Alternative to Doc Martens, difficulty level: Australian
June 28, 2018 3:03 AM Subscribe
After having a poor run of luck with the quality of a couple of pairs of Doc Martens, I'm looking for something similar, but harder wearing than their current incarnation. I've seen Solovairs on the interwebs, and 'Made in England' Docs, however they're both hard to find in Australia. Any suggestions?
Do you happen to be in Sydney? I have a pair of store-brand combat boots from Raben on George Street that I bought in 2010 and still wear regularly. One sole replacement but otherwise they're in fabulous shape. (I hope they still make them!)
posted by snorkmaiden at 8:55 AM on June 28, 2018
posted by snorkmaiden at 8:55 AM on June 28, 2018
You might want Fluevogs. Derby Swirls. I can vouch for their hard-wearingness (and comfort). Fluevog doesn't have its own store in Australia but they list a few Australian shops that carry their shoes on their website and the Derby Swirls are one of their more common styles so there's a good chance you'll find them.
posted by bibliotropic at 12:37 PM on June 28, 2018
posted by bibliotropic at 12:37 PM on June 28, 2018
I just switched from Docs to Blundstones - and I am so in love. These are awesome boots.
That said, they don't have the same 'combat' like look that a classic Doc Marten boot does. If that's what you're looking for, I would recommend getting actual (surplus) combat boots. British ones are especially strong, but likely you'll have best access to Australian military surplus.
But if what you want is a simple, tough boot, your homegrown Blundstones are loved by all the Canadians I know who have tried them. (I am wearing mine right now, even though it's summer. My office is way too cold).
posted by jb at 3:08 PM on June 28, 2018
That said, they don't have the same 'combat' like look that a classic Doc Marten boot does. If that's what you're looking for, I would recommend getting actual (surplus) combat boots. British ones are especially strong, but likely you'll have best access to Australian military surplus.
But if what you want is a simple, tough boot, your homegrown Blundstones are loved by all the Canadians I know who have tried them. (I am wearing mine right now, even though it's summer. My office is way too cold).
posted by jb at 3:08 PM on June 28, 2018
Response by poster: Thanks for the recommendations. I've gotta say the Blundstone love surprises me a little, based on my own (somewhat ancient) experience. When I wore them back in the 90s the were the cheap, somewhat crappy alternative to docs etc., and had a rep for falling apart themselves. I guess the move to overseas manufacturing has helped them? I'll have to go check some out. Also intrigued by the Fluevogs.
posted by threecheesetrees at 3:35 PM on June 28, 2018
posted by threecheesetrees at 3:35 PM on June 28, 2018
Response by poster: Re: Aussie Surplus combat boots, they were my go to for years after I gave up on Blunnies. I switched to DMs for the cushioning, once my feet couldn't handle the, uh... Spartan comforts of those. Maybe I should check out if their design's improved as well.
posted by threecheesetrees at 3:40 PM on June 28, 2018
posted by threecheesetrees at 3:40 PM on June 28, 2018
I've only had my Blundstones for three months - they are super comfortable, but can't testify to lasting. That said, my co-worker in a coffee shop swore by them for lasting, as does my dad (lives in remote BC).They seem solid, well constructed - and better than my Docs of a similar design.
posted by jb at 5:06 PM on June 28, 2018
posted by jb at 5:06 PM on June 28, 2018
Love my Blundstones so much that I'm waiting for another pair of boots to fall apart just so I can buy another pair.
posted by arcticseal at 4:12 AM on June 29, 2018
posted by arcticseal at 4:12 AM on June 29, 2018
Oh no, don’t get Blundies, they’re made in China now and with the last pair I bought, the rubber on the soles literally just crumbled off. If you google it, it’s a really well known issue. Maybe they’ve fixed it but I won’t be taking the risk. Shame because they used to be so good.
posted by Jubey at 4:16 AM on June 29, 2018
posted by Jubey at 4:16 AM on June 29, 2018
I just checked when I bought my Blundstone 1316 boots, over two years ago and the soles are holding up fine. Might have been an issue earlier?
posted by arcticseal at 4:42 AM on June 29, 2018
posted by arcticseal at 4:42 AM on June 29, 2018
It could be a quality control issue, rather than a quality issue. I had the same problem with docs - one pair lost the soles in 6 months, the next lasted for over two years (and were only damaged on the uppers due to serious abuse).
As customers: I recommend taking back boots that do fail within a short period. (I also recommend taking a very confident middle-class person with you when you do so - mine had to argue with the manager that "oil-resistant" does not mean "liable to breakdown due to oil exposure").
posted by jb at 5:24 AM on June 29, 2018
As customers: I recommend taking back boots that do fail within a short period. (I also recommend taking a very confident middle-class person with you when you do so - mine had to argue with the manager that "oil-resistant" does not mean "liable to breakdown due to oil exposure").
posted by jb at 5:24 AM on June 29, 2018
I've had my Blundstones for two years and they're holding up well. They're also super popular with the IDF kids who are super hard on their boots, FWIW.
posted by youcancallmeal at 9:47 AM on June 29, 2018
posted by youcancallmeal at 9:47 AM on June 29, 2018
Nthing the Blundstones suggestion - I didn't live through what were apparently the halcyon days of England/Australia manufactured boots, but comparing my China-made Docs and Blundstones the latter are miles ahead in terms of construction and comfort.
Palladium also makes some nifty boots (e.g.), though I am not sure how hard they are to find in Australia.
posted by btfreek at 4:07 PM on June 29, 2018
Palladium also makes some nifty boots (e.g.), though I am not sure how hard they are to find in Australia.
posted by btfreek at 4:07 PM on June 29, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by youcancallmeal at 4:17 AM on June 28, 2018 [2 favorites]