. Might be manufactured in china but I have no complaints!
I'm in tech, and offshoring sucks. Moving manufacturing sucks. If the option though is go out of business or move your factory... well... move the factory. I don't hold that as an evil corporate decision, but the only business decision they may have had at the time.
Had my docs for 10 years and used them for hiking the whole time. When the sole blew out last year I sent them in to get fixed but found out they just reglued it instead of stitching. When they broke again I just gave up
I bought Docs in 2019 after wanting them for years. Was thoroughly disappointed when two years later, they were falling apart. Been saving up for Solovairs ever since. I want a shoe that can last me as long as possible.
I live in the UK and I used to wear Doc Martens in the 70s and the 80s. I loved them actually and didn't wear any other kind of shoe. I had the boots that you associate mostly with the brand but I also had a pair of Chelsea boots which they made at that time and these were great for situations that required something more shoe-like. I found that Doc Martens did last for an extremely long time in those days however eventually the soles would wear through to the air pockets and at that point they became unwearable really. This was a major difference between Doc Martens and leather soled boots, the later were pretty easy to get a cobbler to fit new soles too whereas Doc Martens were done when the soles were done. However you did get a lot of years out of Doc Martens so I was always happy to have them. I'm actually looking at the possibility of getting some Solovair boots now actually. I think they might be very appealing here in the UK winter.
I have 6 different pairs of the 1460. They are holding up. I don’t know how they sold out. It was adapt or go out of business. There are plenty of so called “premium”boots that are more expensive and not built well. Thanks for recommending the solovair brand… might look at them.
That's pretty close to a happy ending with the Solovairs, which is a nice change from the sad, depressing end of most videos. Nice job! I picked up a pair of Canada West Chelsea boots and I'm hoping they're built to last as well, but I am tempted by a lace-up for hiking. Looking forward to more of these built-to-last products.
bought my pair about 5 years ago and still wear them every day! though i really need to change the sole now im really happy they lasted me for even THIS long while other shoes in the market today need to be replaced after a year.
The issue with DM lowering their quality has nothing to do with moving production overseas and everything with lowering the quality of their materials. I watched Rose Anvil cut a pair of Docs in half and all the insides are subpar (yes, even the British-made ones, which are only marginally better). Once profit is at the expense of quality, it doesn't matter where the production is.
From made in UK... to Made in China. Used to buy them all the time and my must go to for boots. Back in the 90's... they lasted military drills, parades and hikes for YEARS... 2000's... they fell apart after a few months walking. Now i know that they have been bought out by a American fashion company and partnered with brands... alongside the Cheap production... i would never purchase them again.
As far as I can tell, Klaus Martens was not a Nazi in that he was not a member of the Nazi party. He was a Doctor in the German army - that's not the same thing. Happy to be proven wrong, but if not this is just bad research and I suggest you change the reference.
On a parallel but different story arc, XTRATUF, the unofficially official footwear of coastal Alaska, went through a huge controversy when they moved manufacturing overseas. Their continued TUF-ness was very much questioned. I still have questions about the consistency of their manufacture, but they seemed to have regained some ground.
I got mine in 2010 when I was 18 and trying to establish my alternative/queer identity. I loved them, but they were already not at a level of quality that they once were and they fell apart pretty quickly. Now I'm disabled and wear the cripplepunk standard: Skechers 😅
I got my first pair of Docs in the mid-90s (yes, I was a grunge kid). They were the standard boot and PURPLE, I pretty much lived in them. They lasted me about 15 years. Then I bought a new pair, black this time. These were made in China and NEVER felt right. I hardly ever wore them. I then got a pair of their Amalita boots, which were a different design with pattered insides and fold down tops and grain leather. They were fantastic as well and I wore them around the world (literally) and now the soles are almost worn through - and no cobbler will replace the soles because they are branded Doc Martens. The Solovair's look good though! Still, no design like the Amalita.
When you live in the Pacific Northwest, you get the appeal of the boots. Even the ones that aren’t platforms are high enough to keep your feet dry. I needed better foot ware when I moved to Oregon, and I got a pair I still wear. The air soles were great for times I had to be on my feet all day. I do like them a lot.
My brother (35) finally threw away his DC skate shoes from the early days a few months ago. They weren't attractive, but they were still wearable. Nowadays you can't even get a pair of steel toes that'll last a year.
I literally turned my work crew (mostly younger millennials and Gen Z), on to Solovairs about a year ago after a few of them were complaining about their Docs, at this point I didn't own a pair of Solovair's but was aware of them and had visited their web store but still had my old 80/90's OLD UK 12 hole Docs (I owned 4 pairs back as a uni student in different colours and lace hole counts, a pair of shoes for work, 12 hole boots for motorcycling and the 14 hole oxblood and purple mostly for stage wear with various bands) ... the black 12 holes were the last survivors of these old school UK Docs and as beat up as this pair were it was obvious how much better the material and construction was from my coworkers late 2010's and 2020's Docs
I first discovered Doc Martens in the 90s when I was a missionary in Argentina. They were the best boots ever, very sturdy. I continued to wear only doc martins for many years but when they started to be made in China the craftsmenship declined drastically. They just were not as good. Now they are just a legacy brand, nothing like their originals.
I got a job in the oil field in "05. MWD tech. Company sent me to a shoe store to pick up my new Doc Martens. So comfortable. Even in Montana in January. Still going strong almost 20 yrs now.
Okay this could very well be my own personal experience however, I owned solovairs and wore them for the better part of 2 years and they were the most uncomfortable boots I've ever worn even compared to actual Dr. Martens (not to mention one of the soles was falling off out the factory). I don't have any orthopedic issues or anything my regular shoes are just plain old vans so if you're interested in this whole combat boot style there's unfortunately a very limited selection
They certainly don't look comfortable i gotta say. A lot of other people are saying the same thing too, or a euphemized version of the same thing, "they take forever to "break in" "
@mind-of-neo for me it wasn't a break in period thing, they felt like walking on a 2x4 and continued to feel like walking on a 2x4. I've owned and worn Red Wings and Thursdays before so I'd say I'm pretty well versed on quality boots. The solovairs weren't hard to break in they just weren't comfortable boots. I also forgot to mention the eyelets were super sharp and cut the laces so I had to replace them. I will give them this though the leather was exceptionally nice, just a shame it was on such a crappy boot.
I have a number of pairs of Doc Marten's from throughout my years. The last pair were red vegan combat boots purchased around 2008 and I wasn't happy with the quality so had stopped seeking them out. Thanks for the tip on Solovair. I'll be giving them a look. Cheers!
@@hannahmitchell87 could be I have the year wrong. Didn't keep the receipt. It was sold as women's boots so that may be part of the issue as well. In any case, don't like 'em.
J’ai 55 ans, je n’ai jamais porté que des Docs depuis l’âge de 15 ans. Certaines de mes 1460 ont plus de 35 ans. Je suis passé à Solovair quand les docs « made in england « se sont mises à craquer en 18 mois… Les Solovair sont les meilleures chaussures du monde.
Had to return a pair of Doc Martens for a faulty sole recently, and I was joking I don't expect to get married and then walk out in the same pair 8 years later like my dad, but I do expect more than 17 months. But I swear my docs with the flower print that I had in university, which I never polished, have lasted much longer than my black leather work boots (all daily wears). only time will tell with these new ones, but each of my pairs seems to be lasting less time with each successive pair.
I bought a pair of Docs in 2016, they lasted until 2021, middle of the pandemic. Ordered a pair of Solovairs, 38 hours from placing the order they'd travelled from England to my door, in America, and were on my feet. Incredible company, incredible shipping. In 2018 or so I visited the Doc Marten store in the Mall of America and inquired about the For Life boots and learned the program was discontinued, which was part of my decision to get the Solovairs, as well. Last year, 2022, I was looking at their Gripfast line. Looked nearly identical to my current boots, so I just ordered some screw in grips that are used for fishing and added them to the boot myself. Has held up well, and definitely improves my grip on icy surfaces, which is what I was looking for.
I am UK based so was sad when they moved main production out of UK, I do have a pair or non leather combs tec boots which are quite well constructed, I also have a pair of leather Solovair astronaut boots and quality is exceptional and materials used is very good but of course needs breaking in, a tip though they do come up quite big about 1/2 size more
Wow, I wish I had found this channel much earlier. Absolutely, astonished by the amount of objective information provided. A must-subscribe for conscious consumers
I bought my first pair of Doc Martens in 1985 aged 15. When I turned 50 in 2020 I bought myself a pair with pink laces for my birthday. I've been wearing them only during winter (a 3 month period) so they will last a while. It was a nostalgia thing for my 50th.
I personally have had 2 pairs. In trying to get a replacement, I ended up buying Clarks. Would definitely prefer the Dr. M Originals or the company who mades their twins. I need them to be the Maryjane's style.
I got a pair in 2016 after frustration with how quickly I was going through shoes. I finally shelled out for a pair. The sole split after about 2 years. I took it to a shoe repair place assuming that I could get the sole replaced. Nope. Everything is glued. Can’t be replaced. Got another pair. The sole split just over a year later. I’m massively unimpressed, and I don’t see what all the hype is about.
I'd love to see a similar dive into the world of barefoot shoes. Since it's such an environmental and health-conscious segment of the shoe market, there's a LOT of claims thrown around by companies making shoes in the space. Vivo Barefoot makes undeniably great fitting barefoot shoes, but their durability is terrible, direct from them repair services can cost basically as much as a new shoe, and they make a lot of claims about sustainability that I just don't if they're actually genuine. Would be really interesting to see you guys deep dive on the claims these companies make, how good/bad they are for you, etc. I've been wearing barefoot style shoes every day as both a regular walking shoe and gym shoes and I've never felt better in terms of foot health and comfort. But I'd love to hear what actual science says about them.
The Docs I had in the 80s were made of cheap stiff leather that cut your lower calves, ankle bones, and the tops of your feet until they broke in, at which time you had about 2-3 months before they started cracking at the edges of the vamp. I mean, part of the punk aesthetic was literally patching your Docs with electrical tape. The Docs I own now in the 2020s are still cheap leather, but softer so they don't cut you up.
I own a pair of secondhand docs. I had to buy them online where people sell them for insane prices even used. I could never find one at my local thrift stores because they would fly off the shelf immediately. I do think the ones I have is a fairly recent version. But it did serve me well at work (lab environment with questionable fluids everywhere), being on my feet a lot, walking to and back from work in all weather conditions. Also did well at a music festival for 2 days and always kept my feet safe around mosh pits lol. I don't really wear it often anymore because of life changes but I still am glad I have it. But the shoes that unexpectedly have stood the test of time for me are a pair of waterproof palladiums. Got it real cheap and wore it through rain, winters and hikes for like 5years. I especially liked that they were lightweight like sneakers but otherwise worked like boots. Dyed it recently and they look like futuristic space boots for a fraction of the price. Only downside is small stones sometimes get stuck in the treads but otherwise it's been a great buy for me.
I'm curious about the quality issue. If Doc Marten's sold 1 million pairs a year in the 1970s with a 1% failure rate then they would have 10,000 pissed off customers a year but the same failure rate at 10 million pairs per annum is going to annoy 100,000 people every year. Ten years of that, plus the rise in social media, means you have a million angry people, all of whom want to talk about their crappy boots on the internet, but it wouldn't mean the boots have got any worse, just that there are more of them in circulation. Do we have any stats on the rate of complaints per customer?
I miss those old skate shoes! I'm actually learning how to skateboard and modern skate shoes don't have enough padding imho. I'm sure with time, I will learn how to not pound my feet on the ground so hard but in the meantime, I am dealing with some pretty nasty shin splints. I was one of the people who noticed the sad drastic decline of Docs. I personally can't recommend them anymore but it's good to know about Solovair! I will for sure check them out next time I need some boots!
When I was 14 I got a pair of DM’s and after two years of wearing daily for school they were….not great, they’d scuff and look worse each day. I’ve had a vintage pair for the past 3 years and they’re still in great condition. I wear them maybe 2-5 times a week and they have had previous wear before I got them. I’ve had to replace the insoles but otherwise they don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. The quality has defo changed
I got my doc martens in 2020 and the sole has already split. I took them to a cobbler who said they couldn’t resole them because of the way docs are constructed. Apparently they are heat fused and they don’t use a traditional Goodyear welt. I went to a second cobbler who literally glued the crack back together and sewed it up. It was a janky fix that won’t last forever, but it is extending the life of my boots. My next pair of boots will definitely be solovair not docs
"Laced into the very fabric of this cultural moment" 👍😝 I'm 63 and I still have a pair of Dr Martens but never owned skate shoes, Kodiaks and North Stars were popular when I was in High School.
I have a pair of the Vintage, Made In England 1460's. Got them in October 2021. They're pretty stiff at first and do need some leather treatment to soften them a bit. They're comfortable for casual wear but will shred the back of your heels if you have to walk long distances in them without thick socks. They're more or less my "dress shoes" now for gigs and live events.
Solovair are awesome. I had a pair for 4 years now, wear them almost every day, and although broken in and creased, there are no signs of any damage or wear. The leather is noticeably thicker and you can actually change the soles unlike Dr. Martens. I had Docs bought in 2014 and they had holes in leather after 3 years.
I had them in the 1980's. Biggest problem was the soles used to split. 40 years later, my daughter got onto the NEW trend. The same issues. Difference is I didn't think they were expensive for 1980's prices. Nowa days at A$220, they are a rip off. My A$30 boots from KMart are better
My mum got me and my brothers these in the 1990s, we taken the piss out off quite a lot for having Dr Martens, like the Clarks we wore before! I didn't really get the punk aesthetic, my mum just bought them so she didn't have buy new shoes every term. She got them from from the Army and Navy Surplus store in Dagenham (formerly of Essex), which I believe no longer sells them, I wonder why!
I'm a millenial and in the early 00s when I was a little street urchin I remember everyone having 'Docs', I had my first pair at age 16. It's surprising to hear that they were in decline at the time, I'm thinking my experience was unique to NYC.
Skate shoes are made for skating, not walking. If you skateboard in regular tennis shoes you will tear through those in a couple of sessions. Griptape is tough on shoes. Whenever I bought a new pair of skate shoes I was looking primarily for durability, but there were definitely fuzzy colored variants for posers as well.
I really enjoyed my basic brown Docs in the early 90’s but they SUCKED on ice, which in Minnesota was half the school year-still wore them because we’re slaves to fashion as teenagers LOL!
I am British and I wore “DM’s” all my life (I’m now 63) I made the single most sensible purchase I could. I bought a pair of Redwing Iron Rangers” The best swap I ever made.
I bought a pair of those in 2016 and I wouldn't be without them. I thought long and hard before buying them because at £249 it was the most expensive footwear purchase I'd ever made. But they turned out to be worth every penny. And made in the USA, which is nice.
I wore nothing but Docs throughout the 80's + early 90's. Bought a pair in 2012 and they fell apart within 6 months. I'm into my Redwings and Nicks boots these days, but if I went back to that style of boot I'd buy a pair of Solovairs.
I’m so upset they no longer have an industrial line. As a women with small feet these were my go to now i’m toast and my brand loyalty is toxic because I refuse to wear anything else
My hubs was on his feet over 8 hours a day as a pharmacist (he retired 2 yrs ago) and some of his work shoes were Docs .... they wore very well and were comfortable.
Idk what research you guys did or if this means much but i live in Japan and they're really popular here (at least where i am). They have stores in the major tourist attraction malls and i i have japanese friends who are into them. Thats probably why they have collabs with hello kitty/sanrio (HUGE here) and lots of platform designs- platform shoes have been big in Japan for a long time. Im pretty sure i saw platform shoes here before they got big in the states. The platform design is honestly inescapable here tbh every shoe brand has them. Anyways yeah. Like i didnt know they were on the downfall because i see them here and have friends who recommend them and like them. But maybe the japanese branch is different quality? Idk. Anyways yeah my anecdotal input for anyone who cares Edit: after a quick google search i can confirm they're definitely big in Japan and Korea. Which makes sense.
Sorry to hear that, I bought mine 20 years ago, while they still made them super durable, and still wear them every winter. So it actually turned out to be a good investment. Otherwise I would have bought an trashed 10-15 pairs of boots in the same period.
I could never afford them in the 90s, so when my daughter was around 11 and not sure "who she was", I saw the me in her and bought her a pair. She loved them, but the zippers never stayed up and the insides fell apart. I was so disappointed.
I got the Airwair boots and used it for field work roaming the city inspecting and doing tax mapping work. It was so expensive and i thought it would last me awhile but it fell apart in just 6 months. Pretty dissapointed as i bought it full price thinking it would last me longer. :/
DUDE I KNEW IT. I was SO Excited because growing up I always wamted them but my family was poor and my mom would't buy them for me cause she hated the style. Once I finally grew up and got a job, I could finally afford them.... but they sort of fell apart way quick. I am SO disappointed. I had always thought them high quality... but they are no better than any other cheap quality shoes.
Once my pair of 1460 made in asia ones finally kick the bucket (they are starting to show signs of wear, but are still good. They are close to 4 years old now), I'll get a pair of Solovair
I had docs back in the 1980s and they were amazing. A decade later they already were on the decline quality wise.
yikes 😬
Not only that price went up
I still have and continue to wear my first 3 pairs of docs: purple 8 ups bought in 1984, green 12 ups bought in ‘85 and aubergine shoes from ‘86. My daughter wears a late 80s black shoe to school every day. The old ones are still fab, are easy to polish, havent lost their brass eyelets, were re soleable, and all made in England from quality leathers.
The docs I bought from the mid 90s onwards have not fared as well. Less than 200 hours saw my red patent 12 ups begin cracking and the patent finish peeled, my violet 8 ups are made from such shite leather that they stretched from size 5 to so big i may as well be wearing skate shoe gumboots… I have tossed 3 other 2000’s pairs.
It makes me really uncomfortable that something that was so great and continues to make the awesome original looking styles, just can’t be bothered to at least continue making those styles in the quality that they were famed for.
Definitely. My first pair from the 80's lasted six years at least. The pair I bought in the 90's lasted two years.
After that I stuck to regular combat boots.
Solovair (the original dm) are better quality, but I'm not sure they're as good as the 80s Dms
So pleased that you mentioned Solovair! I own a pair of them and they're SO much better and more durable than previous DM's I've owned (although be warned, Solovair's take AGES to break in).
I bought my son a pair of Solovairs back in July when I was in the UK. One month later they are falling apart because of the cheap materials they use and the poor workmanship.
@@bugsygoo Blimey! What was he using them for? Target practice? 🔫😂
I also own a pair of Solovairs and I love them
@@CraigSimmonds He was getting pretty crazy with them by putting them on his feet and walking. Maddness, I know!
Mine have gone a year now and been great. And I'm very hard on my boots, especially the heel. But they broke in quite quickly. My Angry Itch boots took 2 years to break in, so I was prepared but it was fine.
My dad wears the same pair of Docs he got in the late 80s and they're still in great condition. He wears a workboot doing construction now but for about a decade he even wore them to work. I got a pair in 2009 that lasted until 2021. I got a new pair, and they wore out in six months working as a store manager, not exactly tough on shoes. I only learned of the "generations" of Docs since then, but it makes perfect sense now that I know about it. The mission of the brand was once to make an affordable, durable, comfortable boot; In stages, the mission became to cheaply make a drastically overpriced boot that superficially looks like that previous boot, because people will buy that boot at a high price for the sake of fashion.
i have been told by cobblers that the newest docs make it harder (impossible) to resole, discouraging repair and encouraging customers to just buy anther pair instead. as someone who frequently gets shoes fixed rather than just toss them, that felt like an extreme slap in the fact. my non doc boots have been going strong for over 15 years of almost daily wear though, so I'll stick to resoling instead of buying a new pair every 2 years
What boots do you have? I´d love boots that actually hold on longer than 2/ 3 years
@@cicooooooo Yeah I'm curious too! My Docs were secondhand, but I've been wearing them pretty much nonstop for about 5 years now. I'd like to know of what I could replace them with when/if the time comes.
Yeah, I was quoted £130 by a high st cobbler to resole one. Insane!
@@Ace-1525 Thursday Boots, Red Wing, Grant Stone, Meermin, Beckett Simonon. All good brands in the $150-$400 range, Red Wing is probably the easiest to access if you don't live in a big city since they have stores everywhere where you can go try them on. If your willing to spend a little more and want a truly bulletproof boot, PNW bootmakers like Nicks, JK Boots, Whites, and Wesco are probably the best boot for your buck out there.
try key cobblers
I highly recommend buying them secondhand if you love them! I've had 3 pairs and every one was found in a charity shop...my current pair cost $20.00 AUD after I explained to the lovely old lady that these boots are worth a lot of money and refused to pay only $5.00 for a near-brand new pair which must have been made in the 80s because they are so solid. The real 'punk' movement wasn't about spending hundreds of dollars on a pair of shoes - it was about the working class/poor which is why I'm glad that every dollar spent on my Docs went to local charities.
I know real punks who were taken under someone wings in the 80s when they were barely a teenager. The boots used to be hand me downs from someone else, because affording a new pair was rare even then, especially for someone so young. I know a couple guys who still have their second hand boots decades later.
The quality of DM boots was already going down by the late aughts, before the financial crisis rearranged the planet. There's no way I'd wear them now, personally.
@@RevShifty agreed, my first pair was super old and a size too big that I found at a music festival when I was 13! My second paid had no grip and eventually the leather at the back ripped...but by then I'd gotten my third - and last pair when I was around 18-20 which I actually stopped wearing to work after ten years or so because they were So Damn Heavy! So one day they'll either be hand me downs or returned to the op shop for another lucky teenager.
My docs were thirdhand from an artist out in Texas. Her mum wore them originally, then she took them on and painted them for a play she was in, but really hated how they felt, so she took to Etsy asking for $30. Just my size, the paint is still holding in spite of everything I've put those poor things through, and to date they remain the comfiest & sturdiest shoes I own, next to a pair of vintage combat boots I found at a rummage sale for $2. I can't recall the brand exactly- they're Canadian and ridiculously sturdy.
I never find my size at those shops :( US13
I don't recommend buying used, broken-in boots. Just buy new boots from a better brand.
It is so beyond disgusting to me that Doc martens went out of their way to remove all listings of doc marten boots from independent sellers to gain "total price control" and force people to pay those insane prices. Also, the alternative brand is extremely expensive too. $250 a pair...
The worse part is $200-250 for quality boots shouldn't even be considered expensive, but wages just hasn't kept up with inflation.
$250 a pair isn't that bad nowadays for a good boot. If it lasts more than 3 years, you've got a winner!
$250 is the starting point for half way decent work boots. Fashion wise, the sky is the limit.
@@tombaily29 that part. if it really costs that much to provide a super high quality clothing item, fine, but the issue is that the average working class individual can't afford it these days.
@@TheRealBozzNot to mention they constantly have sales.
Old punk rocker here, I had a few pairs back in the 80,s early 90’s they were literally all I wore for years, and that worn very broke in look actually made the boots better, I recently acquired a used pair, practically new at a consignment shop and I still love them. Very nostalgic. Great video, sad about their current direction 😢
I love my Solovairs. They actually broke in really quickly, although I was prepared for it to take longer. After a year they are still so good. I wore them as a grade school teacher and they really gave good support.
As a millennial punk living in Salt Lake City (which was put on the punk-map somewhat thanks to the SLC punk films). and also as someone who's into leather / footwear care, I'm really glad you highlighted a lot of the lesser known history about Docs; as well as featured Rose Anvil's clips (who's also local to SLC for bonus points). I don't personally love where Docs have gone in terms of production, and I can agree they're "falling off" in a lot of ways. On the flip side, they were a cornerstone of my youth, and I'm glad Solovair is getting the flowers they deserve as the "torchbearer" of better-made Docs.
I don't know if it's because i grew up poor or because i grew up under a rock, but i didn't even know about this brand until a couple years ago when a friend mentioned buying some (and the absurd price for them)
I learned that they were a thing with this video
@@ecoconatus8089 That's been several things on this channel for me too haha
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ for sure their popularity varies depending on the region tbh
@@FutureProofTV Oh yeah they may just have not been popular in my community. Most people around where I live were always wearing Jordans and the like. The skate shoes you called back to were more familiar to me than Docs haha
honestly they are actually fairly cheap compared to proper boots, sure stil expensive compared to normal sneakers and shoes, but for a boot they are pretty cheap
I was a teen in the late 90s and very very early 00s. Docs were THE shoe to have! From the boots (worn with skirts, dresses, and under our flare jeans) to the fisherman style sandals to the thick soled Mary Jane’s!
I actually bought a set of Docs just a month ago. Of course, I settled for the classic black 1460s. The brand may have fallen from its heights, but I like the boots I got. After breaking them in have they gotten super comfortable.
I was never influenced by influencers or collabs to buy these. I just liked the punk vibe they had
I bought 1460's about two years ago and sold them again because I coudn't break them in during two months time.💀
Definitely heard the break in period is a biiiiiiiiiotch but glad they're good to go afterwards
@@FutureProofTV I ended up following some of the more common tricks, like double socks and stretching using a tennis ball. Worked wonders
@@aapur LOL, you people are clowns. Buying shit on name rather than function. Thank god I don't suffer from your lack of identity and suffering from the need to receive validation from others by being a salve to "trends".
They’re not even punk anymore tho, they used to be but now it’s a huge company with an overly corporate marketing catering towards the alternative audience(& others too of)
Doc Martin work boots are honestly the comfortable work boots I’ve ever used, could walk around for 9 hours plus and still feel nothing
Same!!! Used to work fast food and it helped my knees feel way less bad by the end of the day.
Clearly you haven’t used Sievi workshoes. They are the best. They have lineup from sandals to massive boots which you can use to walk in fire.
I also work for 9+ hours and feel nothing, not sure if it’s about the shoes though
I can say Red Wings are in this category. My old Red Wings lasted 11 years with five resoles. The new ones are just not the same, they feel cheaper and i’m on my third resole in the past three years. It really sucks when they just cheap out but the boots are $260 USD
I've noticed this with my Converse, too. I have "vintage" pairs that are still going strong, meanwhile the newer ones I've bought over the last few years are falling apart almost as quickly as the knock-off dollar store versions.
@@Ace-1525 no doubt. Many I know have been noticing the drop in quality. They just feel so cheap. The soles just start wearing out after a month and half which is insane
@@aprescoups4593 Red Wings are pretty much still made the the same way though. You can look at the Rose Anvil videos where he cuts boots in half and analyzes the materials used. It's pretty much the same as before with the exception of models like Iron Rangers where they are using vibram mini lugs for more traction instead of the smooth nitrile cork soles.
When I was in high school, I found a pair of vintage Doc Martens at the thrift store for around $20. Wore them for about 10 years until my feet out grew them and I couldn’t fit them anymore (I’m 27). Recently bought a new pair to replace the old ones and I’m pretty disappointed in how they fit and feel and the quality issues you mentioned. I’ve had them for over a year and they are mad uncomfortable still so I think I’ll be selling them 😢
Our generation's Doc's (early 2000's) would probably be Timberlands with the rise of hip hop and r&b. Baby blue suedes and white soles is where it's at!
Yeah I'm a 1986 kid, and Timberlands were the way to go where I lived.
I didn't even know what the hell a Doc Martin was until now. Just thought those were generic combat boots posers had. Goth mainly. A few hard core skaters (ones before it became super popular by Tony Hawk had them, but they didn't wear them religiously or anything. More like when they were up to no good to be honest. Literal combat boots.)
White Timberlands... I remember wanting a pair. I don't even think they made them back then in 2004. Think custom only at the time. Could be wrong, I am no historian. I just visualized them.
Yes. The old Caterpillars and Timberlands. Those were the shit…
A few years ago, I purchased a vintage pair of the classic 1460 style in black from the late 80's a thrift store. They definitely weren't in pristine condition when I got them, but over 5 years of near daily use, even using them as hiking boots on rough terrain, they have been incredibly resilient, and barely look any different from when I purchased them. I can't imagine what made the original owner part with them. I've never had a shoe this durable and long-lasting. While they could use some cobbler touchups for wear and tear (for example, I melted a small piece of the outsole off sitting too close to a campfire), I don't see myself having to replace them anytime soon, if ever.
A couple years ago, I purchased a brand new limited edition print (Van Gogh Sunflowers) 1460 from the Doc Martens store in the same size. They were TERRIBLE in comparison. For one, I could barely get them on my feet due to how much narrower the shoe was-- specifically the stitching near the vamp and toe box. That seemed like a clear material and cost-cutting measure. Even if I could brush that off as just needing to break them in, I could immediately tell how much cheaper the construction and materials were. It's hard to describe since I'm no shoe expert, but the leather felt plasticy and the shoes overall looked cheap.
It's poor quality leather with a polyurethane coating to make it smooth and shiny. Using traditional leather care products is useless because the coating is so thick. After a while it cracks and flakes off.
Doc Marten boots didn't find their way into fashion with the Punk movement.... they actually started there way into fashion with the Skinheads (I know, as I was one) and later followed on to the Punks
Makes sense with the whole working class blue collar skinhead sentiment that they'd probably aquire them originally to work and kept them on to kick heads in at the after work show. (ps I'm a rude boy 😂)
I was going to comment that. Suedeheads and skins began using DMs and Astronauts back in '69... Punks were a decade away yet.
Yep, I was there too in the glory days of the original skinheads. Great times!
I bought the 1460 FOR LIFE for $192 back in 2015 when they still offered them and have been through 4 pairs in 8 years. I wear them around 85% percent of the time. Only had to pay $30 for replacements. I love them but I would NEVER pay full price for replacement pairs considering how expensive they have gotten recently.
4 pairs in 8 years????? What a shit boot lol
Perfect timing! I literally just bought a pair of Docs from a mom on Facebook Marketplace. She sold 1460s (kids' size 4, women's size 5) to me for $45. Her kid had outgrown it (she's 12, I'm 35). All my Docs are 2nd hand. They're still the only boots I wear during the winter season tbh. And because I don't care about brand new, works for me. My oldest one is 4 years old, Crazy Horse made in England and you can definitely tell the difference versus the one I have that's made in Thailand.
You see a futureproof video? You click.
I clacked
On it
clickity click! 🖱️
We are simple people
Truth
If you're in the UK and don't want to wear real leather, Vegetarian Shoes make a vegan Doc Martens clone that use the Solovair soles and they're the same price as actual vegan Doc Martens (which is significantly cheaper than actual Solovairs). I've had a pair for about four years and have used them for festivals, hiking, motorbiking, even spelunking and they're still absolutely rock solid whilst my actual DMs lasted two years. Hell, they've even got a shop in Brighton that looks suspiciously like a Doc Martens store
ooh, good to know, thanks!
I havent watched the video yet, but hope you mention Solovair.
Solovair, still made in the UK - the oeiginally manufacturers of Doc's before they moved their manufacturing abroad.
They don't have the yellow stitching, but grey.
Unlike Docs they use less faux/synthetic materials, their boots still have a shank and the leather is better.
I bought my first pair of Doc's in like 1998 and those things were absolute tanks. I worked in warehouses, construction, as a mover, and restaurants in those boots. They lasted like six years in those environments.
Second pair developed a crack across the width of the sole within months. Ok, maybe they weren't up to snuff since I got them at Ross.
Third pair, the upper tore away from the sole at the heel on both boots within months.
Damn shame.
My daily treads are a pair of black Dr. Martin shoes I bought in London in 1994(!) Yes, they have some scuffs but the soles are amazingly good and they polish up beautifully. I also have a pair of purple boots I bought at the same time that I break out for special occasions. It's amazing how durable goods can be when companies try.
Designed for the dump 🥲
I was a teen on the 90’s and these are my boots. And they’re still my boots for the same reason, but now I buy them second hand. I usually can find new second hand (or close to it!) ones also. They’re not what they were, even in the 90’s, but since they’re second hand, I’m pretty happy to keep up my rebellious style (or at least one piece of it!). Thank you for sharing Solovair. I’m off to check them out now!
With my first paycheck from the Arches, I went to Target, and bought a pair of nice looking skate shoes. I have always been classy as hell, I cashed my MicyD's check, and went to Target, to buy a pair of off brand skate shoes. All because I couldn't be bothered to catch the 55 to the mall, and get real ones.
God, that was like in 03, or 4. I think I'm starting to actually get old!
For what it's worth, you didn't ruin the brand for me; if anything, you validated my opinions. The brand was ruined by seeing them worn by the kind of middle class suburbanites who want to buy their way into the _image_ of being anti-establishment without _actually being_ anti-establishment. In fact, a lot of them tend to be very _pro-establishment_ for the developed West, though they'll never admit this.
Solevair is actually the original Docs. When Martens and Funk went to the UK, it was Solevair’s uppers combined with the air wear soles. Those soles at the time were used by various companies. But the iconic Docs we know today, at least the highest quality ones, are the Solevairs. Only difference is the yellow stitching. Side note: Docs has a “Made in England” line which is supposedly crafted as well as their old line.
I had a pair of DMs that lasted me some 10 years before the soles broke. Sadly people still see skinheads as nazis and don't bother to learn about the history of the movement, so sometimes they saw the boots and tought I was a bonehead. Now DMs are cheaply made fashion icons, so I ditched them and use loafers instead, I'm a stylish skin now.
I wasn’t aware of the quality issues. Bought a pair of “I think” 1461’s 8 years ago and they still look brand new. Might be manufactured in china but I have no complaints!
I'm in tech, and offshoring sucks. Moving manufacturing sucks. If the option though is go out of business or move your factory... well... move the factory. I don't hold that as an evil corporate decision, but the only business decision they may have had at the time.
I have a pair of solovairs, I bought them while I was in the Army. Excellent quality, sturdy as hell, and they still rock.
Had my docs for 10 years and used them for hiking the whole time. When the sole blew out last year I sent them in to get fixed but found out they just reglued it instead of stitching. When they broke again I just gave up
I bought Docs in 2019 after wanting them for years. Was thoroughly disappointed when two years later, they were falling apart.
Been saving up for Solovairs ever since. I want a shoe that can last me as long as possible.
Me too 😢
I live in the UK and I used to wear Doc Martens in the 70s and the 80s. I loved them actually and didn't wear any other kind of shoe. I had the boots that you associate mostly with the brand but I also had a pair of Chelsea boots which they made at that time and these were great for situations that required something more shoe-like.
I found that Doc Martens did last for an extremely long time in those days however eventually the soles would wear through to the air pockets and at that point they became unwearable really.
This was a major difference between Doc Martens and leather soled boots, the later were pretty easy to get a cobbler to fit new soles too whereas Doc Martens were done when the soles were done.
However you did get a lot of years out of Doc Martens so I was always happy to have them.
I'm actually looking at the possibility of getting some Solovair boots now actually. I think they might be very appealing here in the UK winter.
I have 6 different pairs of the 1460. They are holding up. I don’t know how they sold out. It was adapt or go out of business. There are plenty of so called “premium”boots that are more expensive and not built well. Thanks for recommending the solovair brand… might look at them.
Im the same way. I have a lot of 1460 boots too. I dont know why. I love them
That's pretty close to a happy ending with the Solovairs, which is a nice change from the sad, depressing end of most videos. Nice job! I picked up a pair of Canada West Chelsea boots and I'm hoping they're built to last as well, but I am tempted by a lace-up for hiking. Looking forward to more of these built-to-last products.
bought my pair about 5 years ago and still wear them every day!
though i really need to change the sole now im really happy they lasted me for even THIS long while other shoes in the market today need to be replaced after a year.
The issue with DM lowering their quality has nothing to do with moving production overseas and everything with lowering the quality of their materials. I watched Rose Anvil cut a pair of Docs in half and all the insides are subpar (yes, even the British-made ones, which are only marginally better). Once profit is at the expense of quality, it doesn't matter where the production is.
From made in UK... to Made in China.
Used to buy them all the time and my must go to for boots. Back in the 90's... they lasted military drills, parades and hikes for YEARS...
2000's... they fell apart after a few months walking.
Now i know that they have been bought out by a American fashion company and partnered with brands... alongside the Cheap production... i would never purchase them again.
As far as I can tell, Klaus Martens was not a Nazi in that he was not a member of the Nazi party. He was a Doctor in the German army - that's not the same thing.
Happy to be proven wrong, but if not this is just bad research and I suggest you change the reference.
On a parallel but different story arc, XTRATUF, the unofficially official footwear of coastal Alaska, went through a huge controversy when they moved manufacturing overseas. Their continued TUF-ness was very much questioned. I still have questions about the consistency of their manufacture, but they seemed to have regained some ground.
Always on the hunt for a clean old pair of xtra tuffs
I got mine in 2010 when I was 18 and trying to establish my alternative/queer identity. I loved them, but they were already not at a level of quality that they once were and they fell apart pretty quickly. Now I'm disabled and wear the cripplepunk standard: Skechers 😅
😂
I got my first pair of Docs in the mid-90s (yes, I was a grunge kid). They were the standard boot and PURPLE, I pretty much lived in them. They lasted me about 15 years. Then I bought a new pair, black this time. These were made in China and NEVER felt right. I hardly ever wore them. I then got a pair of their Amalita boots, which were a different design with pattered insides and fold down tops and grain leather. They were fantastic as well and I wore them around the world (literally) and now the soles are almost worn through - and no cobbler will replace the soles because they are branded Doc Martens. The Solovair's look good though! Still, no design like the Amalita.
You had nazi boots
Thank you! I love the deep dives but always cry when there's no alternatives
doin' our best, glad you're enjoying the content!
When you live in the Pacific Northwest, you get the appeal of the boots. Even the ones that aren’t platforms are high enough to keep your feet dry. I needed better foot ware when I moved to Oregon, and I got a pair I still wear. The air soles were great for times I had to be on my feet all day. I do like them a lot.
My brother (35) finally threw away his DC skate shoes from the early days a few months ago. They weren't attractive, but they were still wearable. Nowadays you can't even get a pair of steel toes that'll last a year.
I literally turned my work crew (mostly younger millennials and Gen Z), on to Solovairs about a year ago after a few of them were complaining about their Docs, at this point I didn't own a pair of Solovair's but was aware of them and had visited their web store but still had my old 80/90's OLD UK 12 hole Docs (I owned 4 pairs back as a uni student in different colours and lace hole counts, a pair of shoes for work, 12 hole boots for motorcycling and the 14 hole oxblood and purple mostly for stage wear with various bands) ... the black 12 holes were the last survivors of these old school UK Docs and as beat up as this pair were it was obvious how much better the material and construction was from my coworkers late 2010's and 2020's Docs
Might want to get your dates straight on the punk/counter culture thing.
I first discovered Doc Martens in the 90s when I was a missionary in Argentina. They were the best boots ever, very sturdy. I continued to wear only doc martins for many years but when they started to be made in China the craftsmenship declined drastically. They just were not as good. Now they are just a legacy brand, nothing like their originals.
I got a job in the oil field in "05. MWD tech. Company sent me to a shoe store to pick up my new Doc Martens. So comfortable. Even in Montana in January. Still going strong almost 20 yrs now.
I got a pair of the industrial steel toe boots a few years ago on clearance. fantastic boots if they're made in England
I got myself a pair of Haix German police/special forces boots. Resoleable and very comfortable. Quite an investment, but so worth it.
Okay this could very well be my own personal experience however, I owned solovairs and wore them for the better part of 2 years and they were the most uncomfortable boots I've ever worn even compared to actual Dr. Martens (not to mention one of the soles was falling off out the factory). I don't have any orthopedic issues or anything my regular shoes are just plain old vans so if you're interested in this whole combat boot style there's unfortunately a very limited selection
They certainly don't look comfortable i gotta say. A lot of other people are saying the same thing too, or a euphemized version of the same thing, "they take forever to "break in" "
@mind-of-neo for me it wasn't a break in period thing, they felt like walking on a 2x4 and continued to feel like walking on a 2x4. I've owned and worn Red Wings and Thursdays before so I'd say I'm pretty well versed on quality boots. The solovairs weren't hard to break in they just weren't comfortable boots. I also forgot to mention the eyelets were super sharp and cut the laces so I had to replace them. I will give them this though the leather was exceptionally nice, just a shame it was on such a crappy boot.
@@alextuozzo7138 Jeez, like walking on a 2x4? That sounds like actual torture.
I have a number of pairs of Doc Marten's from throughout my years. The last pair were red vegan combat boots purchased around 2008 and I wasn't happy with the quality so had stopped seeking them out.
Thanks for the tip on Solovair. I'll be giving them a look. Cheers!
I didn't think their vegan range was available that early?
@@hannahmitchell87 could be I have the year wrong. Didn't keep the receipt. It was sold as women's boots so that may be part of the issue as well. In any case, don't like 'em.
@@grantmillard8387 Fair enough! 😊
J’ai 55 ans, je n’ai jamais porté que des Docs depuis l’âge de 15 ans. Certaines de mes 1460 ont plus de 35 ans. Je suis passé à Solovair quand les docs « made in england « se sont mises à craquer en 18 mois… Les Solovair sont les meilleures chaussures du monde.
Had to return a pair of Doc Martens for a faulty sole recently, and I was joking I don't expect to get married and then walk out in the same pair 8 years later like my dad, but I do expect more than 17 months.
But I swear my docs with the flower print that I had in university, which I never polished, have lasted much longer than my black leather work boots (all daily wears). only time will tell with these new ones, but each of my pairs seems to be lasting less time with each successive pair.
I bought a pair of Docs in 2016, they lasted until 2021, middle of the pandemic. Ordered a pair of Solovairs, 38 hours from placing the order they'd travelled from England to my door, in America, and were on my feet. Incredible company, incredible shipping.
In 2018 or so I visited the Doc Marten store in the Mall of America and inquired about the For Life boots and learned the program was discontinued, which was part of my decision to get the Solovairs, as well.
Last year, 2022, I was looking at their Gripfast line. Looked nearly identical to my current boots, so I just ordered some screw in grips that are used for fishing and added them to the boot myself. Has held up well, and definitely improves my grip on icy surfaces, which is what I was looking for.
I am UK based so was sad when they moved main production out of UK, I do have a pair or non leather combs tec boots which are quite well constructed, I also have a pair of leather Solovair astronaut boots and quality is exceptional and materials used is very good but of course needs breaking in, a tip though they do come up quite big about 1/2 size more
Wow, I wish I had found this channel much earlier. Absolutely, astonished by the amount of objective information provided. A must-subscribe for conscious consumers
I bought my first pair of Doc Martens in 1985 aged 15. When I turned 50 in 2020 I bought myself a pair with pink laces for my birthday. I've been wearing them only during winter (a 3 month period) so they will last a while. It was a nostalgia thing for my 50th.
Got my 1st pair at 50! 😂
Good video. It always makes me chuckle hearing people talk about the punk movement who weren’t even born yet.
I can't stand influencers and make fun of the people following them. That said, I'm off to buy a pair of Solovairs.
I personally have had 2 pairs. In trying to get a replacement, I ended up buying Clarks.
Would definitely prefer the Dr. M Originals or the company who mades their twins. I need them to be the Maryjane's style.
I got a pair in 2016 after frustration with how quickly I was going through shoes. I finally shelled out for a pair. The sole split after about 2 years. I took it to a shoe repair place assuming that I could get the sole replaced. Nope. Everything is glued. Can’t be replaced. Got another pair. The sole split just over a year later. I’m massively unimpressed, and I don’t see what all the hype is about.
I'd love to see a similar dive into the world of barefoot shoes. Since it's such an environmental and health-conscious segment of the shoe market, there's a LOT of claims thrown around by companies making shoes in the space. Vivo Barefoot makes undeniably great fitting barefoot shoes, but their durability is terrible, direct from them repair services can cost basically as much as a new shoe, and they make a lot of claims about sustainability that I just don't if they're actually genuine. Would be really interesting to see you guys deep dive on the claims these companies make, how good/bad they are for you, etc. I've been wearing barefoot style shoes every day as both a regular walking shoe and gym shoes and I've never felt better in terms of foot health and comfort. But I'd love to hear what actual science says about them.
The old opening sound is back!!!
The talk show clip used at 3:05 is not from the UK. It is an Irish talk show called The Late Late show. Not British. Irish.
Great to see you punting an alternative brand and giving kudos where it's due to them. That made the video for me.
I nearly got scammed by a fake shop but today i bought a pair of Solovair 6 Eye Derby Boots in Oxblood and im really looking forward to it.
The Docs I had in the 80s were made of cheap stiff leather that cut your lower calves, ankle bones, and the tops of your feet until they broke in, at which time you had about 2-3 months before they started cracking at the edges of the vamp. I mean, part of the punk aesthetic was literally patching your Docs with electrical tape.
The Docs I own now in the 2020s are still cheap leather, but softer so they don't cut you up.
I just realized I'm being influenced in order to buy a Made in England pair of Solovair® boots. 😂
I own a pair of secondhand docs. I had to buy them online where people sell them for insane prices even used. I could never find one at my local thrift stores because they would fly off the shelf immediately. I do think the ones I have is a fairly recent version. But it did serve me well at work (lab environment with questionable fluids everywhere), being on my feet a lot, walking to and back from work in all weather conditions. Also did well at a music festival for 2 days and always kept my feet safe around mosh pits lol. I don't really wear it often anymore because of life changes but I still am glad I have it.
But the shoes that unexpectedly have stood the test of time for me are a pair of waterproof palladiums. Got it real cheap and wore it through rain, winters and hikes for like 5years. I especially liked that they were lightweight like sneakers but otherwise worked like boots. Dyed it recently and they look like futuristic space boots for a fraction of the price. Only downside is small stones sometimes get stuck in the treads but otherwise it's been a great buy for me.
I'm curious about the quality issue. If Doc Marten's sold 1 million pairs a year in the 1970s with a 1% failure rate then they would have 10,000 pissed off customers a year but the same failure rate at 10 million pairs per annum is going to annoy 100,000 people every year. Ten years of that, plus the rise in social media, means you have a million angry people, all of whom want to talk about their crappy boots on the internet, but it wouldn't mean the boots have got any worse, just that there are more of them in circulation. Do we have any stats on the rate of complaints per customer?
They focus on young customers who don't care about real people or quality, only influencers and latest trends.
I miss those old skate shoes! I'm actually learning how to skateboard and modern skate shoes don't have enough padding imho. I'm sure with time, I will learn how to not pound my feet on the ground so hard but in the meantime, I am dealing with some pretty nasty shin splints.
I was one of the people who noticed the sad drastic decline of Docs. I personally can't recommend them anymore but it's good to know about Solovair! I will for sure check them out next time I need some boots!
When I was 14 I got a pair of DM’s and after two years of wearing daily for school they were….not great, they’d scuff and look worse each day. I’ve had a vintage pair for the past 3 years and they’re still in great condition. I wear them maybe 2-5 times a week and they have had previous wear before I got them. I’ve had to replace the insoles but otherwise they don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. The quality has defo changed
I got my doc martens in 2020 and the sole has already split. I took them to a cobbler who said they couldn’t resole them because of the way docs are constructed. Apparently they are heat fused and they don’t use a traditional Goodyear welt. I went to a second cobbler who literally glued the crack back together and sewed it up. It was a janky fix that won’t last forever, but it is extending the life of my boots. My next pair of boots will definitely be solovair not docs
"Laced into the very fabric of this cultural moment" 👍😝 I'm 63 and I still have a pair of Dr Martens but never owned skate shoes, Kodiaks and North Stars were popular when I was in High School.
Still have my Docs from 1991 . I use to walk all day in them for work. Still look great.
I have a pair of the Vintage, Made In England 1460's. Got them in October 2021. They're pretty stiff at first and do need some leather treatment to soften them a bit. They're comfortable for casual wear but will shred the back of your heels if you have to walk long distances in them without thick socks. They're more or less my "dress shoes" now for gigs and live events.
Solovair are awesome. I had a pair for 4 years now, wear them almost every day, and although broken in and creased, there are no signs of any damage or wear. The leather is noticeably thicker and you can actually change the soles unlike Dr. Martens. I had Docs bought in 2014 and they had holes in leather after 3 years.
They do. Doc Martens didn’t last very long. The rubber broke. It broke my heart as I loved those shoes. I still have them. I still love them.
Had a tan pair of these steel toed boots for nearly ten years! Best bloody boots I ever bought!
So you support nazis?
I had them in the 1980's. Biggest problem was the soles used to split. 40 years later, my daughter got onto the NEW trend. The same issues. Difference is I didn't think they were expensive for 1980's prices. Nowa days at A$220, they are a rip off. My A$30 boots from KMart are better
My mum got me and my brothers these in the 1990s, we taken the piss out off quite a lot for having Dr Martens, like the Clarks we wore before! I didn't really get the punk aesthetic, my mum just bought them so she didn't have buy new shoes every term.
She got them from from the Army and Navy Surplus store in Dagenham (formerly of Essex), which I believe no longer sells them, I wonder why!
I'm a millenial and in the early 00s when I was a little street urchin I remember everyone having 'Docs', I had my first pair at age 16. It's surprising to hear that they were in decline at the time, I'm thinking my experience was unique to NYC.
Skate shoes are made for skating, not walking.
If you skateboard in regular tennis shoes you will tear through those in a couple of sessions. Griptape is tough on shoes.
Whenever I bought a new pair of skate shoes I was looking primarily for durability, but there were definitely fuzzy colored variants for posers as well.
I really enjoyed my basic brown Docs in the early 90’s but they SUCKED on ice, which in Minnesota was half the school year-still wore them because we’re slaves to fashion as teenagers LOL!
I am British and I wore “DM’s” all my life (I’m now 63) I made the single most sensible purchase I could. I bought a pair of Redwing Iron Rangers” The best swap I ever made.
I bought a pair of those in 2016 and I wouldn't be without them. I thought long and hard before buying them because at £249 it was the most expensive footwear purchase I'd ever made. But they turned out to be worth every penny. And made in the USA, which is nice.
I wore nothing but Docs throughout the 80's + early 90's. Bought a pair in 2012 and they fell apart within 6 months. I'm into my Redwings and Nicks boots these days, but if I went back to that style of boot I'd buy a pair of Solovairs.
I’m so upset they no longer have an industrial line. As a women with small feet these were my go to now i’m toast and my brand loyalty is toxic because I refuse to wear anything else
Docs are still prolific in London. As a canadian wearing a Red Wing moc toes, safe to say you can see I wasnt from those places.
My hubs was on his feet over 8 hours a day as a pharmacist (he retired 2 yrs ago) and some of his work shoes were Docs .... they wore very well and were comfortable.
Idk what research you guys did or if this means much but i live in Japan and they're really popular here (at least where i am). They have stores in the major tourist attraction malls and i i have japanese friends who are into them. Thats probably why they have collabs with hello kitty/sanrio (HUGE here) and lots of platform designs- platform shoes have been big in Japan for a long time. Im pretty sure i saw platform shoes here before they got big in the states. The platform design is honestly inescapable here tbh every shoe brand has them.
Anyways yeah. Like i didnt know they were on the downfall because i see them here and have friends who recommend them and like them. But maybe the japanese branch is different quality? Idk. Anyways yeah my anecdotal input for anyone who cares
Edit: after a quick google search i can confirm they're definitely big in Japan and Korea. Which makes sense.
I wanted a pair of Doc Martens so bad back in "the day" but I could never afford them, so my feet have never had the pleasure.
Sorry to hear that, I bought mine 20 years ago, while they still made them super durable, and still wear them every winter. So it actually turned out to be a good investment. Otherwise I would have bought an trashed 10-15 pairs of boots in the same period.
You can find them in thrift shops.
I could never afford them in the 90s, so when my daughter was around 11 and not sure "who she was", I saw the me in her and bought her a pair. She loved them, but the zippers never stayed up and the insides fell apart. I was so disappointed.
SAME
I got the Airwair boots and used it for field work roaming the city inspecting and doing tax mapping work. It was so expensive and i thought it would last me awhile but it fell apart in just 6 months. Pretty dissapointed as i bought it full price thinking it would last me longer. :/
DUDE I KNEW IT. I was SO Excited because growing up I always wamted them but my family was poor and my mom would't buy them for me cause she hated the style. Once I finally grew up and got a job, I could finally afford them.... but they sort of fell apart way quick. I am SO disappointed. I had always thought them high quality... but they are no better than any other cheap quality shoes.
Unintentionally the best Solovair AD ever
Once my pair of 1460 made in asia ones finally kick the bucket (they are starting to show signs of wear, but are still good. They are close to 4 years old now), I'll get a pair of Solovair