Dr. MartensDr. Marten's 1461 Original, Unisex-Adult Lace-Up Flats

I haven't broken these in yet but can say I wore them from one in the morning until ten p.m the following day and walked eight miles in them straight from the box. My feet were tender the day after but there were no signs of rubbing or broken skin. I usually break my Docs in slowly before throwing the old pair away but at this point in time I am not replacing a pair of Dr Marten shoes they are long gone. I have been waiting to purchase a pair at a price I deem reasonable and at £60 I feel that I got them at a good price, so the wait was worth it.I am confident they will soften up as I have been buying these shoes/boots for thirty three years and never been disappointed with any of them except a pair of work ones I once had which pinched on the steel toe cap when I knelt down to work (I am an engineer). I don't know why it was but they were a departure from the 1461 style I always get and more of a hiking style really with a padded ankle.These shoes will not be used for work as they are not fitted with a steel toe which is mandatory where I work but it doesn't worry me that they are slightly stiff as all the pairs I have worn started out that way.Some people have said that they felt that quality had been reduced in recent times,looking at the two pairs I own a pair of shoes and a pair of boots I can't say I agree as mine are excellent. Saying that I bought my teenage son a pair at full price, over a hundred pounds from the Dr Marten shop in Manchester and his look like they have been through a war after eight months of constant wear. He is extremely heavy on shoes though and the design he chose was a pre-worn style which I would say were destined to look scruffy fast. He does say that he loves them though.Hope this review helps someone decide if these shoes are ok for them.

Takes a long time to wear in wasn't always this way

I am used to buying a size smaller with 1461 Doc Martens. I have always been an 11 but I bought a 10 with these and they fit fine. Just to give important detail...it is only in these wide fitting docs model that I take a 10. I bought another pair of docs but with softer leather (but still a non-narrow toe) and in my usual 11 and they are fine. It's partly the toughness of the leather that is the issue but 1461s also seem to be big made.In my last pair of 1461s I took out the excellent leather insole in my left shoe because it is slightly the larger of my two feet. This is how I balanced them up. However, the absence of the insole also meant I wore down to the rubber sole at the ball of my foot more quickly (still took a couple of years though). Interestingly, just before throwing them out, I put in the insole I was removing from my new docs into the left shoe of the old ones and found them to be comfortable. In other words, the toughness of the leather was a factor in them being a little to tight for the insole I had removed initially.

Shoe design is just awesome, no other words to describe it. However, Dr Martens should keep up with the contemporary and use light weight materials. They are sort of heavy compared to Clarks and Rockports. Another issue is that the left foot interference while driving a manual transmission car, as the wide sole gets stuck between the foot rest and bottom of the clutch pedal.

This is my first pair of Dr Martens and bought them on their longevity reputation.Other well known brands have not impressed me with their long term strength so, hopefully these will. After reading other reviews I expected to have to 'break' them in but apart from a slightly stiff upper rear edge the shoes proved comfortable straight out of the box. A plain, very well made and broad fitting shoe that I wear for six to seven hours without noticing any discomfort or aches. I have ordered another pair in black and will review again on whether their reputation for durability is justified. If so I will move my rating from four stars to five.

These are a great pair of shoes and although I have only had them a few days I feel they will last many years. If you are looking for a hardwearing, fashionable and substantial shoe for work or otherwise then you can't go wrong.A couple of issues however, I did on the advice of reviewers order the size below, I'm glad I did as they are one size bigger than advertised, so if you usually take a 9 order an 8 for example.Secondly there is no Doc Marten logo visible on the shoe (unlike the picture), for me this is a bonus as I need them for work but just in case this is an issue for you. I would also say that the shade of brown is a lot darker than appears on the picture and in some ways you might not instantly recognise this as a Doc Marten shoe so its more for work purposes than for fashion.

couldnt get them on my feet had the right size but couldnt get them on still waiting for refund 2 weeks later

Great shoe fits just Wright love the look and colourI had a pair of Doc Martins shoes in the 70s and these are just like them