Dr Martens vs local cobbler

[jacob]

Can new soles be fitted onto Dr Martens w/o problems and w/o sending them back in?

For example, can the heel or the entire sole be replaced on these?

http://www.zappos.com/dr-martens-dorian ... razy-horse

The reason I'm asking is that I've year to find a shoe that can pass with a business suit and yet last ~two decades like these: http://www.zappos.com/hanwag-grunten

[saving-10-years]

We've tried lots of Docs in this family since the early 70s and DS now has them as school shoes. Never re-soled them (they last a long long time). But noticed this http://www.drmartens.com/us/Mens/Mens-F ... s-For-Life. I can see why you don't want to send them back in but they really are hard wearing - talking about at least a year of daily wear by DS who never polishes them or otherwise takes care of them - before you would have to return for replacement. Normal users could probably go to 2 years+ if its not your own footwear.

[LonerMatt]

Can new soles be fitted onto Dr Martens w/o problems and w/o sending them back in?

For example, can the heel or the entire sole be replaced on these?

http://www.zappos.com/dr-martens-dorian ... razy-horse

The reason I'm asking is that I've year to find a shoe that can pass with a business suit and yet last ~two decades like these: http://www.zappos.com/hanwag-grunten

Jacob - almost all goodyear/blake welted shoes can be resoled indefinitely. Other types of welts (there are a few exceptions, like storm welt which isn't a type of stiching but something else) do not allow the sole and the upper to be detached and, therefore, the sole can usually only be replaced once (but cutting it off and cluing the upper into a new sole) - this looks atrocious and isn't really worth saving (since for 1/2 the price of better shoes you'd get another 1-2 years wear).

However, in the cheaper shoes, the uppers and the toe box are make of poorer quality leather which doesn't wear well (and if not cleaned regularly will get destroyed by dirt and wear).

Generally, the cheapest shoes that can be maintained indefinitely that would be worn with suits are Allen Edmonds (can be had on sale very reasonably, or second hand for even more reasonably), but you'd also need to condition/polish every 2-3 weeks and brush them off after each wear.

Shoes are one of those things that SHOULD be quite simple, but they aren't!

[Chris]

I wear Doc and the local cobbler has turned me down for resoling. I expect the Docs for Life line may be a different story. I have considered them, but the standard Docs can be picked up cheaply on eBay, and are available in more styles.

[workathome]

I didn't think the new Docs were as good as the old reputation. About 5 years ago I had a pair that wore down pretty quickly after a year. Not the sole even, the leather upper was what started breaking apart. "Docs for life" sounds like a very good deal if you want a pair.

[jacob]

The reason I was asking is that the Doc soles look weird with their brown rubbery form compared to the usual black material. I wondered whether cobblers could glue similar brown soles on or not.

The For Life deal is no good. There's a $25 fee + you pay shipping one way. This is more than what a cobbler would charge to resole.

[Chris]

In my view, the benefit of For Life is that they are able to be resoled by a local cobbler*. This is also true for their Vintage line, which are still made in England.

My cobbler did mention that he could do some kind of glue job on my made-in-Vietnam Docs, but feared that removing the original sole would ruin the construction of the shoe (though he was impressed with the nice leather upper).

*Note that Doc Martens does not sell their soles; so if you get them resoled locally, they will probably get Vibram soles.

[Laura Ingalls]

I had a mid 1990's pair of the classic black boot. It would have lasted me forever had I not had a house fire that destroyed all my stuff. That being said they were seriously underutilized because they were very uncomfortable (IMO).

I should have sold them or given them to goodwill a long time ago.

[gerry_b]

Doc Martens can very often be found at TJ Maxx or Ross for < 40$.
If you don't wear them daily they should last for 5 years or more.
I think it would be easier, and comparable price wise, to just buy a new 40$ pair every few years rather than take the same pair to a cobbler.

[Laura Ingalls]

IIRC I bought mine at TJ Maxx for about $40.

[BlueNote]

I've been wearing these for work for about 4-5 years now, they are the cheap Vietnamese variety. They have worn very well:

Docs 1 by Blue Note, on Flickr

Docs 1 by Blue Note, on Flickr

I have no idea if I can replace the sole, but I do treat them with wonder balsam and occassionally dubbin. Have replaced the laces once so far.

[tommytebco]

you can see the stitching to the sole on the side of the Doc Martens. I had a cheap pair of boots made exactly like those (to look at) I had them resoled over and over again. The cobbler removes the old sole, glues on a new sole, stiches it on and then trims the edge.
The last time, the cobbler wanted to give up on them. I pleaded that "It would be like losing a child!!" and he did them one more time. The tops were flat worn out by then. At least ten years.

[Stahlmann]

....

[jacob]

This eventually happened to my old hanwags. I asked a cobbler to sew a piece of leather to the inside heel area. The stitches will show on the outside. You could try to follow stitch lines already present ... or try to make them artistic or whatever.