Are solovairs actually better than doc martens?
I desperately need new shoes, just not sure if the title question is an online men's fashion meme or indicative of real difference. I'm really looking for something where I won't wear the tread out quickly (and preferably can get the sole replaced when I do)
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Solovairs are ostensibly able to be resoled and have some rose anvil word soup buzzwords that docs don’t but I think any actual meaningful longevity/comfort gains come nearly entirely from the greasy leather uppers, which you can get with docs too
ime of owning both: the soles, stitching and construction are virtually indistinguishable.
However Solovair tend to on average use a nicer leather. I've had docs that are similar leather to my solovairs, but a lot of docs now are that coated & bonded corrected leather with a shiny coating that doesn't age well
I think Solovair are pretty much equivalent to the 'premium' priced Doc Martens
tun said what I said but was less of a dick about it read that instead
Dr martens are also able to be resoled via the same method Solovair use (the sole is heat bonded to the rubber welt, rather than stitched). They just don't sell the soles on the open market like Solovair do and you technically have to go via the specific DM channel (or just use Solovair soles or find a cobbler with a link up).
oh, that's interesting re: soles on open market
is the sizing the same between the two?
Afaik solovair does half sizes.
i might be swayed by solovair having boots in oxblood tbh. dunno if it's a practical color in my wardrobe but i love it lol
Does rose anvil word soup buzzwords include "goodyear welt"? 🤔
Both are technically goodyear welted but done weirdly, the thing boot nerds make a lot of bones about in this case is that solovairs have a shank (a rigid supportive spine running between sole layers) while docs do not
Ah yeah, I remember rose anvil saying something about shanks
doc style boots in more vibrant colours are super cool.
does that make any practical difference?
i'm sort of like "well, maybe it won't fit into my current wardrobe well, but i need new clothes anyway"
Fundamentally none of this matters because either the leather uppers or your interest in wearing the shoes will deteriorate before the soles do, at the price range docs/solovairs/other $150-$300 boots sit at GYW/shanks/etc is a marketing term speaking to gear culture/bifl obsessions with longevity more than it is a desirable feature
yeah, i'll wear through like birkenstock soles but i imagine boot soles are tougher
To be clear I’ve absolutely smoked a few docs soles in my time but by the time I did the uppers looked so fucked I would not have felt okay wearing them to do anything other than get tanked
lol fair
yeah i've found that the soles are kinda indestructible unless you get a dud that cracks or something
cool, thanks for the feedback!
As people said here I think the only real difference is solovairs have a wooden shank and have nicer leather sort of
Though you can get better leather with docs too
Otherwise no difference
I would say a shank does really make a difference in maintaining the shape of the arch with wear
Makes it more comfortable and better for your foot, though the heel height is really quite low on docs and solovairs so probably not the most critical
I would not count on either being reasonably resolable
It would cost as much as buying another one and you’d have to hunt for a cobbler that specifically does it
The Iron Snail
YouTube
Why Doc Martens Are So Popular.
Boots boots BOOTS baby! Buy the ones I mentioned here:
Dr. Martens 1460's Boot: https://fave.co/3kHgKiN
Dr. Martens 1461's Shoe: https://fave.co/3De8SLM
Solovair Monkey Boots: https://us.nps-solovair.com/products/s7-116-bg-g
Read the full article here! https://theironsnail.us/blogs/reviews/are-dr-martens-boots-worth-it
Oh Doc Martens...Dr. Mar...
pretty good breakdown, discussed solovair vs. dm’s vs dm made in uk
I would ask where I could find boot options with Goodyear welts that can be resoled at a standard cobblers
But that’s a QnA thread in its own lol
I ended up going with solovairs because I liked the color lol
a lot of options but they're narrowed down a lot by budget
The good and best approach