solovair, like an ancient dr martin who didn't go to china

Your price range is the most important question here. If you’re not looking to spend more than £250 - just go with the doc martens. They’re good shoes and with proper care they can last a really long time. Additionally, many more expensive brands that this sub considers BIFL aren’t going to be doing ‘trendy’ makes like this because it’s not timeless and thus doesn’t appeal to their base of people looking for shoes for life. The main issue with these shoes is going to be the metal hardware - in some years time you might see that starting to degrade, but if you keep it dry and clean (and salt free in the winter) I think there’s no reason they shouldn’t last or that they won’t be repairable should something happen.

Solovair don’t do shoes like OP wants though. They do a wide range of colours but that’s it, really - the most untraditional silhouette they sell is their monkey shoe which is just a shoe-boot with contrast stitching, or their single-buckle monk which is, I think, only available in their womens range (but I haven’t looked for a while so might be wrong). Good shoes but this isn’t really their wheelhouse.

At least some styles can be resoled.

I've just got some Solovairs recently and was about to recommend them but your totally right, they are more your classic styles and not really along the lines of the OP's original reference.

You are espousing that these are not quality, let's not do that.

There is zero substitute for Dr. Martens, let's put that to be first. Dr. Martens are Dr. Martens and no matter how many people say otherwise they are wrong as their sole and their stitching color is wholly unique. That's for looks.

Now to construction. Dr. Martens can be resoled though finding a cobbler who can do it is a bit tricky as they are goodyear welt-ish and require extra steps. And, yes...they have taken a knock in recent years as their quality has gone down, but that is NOT to say that they will tossed in the trash within 6 months like the internet says. The internet is wrong.

So will they last you decades like the days of old? Likely not. But will they served their purpose for a good long while? More likely than not.

If you are looking for this shoe based on the style, just get them. No every shoe is BIFL and there's no call for them to be. So if you like these, but these and be happy and know they will likely outlast your same price sneakers, so there's not a lot to cry about.

Agreed<

I totally agree. I had my docs now about 3-4 years. I resoled them last year and should get another 3-4 years out of them. I know that’s not a lifetime but I’m rough on my footwear so having them that long is a miracle

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My father, grandfather, 3 uncles, 3 cousins and I are all in the shoe and leather trade and we’re recently discussing this very issue. Although DMs are not as great as they used to be, they are still of a much higher quality than other brands which are out there. The issue of declining quality isn’t unique to DMs but a lot of the brands that we used to consider as the cream of the crop or as like my grandfather likes to say, “the Cadillac of …” are no longer.

Part of this is of course due to rising prices and companies trying to save $$, and they turn to lower quality materials to cut costs, resulting in a lower quality overall, but sometimes, especially in the shoe/leather industry, the drop in quality has a direct correlation with a certain brand being bought out by another. Over the past few years, some of the best shoe/leather/luggage brands that have been around for decades and have always delivered exceptional quality, suddenly start making products that even someone who isn’t in the industry can automatically notice is garbage and lower quality.

Often, whenever I see a pair of shoes of a quality brand brought into one of our shops that is terribly made, I will do a quick search and more often than not, end up finding an article that announces the sale of Company X to Company Y.

When taking over Company X, which for years has made top grade shoes that are not only comfortable but last a lifetime, Company Y changes things around to have Company X suit their needs and adhere to or assimilate into their own company culture. These changes, although thought of as being beneficial, will affect Company X’s products and quality, and consumers who have been loyal for years will definitely notice the difference.

Sorry for the tangent! Luckily, in your case there is a pretty easy and cool solution. If you can find a pair of DMs at a thrift store, eBay, etc, any pair that you like, regardless of the condition, you can take them to a reputable cobbler, and they can repair/refurbish/rejuvenate the pair to look like they are brand new. If you find a cobbler that knows the craft and doesn’t just work on shoes or other goods to make them pretty in the outside, I guarantee you will be surprised at the results. The good thing about a knowledgeable cobbler is that not only will they make the DMs look new, they will make sure the structural integrity of the shoe is solid, and if not make the necessary repairs to make sure it is.

We have several customers who have been wearing a certain pair of shoes for literally several decades. Once they find a brand/pair they like, they will stick with it and maintain it and every so often will bring it in for a general checkup and if need be have them resoled/heeled with OEM parts (not all coobllers will do this, so be sure to ask them). Some customers will bring in their mom/dads or DMs which are beat up and after a few days will leave with the same pair as if they just came out of the box. I, myself, have a few pair of DMs and other brands which always seem to stay in style and have had them for years. When I was younger, friends would always comment on me always having new shoes or buying multiple pairs of the same ones. What they didn’t know was I would always go to our shops and learn the trade by working in my own shoes, making them look fresh all the time. 😁

As someone who is industry, I suggest that if you find a pair you like and they are a comfortable fit, go for it and take them to your local cobbler and tell them what you want to be done. Ask them questions and test their knowledge. Most love to talk about the trade and as you can see from my long response, can go on and on about shoes, their quality, etc. Good Luck.

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thanks for the thorough comment. We are definitely starting to see the downsides to Capitalism. everything is declining in quality. I will take your advice and check out some thrift shops and online vintage sites or something. I'm curious to know what your list of Favorite leather boots and shoes are since you work in the Industry! please send me a list if you are interested

My impression is that current Dr Martens cannot be resoled-- at least not most of their models. Do you know what's what?

Wrong impression shared by many. I'm no cobbler but they use a modified goodyear welt and can be resoled but you have to find a more experienced cobbler to resole them back to OEM specs. If they can resole them using another sole type other than OEM....of that, I'm ignorant.

According to internet searching, many I'd not allb DMs are heat fused. Anyway, it's worth double checking the specific model before purchase.

They are a hybrid. https://www.insider.com/this-is-how-dr-martens-get-professionally-restored-2020-6 is one cobbler who can do it though there are others.

I recommend Sovair too if you are happy with a more classic style https://eu.nps-solovair.com/collections/shoes/products/s0-060-bk-g