this post was submitted on 20 Oct 2025
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Buy it for Life

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Martens or Solovair? Or an alternative? (slrpnk.net)
submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by MystValkyrie@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/buyitforlife@slrpnk.net
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My Torrid combat boots are falling apart, so I'm in the market for a new pair that are specifically platform boots that come in black.

Unfortunately, the pair from Solovair (pictured) that I've had my eye on for a while (their 8-eye derby platforms) is no longer being sold, and it was replaced with a visually worse alternative where the zippers face outward.

I've never owned Martens before, but knowing that Martens aren't what they used to be, how much do I have to lose by picking up a pair of Jadon III's instead? If anyone knows any alternatives in the same style that are also Goodyear Welt, that could also be an option.

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[–] MystValkyrie@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Is this just the Docs that are hard to resole, or also Solovair too?

[–] Kimjongtooill@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

They both use the same tech, so both are relevant as far as I know. I only own Solovair though, so I'm not sure about Docs

[–] actionjbone@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 days ago

The issue is the heat sealing of the sole to the welt.

Typical Goodyear wilted shoes have a removable sole that separate from the welt. However, modern Docs use heat to melt the sole and welt together, creating a permanent bond.

[–] TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today 1 points 2 days ago

I would have to take a pair of solovair apart to be sure, but they kinda look like old Docs, which use a wellington welt, but it's mainly for show.

With docs the midsole and the sole are actually one piece of plastic, not two separate prices being held together with the welt and some glue. At the price point of the solovair I'm guessing they are the same . It's hard to find a boot that's worth being resoled for less than 400-500 bucks.

No boot with a zipper on it is a buy it for life boot, zippers just fail too often because the webbing they're made from isn't as strong as the leather it's attached too.

If you want something that's a similar style, but is actually buy it for life quality, I'd look at Danner's rainforest boots. They are almost double the price, but you can actually send them back to the maker to get them resoled and have the uppers repaired if damaged.

Also, they do have some pretty awesome sales a couple times a year.