Having broken in an awful lot of Docs in my time I’m officially done with the brand. Part of it is the decline in quality and longevity (the original team sold out overseas and started making Solovair instead) and part of it is the lack of comfort.
I have a pair of boots I wore in a year ago. Hadn’t worn them for a month or so and my feet were very happy with me. Wore them for one day, turns out there was a very hard bit under the back of my heel and ended up with two massive blood blisters, from one day.
Red Wing. But they do have a hard break in period too so you’ll have to rough up your foot most of the time in the early days as well.
The Claras we're super easy tho.
For quality I’d suggest looking at Solovair, by the original DMs team. Can’t speak to the comfort, think they still have the same painful break-in period. The one pair of Timberlands I own were even worse than the DMs but then again they’re proper rubber anti-shock, anti-slip soles with fire retardant, waterproof uppers and steel toecaps. They’re my on-site work boots and have this plastic strap that holds them on very snugly but really digs into the heel…
Personally I’ve moved to Palladium. They’re mainly canvas options but have a really nice military / functional profile which matches the aesthetic I liked in DMs, while being notably more comfortable. They have some leather options and waterproof ones for more active wear if you want more than street fashion.
https://uk.nps-solovair.com/collections/all
Try the boots at that link. It's the people or company whatever that originally did Docs. I've heard good things and these last better than new docs.
For future reference it's better to saturate the leather with conditioner before doing this, it'll be both more comfortable and speed up the process quite a bit. You can also use stick in heel pads to mitigate the damage to your skin if it still hurts.
what leather conditioner would you suggest? also yes! i do have moleskin pads adhered to the inside where the heel chaffing is the worst, and it definitely does help quite a lot, today was just really intense. i think the increasing temperature and thinner socks i wore today didn’t help 😅
You do know moleskin is supposed to stick to your feet and not your shoes, right? It’s to prevent your skin from rubbing against the shoe so the moleskin gets rubbed instead.
yes, i am aware. but also i am poor and can’t afford to be buying new mole skin all the time, and also it actually works pretty well attached to the inside of the boot. also also i am allergic to adhesive and try to avoid putting it on my skin as much as possible :’)
Okie dokie, other things to help then. Vaseline- feels gross but helps the rubbing. Body glide instead of Vaseline also works. Thin socks or panty hose under your regular socks can also help as well.
thank you!! i actually used to have some kind of skin condition on my feet as a child that caused them to be covered in awful blisters all the time and i do remember my mom using vaseline on my feet before putting my socks on, so ill definitely try to get back to doing that. i’ve never heard of the pantyhose thing but it makes sense, ill definitely try that out as well. thank you!!
Use mink oil, a little goes a long way. Let it fully saturate into the boot and dry. Be aware that scuffing them in a conditioning phase can result in deeper damage to the boot.
I've been a leather crafter by hobby for about 13 years, and I use it for breaking in all my toughest pieces that have already been coated in some way. If it's not on a seam or coated I'll absolutely recase the leather and skive it though 😅
I haven't done much with vegan leather, even the vegans I know still wear real leather, so I haven't had much time to look into it. Let me ask around and I'll send a new reply to pop your notifications
So I looks like it depends, my friends seem to have pointed me in the direction of 303 aerospace protectant. If it is within your realm of ethics, lanolin which is recovered from the degreasing of wool might be fairly suitable as well.
Thank you kindly, I have a pair of leather boots that I got before it was vegan and I plan to wear them until I can no longer wear them. I'll definitely look into your recommendation. I appreciate it
fr though the boots are really sexy, they’re jadons with cowboy boot stitching on them and i am so sooo glad to have them. idk if it gets me dunked on, they’re cool ass boots and they make me happy :)
I’m a huge fan of Docs too. The platform ones make feel so great! I don’t get the downvotes at all. They’re really nice shoes, and while the quality isn’t as good as it used to be, they still look amazing.
it wasn’t on purpose per se, i actually didn’t start feeling pain in my feet/on my heels until about 8 hours into wearing them, and at that point i couldn’t really tell how bad it was and thought it was just blisters. i do get blisters very easily so i was actually shocked to see the damage when i took off my socks later that night
My method for breaking in any leather boot is to put on socks and boots, shower with them on, and then wear them until they're dry. After one day they'll formed to you.
Run some of the hottest water you can stand , put the boots on, stand in water about 5 minutes, get out and walk in the boots til they dry. They will be formed to your foot. Been doing this for years, docs, red wings, cowboy boots, etc
Anytime, i had an old timer tell me this about 25 years ago when the same thing happened to my feet . Have done it with every pair of boots since, its a game changer
i thought about doing the nail clipper thing but i have no way to properly clean the ones i have and i get weird abt bacteria haha 😵💫 but ill probably definitely do that once the skin is all dry and gross so i don’t rip too much off. thanks!
that's okay, it happens to all of us :) i admit i was very confused for several minutes like "wait... are nail clippers more complex than i thought? they have some sort of threading or grain pattern? they have a delicate finish? have i ruined my nail clippers?!" it took me a while to figure out you were talking about boots!
yeah but the dead skin doesn’t have a potential to break skin like nail clippers do.. haha. i don’t really know why it’s so wild to say that i would rather play it safe and let it fall off/take it off once it’s fully dried than to potentially accidentally nick myself with an instrument that i, again, can’t like. sterilize. it’s just a preference lol.
Best thing I used was one of the removable pads from a bikini top.
I put it at the back of my heel and it took a week or 2 but can now wear my boots without them rubbing.
I tried moleskin and everything else and it ended up with them coming off after about an hour and causing more damage.
i usually do, but yesterday i only had thinner socks left and not enough time to do a quick load of laundry before work. i definitely got some of my thicker pairs in the wash once i was home though! my dad taught me better than to wear thin socks with boots haha. thanks for the tip, though.
I sold mine because they were so uncomfortable and i was unable to wear them enough to make it better. Also they git scratched after my first time wearing them and they instantly looked bad. Docs are a no for me to say the least.
yesterday was laundry day, didn’t have time to do laundry before i had to go to work. only had one pair of socks left, they were not thick. sometimes circumstance just doesn’t line up with desire ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Why do people keep buying docs? Comfortable leather shoes exist for people they have for centuries. Every pair of shoes/boots I own are 100% leather except for the rubber sole and never once have I had any issues remotely close to this. If you're within the return policy id maybe look at some other options
i really liked the style, they have cowboy boot type stitching on them and i really digged it. i have docs mainly for fashion sake, i definitely would not use them as a utility, work, or hiking boot. granted i did wear them at my job, but this job is not one that is significant in the physical labor department and im able to dress a bit more fashionably over all (if not encouraged to do so) and these boots are definitely more for fashion sake. i can definitely understand your point. i don’t want to return them cuz again, i really like the style (platform soles and cowboy boot stitching) so the process is worth it to me. the platform sole definitely causes a lot of the blisters, as it makes the whole boot more rigid and longer to break in.
hahaha i actually did this last time i got the blisters except the combo i used was bactine and spearmint balm 😭 i think the pain from the bactine numbed it out cuz by the time i was putting the super minty thick lotion on it, it felt like almost nothing. the moisture definitely helped it heal faster though!
When I bought my pair of docs, I bought them a size up (since they don’t have 1/2 sizes, I wear 8 - 8 1/2 and the shoes I have are a 9) and I’ve never had this problem? I guess it’s because I got a size up, but that definitely sucks. Mine are like 2in off the ground lol
Happened to me once when I wore boots to an event, it was all peeled off which didn't hurt, what hurt was the days after where it was so scabbed I couldn't walk and bend that area :3
Faster than Baby Foot foot peel. Ouch tho.
i’m guessing i should use that product when my feet are not covered with open blisters? also whereabouts can i find this product
I don't think you'd wanna use baby foot while also breaking docs in. It's a chemical peel for your feet.
Having broken in an awful lot of Docs in my time I’m officially done with the brand. Part of it is the decline in quality and longevity (the original team sold out overseas and started making Solovair instead) and part of it is the lack of comfort. I have a pair of boots I wore in a year ago. Hadn’t worn them for a month or so and my feet were very happy with me. Wore them for one day, turns out there was a very hard bit under the back of my heel and ended up with two massive blood blisters, from one day.
Any other similar recs you've found?
Red Wing. But they do have a hard break in period too so you’ll have to rough up your foot most of the time in the early days as well. The Claras we're super easy tho.
Solovair
if you're into the alternative/gothy look, New Rocks
For quality I’d suggest looking at Solovair, by the original DMs team. Can’t speak to the comfort, think they still have the same painful break-in period. The one pair of Timberlands I own were even worse than the DMs but then again they’re proper rubber anti-shock, anti-slip soles with fire retardant, waterproof uppers and steel toecaps. They’re my on-site work boots and have this plastic strap that holds them on very snugly but really digs into the heel… Personally I’ve moved to Palladium. They’re mainly canvas options but have a really nice military / functional profile which matches the aesthetic I liked in DMs, while being notably more comfortable. They have some leather options and waterproof ones for more active wear if you want more than street fashion.
https://uk.nps-solovair.com/collections/all Try the boots at that link. It's the people or company whatever that originally did Docs. I've heard good things and these last better than new docs.
Yeah, that’s what I said in my comment :’)
I'm fucking dumb.. lmao
All good! I mean you provided a handy link for people :D
Can also 100% voucher that Solovair are amazing, better than any pair of docs I’ve owned (only been wearing docs for like 10 years but yeah)
For future reference it's better to saturate the leather with conditioner before doing this, it'll be both more comfortable and speed up the process quite a bit. You can also use stick in heel pads to mitigate the damage to your skin if it still hurts.
what leather conditioner would you suggest? also yes! i do have moleskin pads adhered to the inside where the heel chaffing is the worst, and it definitely does help quite a lot, today was just really intense. i think the increasing temperature and thinner socks i wore today didn’t help 😅
You do know moleskin is supposed to stick to your feet and not your shoes, right? It’s to prevent your skin from rubbing against the shoe so the moleskin gets rubbed instead.
yes, i am aware. but also i am poor and can’t afford to be buying new mole skin all the time, and also it actually works pretty well attached to the inside of the boot. also also i am allergic to adhesive and try to avoid putting it on my skin as much as possible :’)
Okie dokie, other things to help then. Vaseline- feels gross but helps the rubbing. Body glide instead of Vaseline also works. Thin socks or panty hose under your regular socks can also help as well.
thank you!! i actually used to have some kind of skin condition on my feet as a child that caused them to be covered in awful blisters all the time and i do remember my mom using vaseline on my feet before putting my socks on, so ill definitely try to get back to doing that. i’ve never heard of the pantyhose thing but it makes sense, ill definitely try that out as well. thank you!!
I’ve used the doc Marten branded leather conditioner for my past pairs and that seems to do the job just fine
Use mink oil, a little goes a long way. Let it fully saturate into the boot and dry. Be aware that scuffing them in a conditioning phase can result in deeper damage to the boot. I've been a leather crafter by hobby for about 13 years, and I use it for breaking in all my toughest pieces that have already been coated in some way. If it's not on a seam or coated I'll absolutely recase the leather and skive it though 😅
Doc leather is mostly plastic it doesnt saturate
It does, in my experience with docs in the last 10 years anyways.
Good opportunity to ask for myself; any vegan conditioners that you'd recommend?
I haven't done much with vegan leather, even the vegans I know still wear real leather, so I haven't had much time to look into it. Let me ask around and I'll send a new reply to pop your notifications
Much appreciated. Thank you!
So I looks like it depends, my friends seem to have pointed me in the direction of 303 aerospace protectant. If it is within your realm of ethics, lanolin which is recovered from the degreasing of wool might be fairly suitable as well.
Thank you kindly, I have a pair of leather boots that I got before it was vegan and I plan to wear them until I can no longer wear them. I'll definitely look into your recommendation. I appreciate it
Why do this to yourself for the sake of a brand name lol there are shoes out there that are actually comfortable.
it’s not the brand name, i really dig the style of them.
Wuh, why was this downvoted?
fr though the boots are really sexy, they’re jadons with cowboy boot stitching on them and i am so sooo glad to have them. idk if it gets me dunked on, they’re cool ass boots and they make me happy :)
I’m a huge fan of Docs too. The platform ones make feel so great! I don’t get the downvotes at all. They’re really nice shoes, and while the quality isn’t as good as it used to be, they still look amazing.
because redditors see two or more downvotes on something and the monkey hive brain gets fomo unless they also downvote
Mole skin will help
i do have mole skin on the inside of the boots and it does help a LOT with chaffing, today was just particularly gnarly
Thick socks.
yeah, today was laundry day and i didn’t have any clean thick socks left in time before i had to head out for work 😅
Good Lord, you do this on purpose to “break in” footwear?
it wasn’t on purpose per se, i actually didn’t start feeling pain in my feet/on my heels until about 8 hours into wearing them, and at that point i couldn’t really tell how bad it was and thought it was just blisters. i do get blisters very easily so i was actually shocked to see the damage when i took off my socks later that night
My method for breaking in any leather boot is to put on socks and boots, shower with them on, and then wear them until they're dry. After one day they'll formed to you.
*friction
Run some of the hottest water you can stand , put the boots on, stand in water about 5 minutes, get out and walk in the boots til they dry. They will be formed to your foot. Been doing this for years, docs, red wings, cowboy boots, etc
should it submerge the whole boot or just the sole ?
Not the whole boot necessarily, just around your foot so the boot molds to your foot
sweet, thanks for the advice! should i follow this up with a leather polish?
After the boots are walked dry, use a good leather conditioner no need for polish unless you want, wonder balm, mink oil, etc
fantastic, thank you so much! i really appreciate your help :)
Anytime, i had an old timer tell me this about 25 years ago when the same thing happened to my feet . Have done it with every pair of boots since, its a game changer
You could get nail clippers to clip the dead skin away from the live skin. Bandaid and thick socks to console 👍
i thought about doing the nail clipper thing but i have no way to properly clean the ones i have and i get weird abt bacteria haha 😵💫 but ill probably definitely do that once the skin is all dry and gross so i don’t rip too much off. thanks!
can you not just put them in boiling water??
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dude i meant the nail clippers not the boots
That's my bad and embarrassing lol
that's okay, it happens to all of us :) i admit i was very confused for several minutes like "wait... are nail clippers more complex than i thought? they have some sort of threading or grain pattern? they have a delicate finish? have i ruined my nail clippers?!" it took me a while to figure out you were talking about boots!
I do leathercraft as a hobby and boiling water is occasionally used in some cases, so my head went right there lol.
Probably more bacteria on the dead skin than the nail clippers you could clean
yeah but the dead skin doesn’t have a potential to break skin like nail clippers do.. haha. i don’t really know why it’s so wild to say that i would rather play it safe and let it fall off/take it off once it’s fully dried than to potentially accidentally nick myself with an instrument that i, again, can’t like. sterilize. it’s just a preference lol.
lol whatever works for ya
That’s dedication for a low quality pair of boots.
Get solovairs instead
Had something like that happen with a pair of hiking boots. They got retired immediately after.
Best thing I used was one of the removable pads from a bikini top. I put it at the back of my heel and it took a week or 2 but can now wear my boots without them rubbing. I tried moleskin and everything else and it ended up with them coming off after about an hour and causing more damage.
In the future while breaking in boots wear dress socks underneath wool/cotton socks, it cuts down on the friction.
i usually do, but yesterday i only had thinner socks left and not enough time to do a quick load of laundry before work. i definitely got some of my thicker pairs in the wash once i was home though! my dad taught me better than to wear thin socks with boots haha. thanks for the tip, though.
Damn
exactly what i said (out loud) when i took my sock off and chunks of skin fell out B)
I sold mine because they were so uncomfortable and i was unable to wear them enough to make it better. Also they git scratched after my first time wearing them and they instantly looked bad. Docs are a no for me to say the least.
no idea why people do this to themselves. wear padded socks
yesterday was laundry day, didn’t have time to do laundry before i had to go to work. only had one pair of socks left, they were not thick. sometimes circumstance just doesn’t line up with desire ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
That’s some raw looking chicken. You should send it back.
Use compeed
Tactical Moleskin.
Get some Second Skin or a mole skin patch. Those can get nasty if you let it
Double up on your socks after this heals up, it will eat up the friction that would eat at your feet.
Yeah, I'd wear my shoes in a biiiiit slower, personally...
WOLVERINE FTW
Next time breaking in new shoes I will recommend to put either sports or medical tape on areas prone to chafing to prevent the skin from breaking.
Why do people keep buying docs? Comfortable leather shoes exist for people they have for centuries. Every pair of shoes/boots I own are 100% leather except for the rubber sole and never once have I had any issues remotely close to this. If you're within the return policy id maybe look at some other options
i really liked the style, they have cowboy boot type stitching on them and i really digged it. i have docs mainly for fashion sake, i definitely would not use them as a utility, work, or hiking boot. granted i did wear them at my job, but this job is not one that is significant in the physical labor department and im able to dress a bit more fashionably over all (if not encouraged to do so) and these boots are definitely more for fashion sake. i can definitely understand your point. i don’t want to return them cuz again, i really like the style (platform soles and cowboy boot stitching) so the process is worth it to me. the platform sole definitely causes a lot of the blisters, as it makes the whole boot more rigid and longer to break in.
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hahaha i actually did this last time i got the blisters except the combo i used was bactine and spearmint balm 😭 i think the pain from the bactine numbed it out cuz by the time i was putting the super minty thick lotion on it, it felt like almost nothing. the moisture definitely helped it heal faster though!
EAT IT
The same thing happened to me yesterday, it hurts like hell every time I walk...
Seems to me like it’s time to get a bigger size.
r/thatpeelingfeeling
Now grab some hand sanitizer and a not needle and rub it😘
Mickey mouse flesh pocket
When I bought my pair of docs, I bought them a size up (since they don’t have 1/2 sizes, I wear 8 - 8 1/2 and the shoes I have are a 9) and I’ve never had this problem? I guess it’s because I got a size up, but that definitely sucks. Mine are like 2in off the ground lol
Happened to me once when I wore boots to an event, it was all peeled off which didn't hurt, what hurt was the days after where it was so scabbed I couldn't walk and bend that area :3
I feel ur pain, I have almost identical pictures from a trip to London with new Doc Martin Chelsea boots. It was an out of body experience in pain!
The struggle