My Justin Roper cowboy boots finally kicked the bucket, you can see my finger poking through. Many tears were shed for these comfy boots. I needed new shoes in a hurry, so I decided to try Dr Martens again.
I had previously worn Dr Martens throughout my late high school and college years, and I remember them being comfy although lacking in the support category.
I decided on Dr Marten 1460 Nappa leather boots. Nappa leather is softer, and more pliable straight from the box. I chose these over normal Dr Marten boots because I didn't want the painful breaking in period, that can sometimes take months. I'm getting old, and I can't be bothered with uncomfortable boots any more.
I purchased these from Wellington St Army Surplus, in Perth, for around $190 AUD. I dislike Wellington St Army Surplus, the employees are ALWAYS rude. Every single time I go in there.
The only reason I purchased at that store is that I didn't know my boot size, and I wanted to try them on. In the end, the in-store boots were about the same price as what I'd be paying on Ebay.
I found out that I'm a EU 43. I have big man feet, and I can rarely buy pretty girl shoes.
I love the Dr Marten tissue paper inside.
Straight out of the box, you can see how flexible the Nappa leather is.
Before a polish.
Here they are polished up. I'd say that Nappa leather doesn't seem to have a mirror shine, unlike other Dr Marten boots I have had. Perhaps with regular polishing the shine will appear.
Another reason to dislike Wellington St Army Surplus, I asked the employee if I should polish Nappa leather like normal, and he replied "I guess?" in a really bored tone.
I made the mistake of thinking I'd be able to wear these straight away without blisters, I WAS WRONG! I got some painful blisters on the heels of my feet.
There was a bit of breaking in that I needed to do, the boots were a bit tight in areas.
I purchased these around December, and they didn't take as long as normal boots to break in.
Overall, I really like the Nappa leather version of Dr Martens. I'll be wearing these regularly until I can purchase another pair of Justin Roper boots.
UPDATE 12/06/16: This week I found a spilt in my sole. This is really disappointing, as the shoes are still new. I haven't been doing anything strenuous in these, just the normal walking around. Dr Marten has really made me disappointed in their shoe quality.
I asked my Dad to glue them back together, so I'll see how that goes.
7 comments:
I've been putting Dr. Scholl's work boot supports/cushion inserts into my Docs for extra support. I find that they hold up through constant wear and make the Docs support comfy. I've started to use a shoe anti-rub under my socks like Dr. Scholl's Anti-Blister Stick even with old boots. It helps the boot and sock slide while protecting my skin. Hell, I've been using the anti-blister stick all the time with any shoe I wear because I've been getting blisters like crazy now that it's warming up here in NYC.
Enjoy your Docs! :) Sending love from NYC.
I've been having a similar pair, only varnished, for 6-7 years now and they are still in very good shape. Doccies rock! Good find!
All my Docs have been nappa or "greasy" leather. I have the same style as yours, and had a similar issue with rubbing on my heels. Luckily, it lasted only through about six wearings... which is pretty much my maximum tolerance for breaking in. I'm too old and cranky for stiff boots. ;)
I bought my very first pair of Docs a couple of years ago, wore them for the first time on a trip and got Plantar Fasciitis the very next day! I'm not sure if the boots caused it but it sure seemed like suspicious timing. So now I wear special inserts but wouldn't trade them for any other boot! Bought the youngest her first pair last week and she loves them ... no blisters, which was the same for me other than the heel pain. We both have the Aimilita style with the toe cap - maybe that makes them easier to break in. :)
It tickles me that you'd love your Justin boots. As a native Texan, I grew up surrounded by cowboys and country western culture and kinda loathe it. My mom even worked in the Justin boot factory at one time. I desperately want some Docs, but they're just too expensive for me. However, here's why I'm commenting: Here's a link to Long Tall Sally, a women's shop with plus sizes, even in shoes, and they have an Australian shop, too. They have quite a few pretty styles, some are kinda pricey, but bunions run in my family, so a comfortable, well fitting shoe is worth it's weight in gold to us!
http://us.longtallsally.com/c/tall/footwear?gclid=CLT-ormuw8sCFYkCaQodOuwImw
I feel you, I wear a US11 in shoes. It's so hard to find nice shoes in big sizes! The Nappa leather looks beautiful!
As a committed goth, I love my doc but as a diabetic, I literally cannot afford to lose skin on my feet. The trick I found is to buy them two size too big. They wear like a dream and no blisters or breaking in plus some excellent clompiness. :-)
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