toniins:

cyanidevalentine:

fellshish:

verityontheothersites:

fellshish:

true queer pain

#yes they do#but the trick is to wear them while you’re just sitting around the house#because even that will help stretch out the leather#then every thirty minutes get up and pace#(ive broken in three pairs of docs this way)#repeat until your feet start to hurt and then take them off for the rest of the day#also: make sure to work in your toebox crease by just standing on your tiptoes for a few seconds to a minute#i find that stretching out the toebox specifically hrlps the most wrt pain#and then when you finally feel comfortable enough to go outside with your docs on#cover your heel with blister bandages because that’s the next crease you’re going to need to work into the leathear and it only comes#after walking a lot#also: at one point you will think that your docs are broken-in enough to go on a really long walk#this is the devil speaking#it is too soon#and another thing: conditioning the leather with wax will make the leather softer and help stretch them out as well#so drop some money on the wonder basalm (or a similar leather conditioner) and condition your boots every couple of days

@cordsycords bringing some priceless advice here

are we in a toxic relationship with doc martens

The trick is to buy from Solovair not Doc Martin.

Those stories you hear and the old Doc Martins you see that will last stupidly long? Yeah that was before Doc Martin cut costs, moved production away from skilled makers and dropped the quality of the materials substantially.

However: the people who made the old Doc Martins looked around and said ‘we have the skills and the factories are still here…why not?’ and make boots and shoes of the same quality they always did.

My dad’s method for breaking in docs OR solovairs in half an hour, no walking required (I have done this and it works):

1. Cover the leather in hand cream. As I once heard and can never unhear, skin is leather waiting to happen. What softens one will soften the other. You don’t need fancy leather conditioner. Work the cream into the leather by rubbing it with your hands (not a cloth, a cloth will just absorb the cream).

1.a. dad insists you should use the hand cream on the INSIDE of the boots as well as the outside, but if you don’t feel like getting your shoes quite that slimy, I’ve done it on the outside only and it still works. Just give the cream some time to sink in

2. Put on TWO pairs of socks OR the thickest socks you own, and cram your shoes into the docs.

3. Hair dryer. Highest heat, straight at the shoes. Heat those babies up. Do this for at least five mins. The heat will expand the leather, the cream will stop it cracking, and your feet with the added pressure of the socks will get it to expand in the directions you need it to.

4. Leave your shoes on as they cool. Now is likely a good time for more hand cream.

5. Shoes off. Last coat of hand cream.

6. Done!

It won’t be perfect (this doesn’t give you your creases), but it’ll stop them pinching and let you walk far enough to finish the job.