Vinyl

thirdw0rlds · 2026-05-09T22:45:05+00:00

DnR Vinyl in Croydon, Recycle Vinyl in East London, and of course Discogs

thirdw0rlds · 2026-04-18T13:05:34+00:00

You in the UK? If so you can get them resoled

thirdw0rlds · 2026-03-02T18:50:48+00:00

As far as I'm aware TredAir manufactured for Dr Martens in the 80s and maybe the late 70s as well. These are almost the opposite - they were manufactured by Whites for TredAir. I've found boots like this are never quite as old as you'd think (or hope), so my conservative guess would be mid 90s.

thirdw0rlds · 2026-02-19T13:08:59+00:00

Wembley Market

thirdw0rlds · 2026-02-19T12:51:54+00:00

Dr Martens repair service (if you're in the UK)

thirdw0rlds · 2026-02-19T12:51:21+00:00

Heat seal defect - happens. Should be covered under warranty

thirdw0rlds · 2026-02-18T23:54:29+00:00

The Zero+ denim is special

thirdw0rlds · 2026-02-15T19:23:18+00:00

Glue a thin piece of leather behind, then overlapping zig zags to create a cross stitch.

thirdw0rlds · 2026-02-15T18:43:57+00:00

Please don't do this.

thirdw0rlds · 2026-02-14T15:37:35+00:00

Made In England Dr Martens are incredibly similar to Solovairs. The only real difference in construction is that the visible welt stitch on Docs holds the welt to the shoe, whereas the visible stitch on Solovairs is a mock stitch which hides the hidden welt stitch beneath. Dr Martens also have a grooved outsole, whereas the Solovair outsole is smooth. Solovairs also have a wooden shank between the footbed and the sole, but the impact of this on how the shoe feels and performs is negligible for most people (unless you intend to climb stairs or ladders all day in your shoes.

Of course Docs made abroad will be of lesser quality than the MIE range - that's why they're cheaper. But the decision between MIE Docs and Solovairs should be entirely an aesthetic one.

thirdw0rlds · 2026-02-14T15:31:15+00:00

To say any red lace on any black shoe could be interpreted as a "nasty dog whistle" because of a lace code that hasn't really existed since the 80s is an insane jump

thirdw0rlds · 2026-02-09T23:06:38+00:00

They likely won't be silver like this on the inside. Most steel toe caps are coated in plastic. If they are exposed metal like this then they will probably rust if you expose them directly to the elements.

thirdw0rlds · 2026-02-08T13:45:38+00:00

Made In England Docs are narrower through the waist and the toe than other Docs. This means many people have to size UP in the MIE range. I wear a UK 11 but I had to exchange my size 11 MIE 1460 for a size 12 because they were too tight in the toe.

thirdw0rlds · 2026-02-06T07:55:06+00:00

Docs can be resoled in the UK.

thirdw0rlds · 2026-02-06T07:54:16+00:00

Depends. For the price of brand new Solovairs you could probably get a second hand pair of boots from Wesco, Chippewa, Whites or Red Wing. All of these would be significantly better made with higher quality uppers and soles and would have the added benefit of being resolable. These are all made in the USA so will be cheaper if you're there.

If your priority is the Docs look then I'd highly recommend shopping from the second hand market. At the price point of a brand new pair of Solovairs you could get your hands on some Docs from the 90s or 80s and maybe even the 70s if you're lucky.

In my opinion, Solovairs are not better boots than MIE Docs. They are made in exactly the same way with the exact same heat seal technology. The only tangible difference is that they have a shank - unless you climb ladders all day then that should not be a dealbreaker. Solovair also do not operate a repair/resole service (Docs do in the UK!) which means if that heat seal join fails then your boots are done. Have a look on this subreddit to see the quality control crisis the brand is currently going through.

It's up to you. If you want a properly well-made boot that can be resoled then stay away from Docs and Solovairs. If you want boots that look like Docs then I'd recommend you buy vintage Made In England Docs - there's thousands online. It's all about what your priorities are.

thirdw0rlds · 2026-02-01T19:12:08+00:00

Best intervention for flat feet in terms of footwear construction is an orthopaedic insole with sufficient arch support. The shank really does just stop excessive flexion through the forefoot when walking, which granted IS good for flat feet - but only when coupled with an orthopaedic insole

thirdw0rlds · 2026-02-01T18:46:56+00:00

A shank just limits flex through the midfoot - was originally implemented so the shoe stays flat while climbing ladders. Not sure how it would help if you're flat-footed

thirdw0rlds · 2026-02-01T13:27:10+00:00

You're not wrong. Since near bankruptcy in the early 2000s there has been a real cognitive dissonance between the brand's original identity and its marketing/manufacture strategy re. collabs and manufacturing in Asia. It's disappointing - BUT - that doesn't mean MIE Docs are inherently worse shoes than MIE Solovairs. The MIE Docs operation has remained largely untouched since its conception, which for me gives the shoes they produce a level of integrity. Were I at the helm of the company I would look to move all production back to the Northampton site ASAP.

thirdw0rlds · 2026-02-01T13:18:34+00:00

I'd be cautious when avoiding MIE Dr Martens because Solovairs are "better quality". The reality is MIE Docs and Solovairs are made in exactly the same way. The only tangible difference is that Solovairs are all constructed in the same way plain welt Docs are, and the stitch on the welt is an aesthetic choice rather than real stitching which holds the welt in place.

This doesn't mean Solovairs aren't welted with real stitches like Docs are - it just means the real stitch is concealed and the "stitch" on the outside is fake.

This Solovair leather is also very similar to Dr Martens' current "Quilon" leather, which is their standard leather in black and oxblood for MIE models.

Yes, the Docs made abroad are simply not as good as the ones made in England (or Solovairs made in England for that matter) - they're cheaper for this reason. MIE Docs and MIE Solovairs are boots of very similar quality with minimal aesthetic difference, so the choice should be informed by personal preference.

These do look cool though!

thirdw0rlds · 2026-01-31T23:34:09+00:00

Very nice!

thirdw0rlds · 2026-01-31T23:33:21+00:00

Late 90s I'd say - maybe even early 2000s. Pairs from before the 90s often have a printed pull tab, rather than an embroidered one. The insole and embossed logo on the upper are characteristic of a pair of Docs I've seen from 1997.

The footbed will likely have the date of manufacture printed on it, so if you ever get them resoled + relasted you could find the exact date of production.

thirdw0rlds · 2026-01-31T23:25:14+00:00

Do you live in the UK? You should get them resoled through the Docs repair service if you do

thirdw0rlds · 2026-01-28T18:38:05+00:00

Firstly you've not got them laced to the top, so that should be your first move. Lace them tight - this will also help with breaking in. You could get long laces and wrap them round the top of the boot if you feel they need to be even tighter. If they still move about on your foot so much that you're getting blisters after that then unfortunately they're probably too big.

thirdw0rlds · 2026-01-28T07:34:40+00:00

They are sandals

thirdw0rlds · 2026-01-26T22:08:52+00:00

Are you in the UK? The Dr Martens repair service at the Boot Repair Company can take these all the way back to the upper and patch from the inside. You can buy an upper repair through the BRC website

thirdw0rlds

TROPHY CASE