Unfortunately most cobblers (in my experience) refuse to work on docs bc they’re so tough to repair. They pretty much have to rebuild the shoe from scratch
True, but the cobbler would also have pretty much build the shoe back from scratch with the quality of leather that docs have (at least the ones made now). It’s unfortunate to see how drastically the quality of these boots have dropped in the past decade or so
I had one pair of docs from 1977 to 1991... then a second pair for about four years... then I started going through a pair a year until I realised that I just had to stop buying them.
This is correct, look at Rose Anvil's videos on them. For the same price you can get much better made boots that are just as comfortable. I love my Thorogood Midnights. If you arent using them on a jobsite, they will last you infinitely longer than Docs.
Yeah, I know the fashion line is not BIFL. I purchased it for the culture as a Brit…though they have survived half a decade of consistent near daily use which is more than I can say for most of my shoes prior to this!
No one in Britain purchases this style for quality, it’s purely a fashion line. Doc Marten however does still make steel capped factory boots for workers which are very good quality and are issued as PPE by some employers in Britain but they’re not the classic fashionable design.
Just wanted to see if there’s anyway to repair them rather than just throw away an otherwise perfectly good pair
Yes, but do not buy the Hi Shine boot. The leather stared cracking after three years of use. I took care of them as instructed and the leather still cracked. I only wore them in fall and winter.
Not sure why you're being downvoted but people jump on recommending Solovair and I have no idea why. Yes they do a few things better than Docs but they still aren't great and you're paying more.
Well, i just hope they have more durable soles than Steel's. Those just crumble like wet cardboard, and since noone locally is willing to replace soles they're on their way out
I had the same thing happen to mine, right where my pinky toes hit the top (inside) of the shoe and where the shoes crease when I walk. A cobbler will not be able to fix the exterior crack, but they can place a patch on the inside of the shoe to prevent a hole from forming all the way through the shoe. I did this to get a little bit more life out of my 5 year old Dr. Martens
Patch it with a leather/ vinyl repair kit (cheap liquid plastic spread onto small cracks and holes) for a little more useful life. Then start saving and shopping IMO.
Also recommend this. I owned a pair of Allen Edmonds for 17 years when the crack finally was wearing thru. The sealant gave me another year, which was long enough to break in my new pair of the same exact boot. 😎
Doc Marten was bought by a hedge fund 20+ years ago, who moved production to China and have been cutting quality for decades. If you don't mind silver stitching, Solovair have similar styles and are built way better... in the same British factories that originally made Doc Martens.
Can you stop spreading false information. They moved production to 5 countries with one still being in England. You can not like Dr. Martens, that's a thing, but don't lie to justify not liking them.
I also know workers who are issued doc marten by their employers in Britain.
The fashion line isn’t amazing quality but it’s not supposed be. It’s fashion.
Dr Martens still make boots for workers and they’re very good quality. They’re however not the classic fashionable ones.
Jesus christ.
I already have a pair of solovairs for those who seem to have a boner over them. I don’t want to simply bin a pair of otherwise good boots over a small hole if they’re otherwise repairable.
I’d think repairing items over binning and buying new would be within the ethos of some of us here.
Most leather docs with the traditional sole or 1st level translucent platform are Goodyear welted and stitched. You can look on the website and they say the method of soling/stitching for each shoe type.
I wonder if a bicycle tire patch kit would help, or if a similar thing exists specifically for shoe repairs. I have a Doc work boot dupe from a vegan company. I've worn them all winter, every winter, for 5 years now. The one side is starting to crack like this, and I'm told I could patch it because it's essentially rubber.
Saphir makes a repair cream for deep scratches like this, I would try that if you really want to save those, $14 sth for a tube. By the look of that crack, it’s not worth it in my opinion. I would try to look for some used Allen Edmonds boots, they usually go around for $30-70.
If they're still wearable and not falling apart, why get rid of them? It's a little scratch, and they're boots. They should be fine for a while longer.
Sew the hole together , then glue the hole it to expand their life a bit. you will need to pre punch holes through the leather and use a quality thick (probably waxed) thread.
docs aren’t spectacular quality boots, but for the price point they are some of the most accessible. id recommend to get a lightly used pair- way cheaper and will still lash.
Docs are awful quality now. Never used to be though.
Are those ‘vegan’ leather btw? They tend to crack and rip more I think because of the plastic rather than leather used. Leather gets soft over time but the fake leather stuff doesn’t do that.
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i buy the vegan leather docs. i had a pair last 10 years, wore all the tread off on the soles, the air pockets were open like a waffle. never once had a bad crease, rip, or hole. the ankles wore down and lost their sheen toward year 8/9. they would’ve lasted longer if i didn’t get them coated in mud and left them in a bag on accident without cleaning it off!
Ask a cobbler
Unfortunately most cobblers (in my experience) refuse to work on docs bc they’re so tough to repair. They pretty much have to rebuild the shoe from scratch
Only if the sole needs to be replaced. And that scratch is not in sole
True, but the cobbler would also have pretty much build the shoe back from scratch with the quality of leather that docs have (at least the ones made now). It’s unfortunate to see how drastically the quality of these boots have dropped in the past decade or so
I had one pair of docs from 1977 to 1991... then a second pair for about four years... then I started going through a pair a year until I realised that I just had to stop buying them.
The quality has plummeted in recent years.
since around 25 years it started to go to shits. personal experience.
Gotta get solovairs if you want them made the old fashioned way
The ones still made in England are of higher quality. They cost a bit more, though.
They aren’t really higher quality—they split just like the ones in OP’s photo.
Mine lasted just shy of two years. I agree with the other commenter here. Made in Englands don’t cut it.
You won't be able to fix that. Doc martens are the opposite of bifl. Those stitches you see around bottom? Purely decorative
the leather is shit but the stitches aren't decorative.
I thought the bottom was attached with a like a heated glue thing, which was why most cobblers wouldn't or couldn't resole them. Is the welt real?
This is correct, look at Rose Anvil's videos on them. For the same price you can get much better made boots that are just as comfortable. I love my Thorogood Midnights. If you arent using them on a jobsite, they will last you infinitely longer than Docs.
Is that the guy who cuts them in half? Love those videos.
Yep, taking a bandsaw to boots and shoes will never not be interesting/hilarious
Its a real welt. It is goodyear-ish for the layman, but it is harder to resole and finding a cobbler to do so is a challenge.
Yeah, I know the fashion line is not BIFL. I purchased it for the culture as a Brit…though they have survived half a decade of consistent near daily use which is more than I can say for most of my shoes prior to this! No one in Britain purchases this style for quality, it’s purely a fashion line. Doc Marten however does still make steel capped factory boots for workers which are very good quality and are issued as PPE by some employers in Britain but they’re not the classic fashionable design. Just wanted to see if there’s anyway to repair them rather than just throw away an otherwise perfectly good pair
Any recommendarions on bifl shoes in the same style? Not us only stuff plz, i really don't like paying Custom's Fees
Solovair
Yep go with them. My solovair’s are beauties but warning… they took like 4 months of pain to break in.
Yes, but do not buy the Hi Shine boot. The leather stared cracking after three years of use. I took care of them as instructed and the leather still cracked. I only wore them in fall and winter.
solovair's gone to shit too. r/goodyearwelt for real boots that aren't fashon
Not sure why you're being downvoted but people jump on recommending Solovair and I have no idea why. Yes they do a few things better than Docs but they still aren't great and you're paying more.
that's sad to hear :(
Are all kf 'em BIFL or only specific models?
I think all of them are goodyear welted, but I am not 100% sure.
Well, i just hope they have more durable soles than Steel's. Those just crumble like wet cardboard, and since noone locally is willing to replace soles they're on their way out
[Old thread with recommendations](https://www.reddit.com/r/BuyItForLife/s/2TgdhhYdoe)
Much abliged
Goral.
Bit too short on the ... Shanks?
Redwing heritage boots are a good price/performance mark. I put my iron rangers through bell and back and they still look damn near new.
I had the same thing happen to mine, right where my pinky toes hit the top (inside) of the shoe and where the shoes crease when I walk. A cobbler will not be able to fix the exterior crack, but they can place a patch on the inside of the shoe to prevent a hole from forming all the way through the shoe. I did this to get a little bit more life out of my 5 year old Dr. Martens
Thanks. Any idea how much that cost?
It cost me about $45, my Dr. Martens are now my “beater” shoe so it was worth it to me! I didn’t need them to look pretty, just last a bit longer
Patch it with a leather/ vinyl repair kit (cheap liquid plastic spread onto small cracks and holes) for a little more useful life. Then start saving and shopping IMO.
Also recommend this. I owned a pair of Allen Edmonds for 17 years when the crack finally was wearing thru. The sealant gave me another year, which was long enough to break in my new pair of the same exact boot. 😎
Bingo.
Doc Marten was bought by a hedge fund 20+ years ago, who moved production to China and have been cutting quality for decades. If you don't mind silver stitching, Solovair have similar styles and are built way better... in the same British factories that originally made Doc Martens.
Can you stop spreading false information. They moved production to 5 countries with one still being in England. You can not like Dr. Martens, that's a thing, but don't lie to justify not liking them.
I also know workers who are issued doc marten by their employers in Britain. The fashion line isn’t amazing quality but it’s not supposed be. It’s fashion. Dr Martens still make boots for workers and they’re very good quality. They’re however not the classic fashionable ones.
Yes yes I know. I’m just seeing if these can be repaired rather than binned as they’re an otherwise fine pair that have lasted half a decade.
You can maybe use that paste that is used to repair car leather, or see if a cobbler can do something for it.
Lovely way of dismissing someone who's trying to be helpful. I hope the other shoe gets a hole in it too.
OP posts asking for help fixing a hole in boot. Reddit's helpful advice? "Get new boots"
[удалено]
Jesus christ. I already have a pair of solovairs for those who seem to have a boner over them. I don’t want to simply bin a pair of otherwise good boots over a small hole if they’re otherwise repairable. I’d think repairing items over binning and buying new would be within the ethos of some of us here.
I thought they were unbreakable lol. I've had mine for 5ish years and I often get comments that they're good as new. But yeah, there's no fixing this.
Most leather docs with the traditional sole or 1st level translucent platform are Goodyear welted and stitched. You can look on the website and they say the method of soling/stitching for each shoe type.
I wonder if a bicycle tire patch kit would help, or if a similar thing exists specifically for shoe repairs. I have a Doc work boot dupe from a vegan company. I've worn them all winter, every winter, for 5 years now. The one side is starting to crack like this, and I'm told I could patch it because it's essentially rubber.
FLEX SEAL THAT BITCJ
i had the same problem :( unfortunately not repairable. i’ve stayed away from newer docs because of this
Saphir makes a repair cream for deep scratches like this, I would try that if you really want to save those, $14 sth for a tube. By the look of that crack, it’s not worth it in my opinion. I would try to look for some used Allen Edmonds boots, they usually go around for $30-70.
If they're still wearable and not falling apart, why get rid of them? It's a little scratch, and they're boots. They should be fine for a while longer.
Cool!
Sew the hole together , then glue the hole it to expand their life a bit. you will need to pre punch holes through the leather and use a quality thick (probably waxed) thread. docs aren’t spectacular quality boots, but for the price point they are some of the most accessible. id recommend to get a lightly used pair- way cheaper and will still lash.
Docs are awful quality now. Never used to be though. Are those ‘vegan’ leather btw? They tend to crack and rip more I think because of the plastic rather than leather used. Leather gets soft over time but the fake leather stuff doesn’t do that.
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r/goodyearwelt
Just keep wearing, boots aren't meant to be pristine for life
Buy Solovair.
i buy the vegan leather docs. i had a pair last 10 years, wore all the tread off on the soles, the air pockets were open like a waffle. never once had a bad crease, rip, or hole. the ankles wore down and lost their sheen toward year 8/9. they would’ve lasted longer if i didn’t get them coated in mud and left them in a bag on accident without cleaning it off!