Buy it for Life

I was actually doing a tonne of research back in April on Martens vs Solovairs. Ultimately: go with Solovairs. I've had mine since April and have had 0 issues since finding the right ones and getting through the break-in period.

A few of my notes:

• Go down 1/2 a size. I recall reading a Reddit thread where users said to go down a full size. I wear a 10, but a 9.5 was the right size for me. I did have to exchange mine, but it was free so Injust had to wait
• There definitely is a break-in period. The shoes will be a bit uncomfortable, but shouldn't be unbearable. Once they're broken in - a week for me IIRC, they're a dream

As other lemmings have mentioned: Martens used to be good. But something happened, Martens switched to cheap labour & cheap materials, and a lot of the original workers left & started Solovair.

Docs suck now, solovair's are the old doc quality you want

I'm 50

I have had multiple pairs of both but I only have Solovair that I can still use, one pair is probably 20 years old with well over a 1000 miles on them. The soles are going out and the leather is cracked but on a dry day they are still the most comfy pair of boots I have

Docs were great until they became a chinese knockoff. If you can find a pair that says Made in England on the sole, they will be quality

Solovair was the company that used to make the old school Martens that everyone loved, but when they lost the contract with Martens they decided to make the same boots but under their own name.

So the solovairs are much better as they are basically the same as the old docs in build quality (some people think old docs are still better than new solovairs as the leather is thicker I think, but to find a pair of old Martens without much wear can be a bit pricey).

Also when buying new boots like these prepare to have to wear them in, took my solovairs about 6 months to become really comfortable. And if possible avoid zippers, if you want a boot that can come off easily go for a Chelsea style with elastic sides, they last a lot longer.

I have some Solovairs that are going strong for 6+ years now. I'm even using them to work at a ranch until I finally buy boots just for work.

Doc Martens moved to Vietnam for production and quality fell off a cliff. Solovair went and brought their old England production equipment to keep the style alive, exactly as they were, and keep up the quality.

Martin's, but admittedly that's pure nostalgia. I have pairs from the 90's still in perfect shape.

Not that it is particularly helpful, but I still have my docs that I bought 30 years ago. They literally survived my house burning down, I dug them out of the ashes. Everything I have heard is that new docs suck and Solovair are essentially what the old docs are, so I'd go with those.

I had a pair of Docs which fell to bits on me after about a year of regular use. I've since got 2 pairs of boots and a pair of trainers from Solovair and, after wearing in, they are the most comfortable footwear I've ever owned. I've worn, mostly the boots, every day for work for about 2 years now with no problems at all. I've even managed to get them mostly waterproof with liberal applications of dubbin wax.

Check out the outlet store (like on the main website), you can pick up shoes with slight defects or end of lines for significant discounts over new.

Here's the thing: quality Goodyear welted boots do not come with zippers. Zippers are a sign of cheap, crappy boots.

No zippered boots will be BIFL.

So, what do you do if you don't want to have to deal with laces?

Chelsea boots. https://thursdayboots.com/products/womens-duchess-black-chelsea-boot

I collect and restore shoes, and I can tell you all about construction + types of leather + what truly makes a boot last a lifetime. Feel free to ask me all your questions.

I've recently purchased the 6 eye astronaut greasy from solovair and absolutely love them. I don't own a whole lot of boots, so my review isn't that grounded, but so far so good. Gets used around 3 times a week, not a lot of hiking since I have a desk job. No break in needed. I don't have the optional sole but they are still comfy. If u order the solovairs buy a half size down, a lot of the product reviews will also mention this. It's also convenient to buy their dubbin wax, if u go for the greasy; or standard leather care for the high shines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkhCcvfVHRs&t=627s for a more in depth review. The short answer is: Solovairs are better than Docs. Unless u can find some vintage Docs

Is it for work? Red Wing boots are great, durable and comfortable. Get the insoles while you're at it. Insoles are consumable.

If for aesthetics, I don't think Red Wing has quite what you're looking for.

Resoleing them requires specialized equipment, or at least nontypical knowledge on how to do it. There is a woman out of Portland that does it. Boilerroom shoe repair. Last I checked, solovair didn't have the resole option available on their site. But it's been a while since I've checked.

Ended up switching to Chelsea's just because I'm hoping I dont have to jump through hoops to get them repaired.

I have a very similar pair of docs. I've worn them generally 5x (or more) per week as their my work shoes. I've had them for almost 3 years, and it shows. They're still pretty comfortable, but most of my job is sitting.

Edit: I just searched the Jadon III, that's the exact pair I have.

Gripfast have always been my go to boots. I've had like two pairs in 15 years. You should check them out. And I agree with others on here that docs are low quality.

Check out newrock boots.