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| Photography taken by Matt McCormick |
Docs are bold and brilliant statement item that will last you years. But, what is not brilliant? Blisters. Like all premium quality leather shoes, Docs require some teething time before you can feel totally comfortable in your new kicks. So, with my newly purchased pair, I’m ready to share the best ways to become best friends with Dr Marten, and how to avoid a foot faux pas.
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| Pinafore Dress & Jumper - Bluerinse Vintage |
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| Dr Martens - 1406 Pascal Virginia |
Don’t- Spend more than £4 on Wonderbalsam
Wonderbalm is a natural leather softener made of coconut oil, beeswax and lanolin. This stuff is great to protect and softens the leather of your beloved Docs. It is available on the Dr Martens site for £4, so don’t be fooled into forking out a tonne.
Do- Consider alternatives
Shop around for the best price online. Also consider other ways to break in your Docs that don’t involve spending more of your hard earned dollar (see below).
Don’t-Think you can hack the hardcore outing on first wear.
A full day’s outing on a first date? Not the best idea...same applies to your Docs (unless you enjoy powering through foot pain or resorting to the barefoot look?).
Do- Date your Docs
Give your Docs some respect, you don’t know each other properly yet so start things off slow. Walk around the house in them for 5-10minutes at a time. Give each other some space and time to feel comfortable together. Soon you’ll be able to take a full day trip but you need to get familiar first.
Don’t- Think your feet are invisible
Even in the Doc ‘dating’ stage (see above), you need to look after your feet and set boundaries. The process will take longer and be more painful if you go in with thin socks.
Do- Get too big for your boots
I found that to boost the break-in process things like wearing thick socks, stuffing with a large potato (yes you read that right) and man-handling them with a bit of bending particularly around the heel area are great kickstarters to get your Docs in shape. It helps to stretch the leather a little without the stress of sore feet.
Don’t- buy a size blind
You wouldn’t buy a car without a test drive, so don’t buy your Docs without getting the size right. The fit of your Docs could make or break you.
Do- Your research
Try on in store and read around. The Dr Marten website has a great size guide, and you’ll find most retailers can give great advice when you go into the store, so don’t be afraid to ask.
Finally, Like any good relationship, Dr Martens are a great investment that can bring you a great look and even greater joy. Putting in a few precautionary measures and doing the right prep are essential to a healthy and enduring relationship. I love my Docs, and I’m sure you will too.
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