Before 2003, my wife and I had bought about 25 pairs of Dr.Martens shoes and boots between us, all made in England. Most of them we are still happily wearing. After all those years I've decided to get four of the currently marketed Dr.Martens models: the Clash (made in Thailand), Oxford with with studded uppers (made in Vietnam), Khaki Oxfords (made in Laos), and Mary Janes (made in Vietnam). (Evidently, Dr. Martens footwear is made all over South-East Asia nowadays, and it is not surprising their leather quality is very variable, from one shoe/boot model to another.) Upon receiving those shoes, it became quickly obvious that they had only a superficial resemblance to the vintage Doc Martens. The shoes are extremely stiff and painfully uncomfortable on my feet, and the Khaki Oxfords are brutally so. Their leather feels plastic-like, almost completely devoid of a leather smell, and the shoes just do not have that "right feel" the old Docs had. Although not made of patent leather, the Khaki Oxfords as well as the Mary Janes must have been heavily coated ( lacquered) because their leather does not absorb either mink oil or conditioner. Those nominally `leather` shoes blur the dividing line between real leather uppers and synthetic uppers. All in all, their appearance and styling aside, those are pretty awful shoes, and the last Dr.Martens we'll ever buy.

I bought mine second hand; someone else did the dirty work for me😎

My dream was to have them,and now i am sitting here wearing them,legs kinda hurts but i am happy as little kid

First put them on with two pair of socks, walk around and feel where they are tight. Then concentrate on working the area(s) that are too tight. The leather will stretch a bit in those areas and the rest will form fit on their own. You can use lots of different implements to help stretch it out or just push with your fingers/hand. I use honey bee (like dubbin) to moisten the leather before I start. And yes, I have used a hair drier, but make sure the leather is moist. That is my approach anyway and it works well for me.

There’s only one way to do that. Wear them every single day.

I'm still wearing my first pair after about 9 years! 😊 My heels are scarred though. 😅

I've had the black Dr Martens 1460's and the brown ones for 22 years. Used to put the Dr Martens Wonder Balsam on them. Eventually wore out the padding and had to put in some Dr Scholls for comfort lol Wore them pretty much everyday. The only reason I stopped wearing them was because my crazy dog at the time chewed them. Otherwise they'd still be kickin. Just bought a new pair of black leather Combs today and a pack of good thick work socks to break them in. Getting the brown ones next. Cant wait. Love Dr Martens 👊😎

If you’ve got the classic 1460’s here’s what has worked for me for the past 40 years. For the first week just wear around the house with no laces. This will gently ease them in. Then after a week lace them to 4 holes only and wear them around the house for a couple of hours max. Lacing them this way allows them to sit more like a shoe and will ease to the shape to you foot without over stretching the leather. In between wears use their Wonder Balsam concentrating on the rear heel and calf panel (I used to use dubbing but Dr M have got this right, It’s brilliant stuff) Then go up one hole per week doing exactly the same thing. Before you know it they’ll be ready. 👊🏻

Bought a pair and got to the job with them the next day "bad idea" almost died haha

This is awesome

I own multiple pairs of 1460s and never had a problem breaking them in. Sure they're stiff at first, but never painful. My oldest pair are a dream to wear. Maybe I'm just lucky.

Bought 1460 8 eye boot , my ass had no idea I had to break those shoes . I took them to wear fresh for my vacation . I wore that with only one pair of shock and had to walk whole Tennessee downtown.Ended up with 4 blister and a 4 wound in around my ankle . I haven’t touched those boots since .

amazed they release this just now lol

Just picked up a pair, going to wear it on an 8 hour carpet cleaning shift tonight. Basicly doing lunges for 8 hours

I just bought my first winter pair. I was so excited and happy! I made a Video about my new love ^^ greeting from Austria (liked and shared) ^-^d

Bought today, the pain is the same like 20 years ago :)

I have second hand patent docs, my first wear wasn’t great. My heels bled within 20mins of walking, went to the shop to get 5 blister pads and 5 big plasters… it just about did the trick to get me through 5 hours. It’s the part where the heel is sewn that hurts for me. It doesn’t help that one is tighter than the other. (I don’t think the previous person that owned them had worn them more than once)

I talked with my father how long it takes to break in these shoes and he askes me "Why doe you buy these shoes!?" Because they look so f.. good.😂😂😂😂(someday they are very comfortable)

I have 2 pairs of 1460s that are 31 years old, made in england. I still wear them daily. I bought a new pair of 1460s, felt stiff but no pain. Persistently wear them and protect your feet with 2 pairs of socks. I’d say The Made in England range feel very different in quality and feel to others made around the world, they are the same as the ones I unboxed in 1992 when I was 13 so I know they will last decades.

Really good 😂😂

Ah I wish I watched this before I wore them today. Got blisters even though I was wearing thick socks

I think I got a small pair, I can only wear it comfortably when there are no socks and insole😅

Just got my first pair, the 1460 Blade Runner special editions. Been wearing them for about 6 hours now, and they already feel better than when I put them on!

Any advice for canvas one? I have been using them x 3.5 years now and still make me bleed. Of course I don't use them so much, I don't believe a shoe has to make you bleed! Dm should address this, other shoes don't do this!

I recently bought the 1460 Vonda Mono ankle boots! They are so pretty, but I'm having trouble with the right boot. The tongue seam is so tight that it digs into my foot. I don't have this problem on the left boot. I know many people have that issue, but I've never heard of anyone having it in only one boot. I've tried wonder balsam, stuffing them with newspapers. Right now, I've stuffed a tennis ball in it along with three insoles. I also got some adhesive moleskin to put inside over the seam. It has made the boot more comfortable, but it's still tight in that area.

I recently bought the ones with fur in them lol 1460s Serena I think? How is the process for stretching these out. Is it the same? They feel more comfy due to the fur inside!

I love the Made In England 1460 I have the Black and Ox Blood Red

Here's how I break in my 1460's. Buy and gettem' home. Remove laces and put them on while lazing around the apartment for a coupla' hours. Take them off and give a good coat of mink oil. I use SofSole. It will soak in like water to a sponge. Apply again and let sit. The next day do the same thing and so forth for the 3rd day. Make sure to go heavy on the mink oil on the top instep where the leather will crease and don't skimp on the tongue especially at the base where it meets the upper. On the 4th day lace them up and get busy wearing them around town or work. At the end of the day's wear remove the laces and hit 'em again with the mink oil. The next day lace 'em up and go to work. I have 4 pairs of Doc's and that is what's worked for me and I wear my 1460's 12 hours every day. Super comfortable. I recently got a pair of Crazy Horse 1460's and am on the 4th day. I'll be wearing them tomorrow. I see many reviews trashing Doc's quality and leather made in such and such countries these days but thus far I have not experienced any thing but good from this boot brand. I have some made in Vietnam, Laos and my new Crazy Horse's are from Bangledesh. I don't care as long as they fit and feel good. No matter what I wear with them... I rock and make these boots look guuuud!

I got the vegan leather 1460 and they already are broken in 😊

Can I order the 1460 last in you?

anyone please help me here, i want to get myself the classic 1460 but there's 1460 black smooth and 1460 8 eye boot on the web, which one is the classic??

I just bought my first pair. Looks good 👍, hurts af🤯 hope it’s not gonna be my last pair as well🤷‍♀️🙄

Soooo. How do we break them in?

I couldn't get to wear them much BC first i buy man version instead of female than I got half size up and now finally I hope I got the right size so let's see how they will break in lucky someone has used them a bit so I have less to break in

Just got my first pair of 1460s, I'm just gonna wear them. They'll soften up eventually.

Le mie prime Dr Martens quest’anno a gennaio compiono 10 anni ! ❤🥹

Just got my new Black Cappers and I'm feeling like a Bad Ass! Psst

Just got these…this is my second time wearing them and my ankles are so chopped ugh I think this will be my last pair if they don’t hurry and break in 😢yikes

Hot water trick works as well

I had no idea these shoes need to be "broken" before wear. I went out and the pain was SO EXTRUCIATING I had to buy another pair of shoes to get home. Doc Martens should have a card in the box with this information. Now I have blisters on my toes and I'm out of pocket £40 buying ugly shoes from a train station that I will never wear again 🤨

I have a pair of 1460 crazy horse boots, first time walking had hot heels after 10 mins, but continued onwards for another 45 mins. Did this 1 hour walk 3 or 4 times and boots were broken in. However i just bought some nonslip atlas oxblood 1460. They are a nightmare. Ive done over 10 , 4 mile walks in them and still getting blisters on my heels. Ive had leather conditioner on them (not balsam) just serms to sit on smooth surface not soaking in, ive had heat on them, double socks, tried hammer on the heel (gently tap to soften leather). Nothing works !

Maybe it's time shoe makers work on a new type of shoe/boot that doesn't need to broken in

Stop making your nana wear them 😂😂😂😂

watching this as a wheelchair user, i actually bought my docs to give me a break from ankle braces that look like asbo tags..... but im not walking in them so ideas? also. Stars. bring some starry ones out pleeeeease!!!! (im too late for the purple ray ones. sad times. ) got peppermint boots for my first pair but yeah, wearing them in when you dont walk. fun times!

I didn't even have to break my second pair in lol

A bit annoyed that I bought the dr martens boots from platypus and inside a very very small sticker says made in Vietnam. I wanted some from England. I’ve been trying to buy from original manufacturers but to me it seems that profits are a priority in every industry.

I wore my first pair today (1460 bex pascal). The skin is hanging off the back of both my heels. Will this subside? I dont think I can wear any shoes/boots tomorrow with the pain let alone docs

as a child I’ve had toothpicks go in between my toes like pungi sticks and stepped on a rusty nail more than once so a boot doesn’t hurt me feet😂pulling a toothpick out from in between your toes is a pain you never forget like the time I reached under the couch for something I dropped dragging my fingers under not knowing my cousin had a poster down there so of course in gave me a paper cut under my fingernails 😂

I hate being this person but extreme doc break in is non existent. It’s a leather shoe. It’s stiff(ish) but you’re not supposed to bleed or blister or be in excruciating pain. Measure your foot and check the size charts or try them on first. They’re comfortable out of the box. Your feet will never be as happy in them as they are in sneakers but they’re not sneakers. This video is just good general leather goods protocol. Get a new leather shoe, nourish the leather/give it a polish, wear them, repeat the leather food and polishing every so often. If your feet aren’t initially somewhat comfortable in a new pair of shoes, no amount of break in will change that and your foot health is going to suffer.

Just buy Pascal boots, they are made with softer leather, not tight at all, comfortable from day one.

Ware ‘em in your house for two weeks or thug it out like me and work in them.

The moment they fit is the moment you should get new ones

I bought my first pair of quality boots from Velasca this year. Found out quality leather is soft and doesn’t hurt. Shoes hurt when the material is poor.

Me when ultrakill scream 0:20

You break in your shoes by WEARING them

I just bought the industrial winch steel toe boots and the damn steel toe is rubbing on the top of my big toe, there’s literally no cushion, so annoying!

Any tips for the Vegan ones...?

Why Dr Martens is not learning from his older brother Solovair? Somehow they can do boots which don’t need to be broken

Docs are overrated I can buy similar boots at Walmart for $30 that are more comfortable and durable.

The best way is to buy British made ones lol you don’t need to break them and they fit great.

Too bad the quality is shit now, “lifetime of wear” is the most bollocks ive heard of

I did the pleasure to wearing my new dr marts today for my 8 hour job… let me just say, I was hating life….. 😭😭😭 my poor feet are damaged with blisters… ima wear them again like in. Few days…. I must not give up…. 😭😭😭😭😭😭

Bought them 3 times... 3 times I bled and have no regrets

Against my advice, my daughter bought a pair of Dr Martens shoes a month or so ago for around £90. The sole began separating within a month…absolute trash.

"A lifetime of wear" yah right. The soles wear off before you can manage to break in the leather.

A LIFETIME of wear?! Maybe 2-3 years, max, maybe...

Best thing to do is... 1. Put them on with no socks. 2. Walk around with them for about 8 hours per day.

You have to wear them to wear them.

These little fckrs that I love, they kill my feets every single time, lol. But I love them so bad. 1461 Bex Leather owner, here. Still waiting for them to break.

uh.. why can't you just put padding inside the boots ? ankle and shin.. If you sell ankle pad's, why not include them in the box and just up the cost a little bit. Why make customers go out of their way to fix a problem you caused.

A person that knows about boots would slap on some mink oil and just wear them. A person who REALLY knows boots would just buy Redwings.

The vegan docs are miserable to break in. And nothing works. Should have bought the leather.

bought a pair of doc 2023, stepped in a tiny piece of glass and it made a hole in the outsole. 2024 bought a replacement pair like an idiot fanboy, boots were creased brand new from factory. horrible products.

solovair all the way.. MADE IN ENGLAND unlike cheap martens

Garbage shoes now. Made in Vietnam/ china. They are not the same.

or just make better boots

Love Doc’s and been a proud supporter since my high school days in 90’s but after seeing their LGBT boots, they lost me as a customer… woke us broke👍 lol

Just get some Clark’s , instant comfort from day 1 . Black desert boot🤌🏽