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Need New Work Boots - Dr. Martens?

Good morning gents. Well, I have reached the end of the line with my current set of work boots. I have been wearing Chippewa pull on work boots for over ten years now. A western style made of really tough retan leather with a thick neoprene sole. To be honest, they are tougher than anything in production boots I have ever used. They cost from $140-165 per pair but since I get 3-4 years from them I have no complaints. 40-50 dollars per year for well made, comfy boots is no problem to me. The only issue is that as I have gotten older I notice I run my heels over faster than when young. I hate this. It is annoying and as the heels wear unevenly, it makes it uncomfortable. We have an excellent cobbler in town who fixes them right up but still, I wonder if some other style is in order?

A few provisos are in order here. First, the footwear must have neoprene or other non conductive soles. I do commercial/industrial electrical work and conductive soles are as you may surmise, not a good thing. Second, I like the heavy retan leathers. They require only minimal maintenance and seem to be tough. The Chippewas are fully leather lined and I can't begin to tell you how nice that is. So much more comfortable than the rough side of the outer alone. I also have wide feet. EE most of the time but depending on brand it could E or EEE(rarely the latter). I bought my wife a pair of Dr. Martens about twelve years ago and they look like they were bought last year. These are lace ups and kind of like a hiking boot. They have the "normal" Marten's sole. If that makes any sense. I don't know what they call the material it is made from but it is almost honey/transparent coloured. Anyroad, it has held up well. She certainly does not wear these every day but if you are married, then you know any woman who keeps a pair of shoes for twelve years is telling you something. So you can see my interest. Another thing I found helpful is that the pull on style let some air around your feet during the day. This would be difficult to nonexistent with lace ups. So, what say you Doc fans? Am I looking in the wrong place?

Regards Todd
 
Dr. Martens are awesome. You may want to consider some combat boot manufacturers as well, such as 5.11 Tactical and Oakley. Also, believe it or not Skechers makes some pretty solid work shoes/boots.
 
I'm very happy with my RedWings ... if you go that route, seek out a RedWing company store and buy them there. You'll have a much wider selection, and they have a computerized custom-fit machine that measures your foot and the pressure you bear down with heel, toe and instep, then recommends whichever model best suits your needs.

Also look at their upgrade insoles ... the ones I got were the high-end $50 model ... you put them in the oven to soften them up for 2 minutes, put them in your boots, then stand at attention for 2 minutes while they mold themselves to your feet.

RedWing has products made in the USA and China ... the USA products are more expensive, but better made. The Chinese shoes are nothing to sneeze at, either.

Everyone at work thought I was crazy for spending $165 on a pair of shoes. But I get the last laugh, because at the end of the day, my feet feel GOOD. That's all that counts.
 
No, I'm sorry to say it but don't buy Dr. Martens.

Since the manufacturing moved to China and Taiwan from England, quality has deteriorated rapidly.

I have one made-in-England pair which are ten years old and still going strong, and one made-in-China pair in which the in-soles completely disintegrated after less than a year of use. Friends of mine have reported similar problems.
 
Aren't Dr. Martens more of a fashion statement than a serious work shoe/boot?

The RedWings are a good idea. Also, if you have an Academy Sports nearby you might find something there.
 
I'd say check out Redwings also. I also have wide feet. EEE usually. I looked at Dr. Martins years ago and I could not find any that were wide enough for me. I don't know if they come in wide widths or not. Redwings come in wide, super wide and flipper foot wide models.
 
Thanks for all the replies fellas. I wondered about the Martens and now it seems confirmed. Far east manufacturing does not seem to go along with quality footwear. As for Red Wings. I used them a lot in my early twenties and the quality went downhill badly. I had not heard of the insole you could mold to your tootsies so maybe they will get another look.

Regards, todd
 
No, I'm sorry to say it but don't buy Dr. Martens.

Since the manufacturing moved to China and Taiwan from England, quality has deteriorated rapidly.

I have one made-in-England pair which are ten years old and still going strong, and one made-in-China pair in which the in-soles completely disintegrated after less than a year of use. Friends of mine have reported similar problems.

+1, yup. I have several pairs that were Made in England, which were purchased in my late teens and early twenties (a decade or so ago). I still have all of them and they don't look more than a year or two old. However, I purchased a pair a few year ago and they look older than all my others ... crap!
 
I've had no issues with Doc Martens, no matter where they were made. I have two pair that were made in England, and three pair that were made in China, and they seem to be made eqally well. One pair, bought shortly after the move, broke down rather quickly, but I have two pair bought within the last two years, and I must say, they've really stepped up their game. The quality is equal to, if not superior to, their older models.

There are two things you need to consider about Doc Martens, since you are looking for work boots. First, most of the steel-toed models are non-safety rated. They are "fashion" steel toes. Second, Docs have welted soles. They are put on using a heat-fusion process, and are not replaceable. Docs are hard wearing boots, but if you're hard on the soles of your boots, you'll end up throwing out your Docs long before the insoles or uppers have broken down- long before you've gotten your money's worth out of them.

I love Doc Martens. I have five pair, and I wear them nearly every day. I usually push for people to buy Docs, as I've had such great experiences with them...

But I think with your needs and your wear issues, you'd be better off in the long run if you bought something else.
 
I recently went on a work boot rampage looking for a great boot. I should state that I have worn Redwings for more than 20 years. The last pair I bought was in 2004. I have the upgraded insoles you bake for a couple of minutes and agree they are very nice.

That said I tried on every pair of Redwings that met my criteria and even bought two pair to try at home. Folks, Redwing used to make great work boots, the crap made in China is downright embarrasing. Look closely at the leather cuts and seams. Very poor workmanship indeed. I returned both pair and have sworn off Redwing until they tighten up their quality issues.

They have lost a long time customer.

What I ended up with is a superb pair of Mephisto Neres boots, lined, Gortex, non conductive sole, and have been very pleased, comfortable right out of the box and getting better each day. I have been wearing the Neres every day for months now. I walk a lot of stairs and climb around production aircraft all day which is not the best environment for shoes, they need ot be tough. This is my second pair of Mephistos and my feet are thankful.
 
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Folks, Redwing used to make great work boots, the crap made in China is downright embarrasing. Look closely at the leather cuts and seams. Very poor workmanship indeed. I returned both pair and have sworn off Redwing until they tighten up their quality issues.

They have lost a long time customer.

Well, they may have lost you ... they gained me.

My RedWing work-boots are Chinese made, and poor as the workmanship might be, they are still the best pair of boots I've ever owned. I went back six months later and got a pair RedWing dress shoes, also made in China.

If I can afford it, my next pair will be USA-made ... but they are about twice as expensive as the Chinese models. Hopefully, this pair will see me through until I get promoted to a Supervisory position. Then, I'll be able to splurge and get the USA shoes.
 
Red Wing's USA made boots are nice. Frye makes nice boots. Chippewa makes nice boots. Overall I'm a big fan of U.S. made footwear. If you're really interested in Docs and don't need steel toes or similar, you can still get U.K. made shoes, but they're kind of expensive, in my opinion, for genuine* leather.


*for anyone not aware, genuine leather means bonded or bicast scraps.
 
Well it looks like I was partially wrong and partially right about Dr. Martens.

From the Wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr_martens) (bold is my doing):

On 1 April 2003, under pressure from declining sales, the Dr. Martens company ceased all production in the United Kingdom[1], with production moved to China and Thailand. With this change also came the end of the company's vegan-friendly non-leather products, which were produced since January, 2000.

In 2007, the company began producing footwear again in England, in the Cobbs Lane Factory in Wollaston. These products, the "Vintage" line which the company advertises as being made to the original specs, can be purchased at the Dr. Martens USA website [2] or the Dr. Martens UK website.

Perhaps I'll give them another go.
 
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Lots of good advice on brands of boots. As for you heel wear issue, it sounds biomechanical, so I believe that you will continue to have the same issue regardless of what brand you purchase.
 
I've been wearing Danner's for 16 years. And that is only three pair. One pair of Acadia's and two pair of Fort Lewis insulated. These use Vibram soles and can be replaced as needed. There are several other styles that may suit your need and wants. Oh, and they are made in the USA! I believe Portland, Oregon.

Try: http://www.danner.com/
 
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I recently went on a work boot rampage looking for a great boot. I should state that I have worn Redwings for more than 20 years. The last pair I bought was in 2004. I have the upgraded insoles you bake for a couple of minutes and agree they are very nice.

That said I tried on every pair of Redwings that met my criteria and even bought two pair to try at home. Folks, Redwing used to make great work boots, the crap made in China is downright embarrasing. Look closely at the leather cuts and seams. Very poor workmanship indeed. I returned both pair and have sworn off Redwing until they tighten up their quality issues.

They have lost a long time customer.

What I ended up with is a superb pair of Mephisto Neres boots, lined, Gortex, non conductive sole, and have been very pleased, comfortable right out of the box and getting better each day. I have been wearing the Neres every day for months now. I walk a lot of stairs and climb around production aircraft all day which is not the best environment for shoes, they need ot be tough. This is my second pair of Mephistos and my feet are thankful.

That is terrible news about the Redwings.
 
I've been wearing Danner's for 16 years. And that is only three pair. One pair of Acadia's and two pair of Fort Lewis insulated. These use Vibram soles and can be replaced as needed. There are several other styles that may suit your need and wants.

I have a pair of Danners and I love them. They are the best combat boot I have ever worn.
 
Double H boots might have something for you. They're made in the USA (PA), come in widths, and are affordable. The #3730 Ranch Wellingtons are just the ticket for me, and at $150 a pair, they'll surprise you with their comfort and durability.
 
Double H boots might have something for you. They're made in the USA (PA), come in widths, and are affordable. The #3730 Ranch Wellingtons are just the ticket for me, and at $150 a pair, they'll surprise you with their comfort and durability.

Those look very nice, and very comfortable. The only problem is that I need another pair of boots like I need another shaving soap.
 
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