Customer Reviews

Dr. Martens Original 10 Eye Steel Toe Boot,Black Fine Haircell,7 UK (US Men's 8 M/Women's 9 M)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought these to replace an identical pair that I've been wearing for ten years. I got the old ones in London, and they were made in England. This new pair was made in China. They have changed...some for the good and some for the bad. There is now more toe room, which I like. However, both heel pads were ill fitted and loose. I had to trim them and stick them back in with super glue. I'm starting to really break them in now and I think I'll love them for years to come. They provide good ankle support and keep my feet warm. Buyer beware that these boots come very very stiff, and will take time to break in. When I first get them, I just wear them around the house occasionally until I can actually wear them out for a bit. If you try to wear them too long when you first get them, they will most definitely wear blisters on your feet. Break them in slowly and you'll have a wonderfully comfortable pair of boots to last a long time.

yes, people will still buy these for the DM mystique; yes, they still look cool; yes, the leather can still be worn battered and bruised, a la skins or goths, or polished to a brilliant shine.
BUT -
They are not in the same league, as when they were made in England. The cushion is gone, the interior of the leather is rough and stiff, as though the leather was never treated. Construction is solid and 'industrial' and I really LOVED my old pairs, which I wore for an average of 6 to 8 years. But these, for the price, will look good on you, and that's all. I gave mine away after trying to break them in for over 6 months and treating the leather with every kind of dressing I could. My old, old combat boots were easier to break in, many years ago.

My recommendation - if you like the goth / skins look, spend a few more bucks and get a seriously good boot that you can wear clubbing, biking or just hanging and chilling, and that will alsotreat your feet and legs with respect. If you want boots for work, for military, LEO or paintball, go with Original SWAT or Altama. If you just HAVE to have Doc Martens, then go ahead, but know in advance that you're gonna be hurting.

I've been wearing Docs for 10 years and have had many pairs, UK and Chinese made and the only ones I've had that had problems weas one UK made pair where the sole stitching began to unravel. Other than that, all have been great including these 1919's. I like the look of the leather better than my UK made 1940's (14i steel toe) since it is shinier. Consequently, it is also stiffer. The air soles on these Chinese made 10i's were very responsive and soft for a pair of Doc's. Since I was on my feet working in a warehouse for about 12 hours a day in them for a few months straight, I was pretty happy about that. If you have high arches, want to preserve the cardboard insoles, want a better fit for skinny feet or want some extra comfort, I recommend cushioned insoles. However, for summer months they can make your feet hot. I also recommend mink oil to preserve the leather, flat sneaker-style laces, though as I've had this pair for almost two years now, the laces have mysteriously not broken, a definite first for any pair of Docs I have had.

as always, the boots are great. docs never let me down, except in one area, the laces. i don't know who they get these from but every pair i've ever owned has had the laces fray up w/in the first week. that makes lacing up ten eyes pretty darn difficult.

The other reviews were right--Docs are not as comfortable as they were back when I wore them in high school. The leather looks cheaper, and it's taking longer to break them in.

First off, I ordered a pair of the black UK 11 on Sunday with regular super saver free shipping and was completely shocked to find them sitting on my doorstep Tuesday afternoon when I got home from work. I say shocked because I've waited weeks for CD's and books from Amazon. Now I normally wear Grinders that I buy locally from Air Ware (great boot if you can find them, and great store - Kathy's the best), but after seeing the price I couldn't pass it up. This will be my fourth pair of 1919's (used to work in a Doc store so I tend to use the numbers). I use these boots for just about everything and since I work outside and spend my fair share of time on construction sites and am on my feet pretty much all day, they never seem to last anywhere near the 10 years like the other guy. Still great boots none the less and I usually get two years on a pair, which isn't bad for work boots. That being said, I ordered the same size I always get and was a little dissappointed to find that they now run a little bigger than they used to. This could be because of what the other guy posted about the boots now being made in China, I don't know. The other thing that dissapointed me is the fact that they dye the leather all the way through now. My old 1925's weren't like that (they had the color only on the surface), which I like because as they wear and the color wears off it makes the shoes/boots look better. That's just personal opinion since I'm way past the boots&braces and shining everyday. The other drawback with the dye is that even after just 15 minutes of trying them on and walking aroung the house, my socks were already black. I know that will go away with age and a couple packs of new socks, so not a huge deal. I do like that there's no more vinyl tounge, it's now leather like the real safety toe Doc's I used to have. All in all, based on previous pairs I've owned and the price, great boots. The cons that I mentioned are minor and aren't worth deducting a star, so I'm giving them five for price and speed of delivery. Although the jury's still out on the Chinese quality, I'll have to wait and see, they seem well made with decent leather. So far they seem well worth it so I'd pick up a pair while they last at this price.

This is the classic for all bootboys and bootgirls. I wear U.K. 10 and these are cut the best. After two or three wears you will know why. The pair I brought are made in China. The grain of leather is better then the non-steel toe made in China boots. I would always suggest these over the regular ones. Unless you are looking for the U.K. made versions. And even then I would still buy these. If your feet are wider these will do fine for you then. U.K. versions are usually more narrow. And that means a longer break in process. Overall these rule...

Not that much like I'm walking on air but the steel toe is why I bought them so they serve there purpose. It's for school but as far as when I become a pro automotive tech I will need something a bit better

These are just plain awful. The leather is inferior - thin, stiff, hard, and cheap. The finish is poor at best, and the fit appears to be the brainchild of some alien life form which has read many books about the human foot, and hopes to one day have the privilege of seeing one with its own three eyes.

There's really nothing else to be said, but I'm going to find something anyway, because I am irritated. From the moment of opening the box and discovering they were accompanied by a small card telling me that the manufacturer is not responsible (pretty obvious if they make a product like this) from the moment of donning them and confirming one's suspicions that they were indeed designed by Nazi discomfort specialists, the whole experience can only leave you wanting to track down and personally insult every individual involved in designing, manufacturing, and shipping this massive failure to your doorstep.

I can only conclude that this product derives its profitability from the fact that any sufficiently large population must contain some number of paraplegics who can feel nothing from the waist down, masochists who derive erotic satisfaction from pain, and the just plain mentally ill. Surely no one else would voluntarily wear this. Perhaps they are being used to extract confessions from the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. If so, they need to switch to something more humane, like waterboarding, flaying alive, or reruns of "Dancing with the Stars".

Oh, and also one of the insoles was in two pieces. So they were not only bad, but defective, too.

I will returning this item. Possibly the mail carrier will refuse to take them on the grounds that he possess basic good taste.

Boots were shipped direct to my son as a birthday gift. Perfect fit and delivered in plenty of time for his birthday.