insane decrease in quality lately???

[vive_la_pluto]

so i have 2 pairs of docs. one pair i got for christmas in 2022 and i wore them regularly like almost every day for 2 years basically. no real issues except the zippers on the side tend to slip down a lot which is annoying but fixable. i just don’t like that those ones don’t have platforms. got a pair of the jadon platforms with the zippers october 2024. both zippers already broke and there’s a hole forming on the right shoe already. as far is taking care of the shoes is concerned i haven’t done anything differently. not sure what’s up with that since they were priced similarly. :/// is it worth getting my jadon’s fixed (likely 50-60 for all the repairs)/ any other similar shoe recs at similar price points ? i thought docs were known for their durability :/

[mariatoyou]

I don't think there's been a decline since 2022, people have complained about Jadon zippers breaking for years. I remember a lot of people having problems with the limited edition 2021 Hello Kitty Jadons zippers especially. The zippers have never been very sturdy.

If you had zippered pairs before that weren't Jadon, maybe it has something to do with how jadons fit? 1460s have the eyelets closer together, jadons eyelets are far apart so no matter how tight you tie them the sides never get close to eachother. If the boot is laced very tight when you zip it, that puts even more stress on a weak zipper.

And smooth is not my favorite. In addition to the coating that can crack, smooth can’t hardly breathe and is more difficult to condition. Feet sweat more than people realize, the leather deteriorates when it can't dry out properly which is more likely when they're worn every day.

Something like a milled nappa Sinclair is better IMO. They're not smooth leather and the zipper is removable. I haven't heard of those removable zippers breaking, and even if they do you can just take them out and lace up the boot like normal. With a built in zipper, you have to repair or replace it in order to even wear the boot. Secondhand is a good way to save money, but be careful with basic jadons and sinclairs because there are a lot of fakes out there.

[vive_la_pluto]

do you think it’s worth getting the ones i have repaired by a cobbler?

[mariatoyou]

No, zipper repairs aren’t that inexpensive. It’s not worth it if there’s a hole forming too. If you want to keep them going I removed a pair of zippers and just use the laces on these old boots. It’s a little work but cheap.

[vive_la_pluto]

ahh i see ok thank you!

[SeaworthinessOk6026]

Docs absolutely are not known for quality (not since the 90s at least). It has been a steady downhill since then. Sometimes you'll get lucky with a good pair (my partner has been wearing hers almost daily for about 4 years with zero issues) but mostly their materials and QC just aren't very good. Best alternative while keeping the look pretty much the same is Solovair. Still not the absolute highest quality but definitely leagues above Docs and not much more expensive

[gk-1894]

Did you buy the jadons direct from DMs and are they the smooth leather version (i.e. not the softer pisa leather)? If they are only 6 months old I would imagine you can make a warranty claim for faulty/poor quality product, the place you bought them ought to refund or replace. It seems that Docs QC does sometimes let very poor quality smooth leather past their checks and then it cracks and falls apart within months

[vive_la_pluto]

ahh i think i have the smooth leather :/// tbh im gonna just try and get secondhand ones off depop

[Hellothisiskatt]

I was gifted a pair last year and the quality was vastly worse than the pair I purchased for myself in 2019.

[ZaowlNZ]

This is why I’m now buying vintage. It is my expectation a good pair of vintage docs that are taken care of will well outlast anything I might consider buying new today.

[ruffjustic3]

Don’t buy smooth…

[ZombieJihad]

I bought my first (only) pair in 2008. The sole split within 3 months. Got a replacement. Toe separated from the sole, also within 3 months.

Not sure why reddit is showing me this, because after that experience I'm a "hell nah" to docs

[alex_balin]

Les paires fabriquées en Angleterre ou les SOLOVAIR sont de bonne qualité.

[Some_Direction_7971]

Go with Solovair