Leather expert guide to breaking in Doc Martens

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VIDEOS MENTIONED:
Dr. Marten 1460 Smooth boot review - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gp2vin6fg7GphbM
Dr. Marten 1460 Smooth Made in England boot review - kzbin.info/www/bejne/farRnHtja657qMU
Solovair 8 Eye Derby Boot boot review - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJzLdJasm7t7iNU
Gripfast Black Greasy 10 Eye Derby Boot boot review - kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6CydoCajZmehLs
How to break in Dr Martens (OLD VIDEO) - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXTQfatrZr1-jNk
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Intro
2:15 What is this video for?
3:20 Leather Info
4:44 3 Ways to break in boots
6:02 2nd Method
9:17 3rd Method
9:58 Conditioners
12:46 Leather Milks
14:19 Leather Oils
17:21 What NOT to do
19:59 Final Thoughts
#drmartens #docmartens

[@RoseAnvil2]

Thanks Bright Cellars for sponsoring this video and for the limited-time offer! Take the quiz brightcellars.com/roseanvil2 and comment your matches

[@hunglikeahearse]

Wait, y'all are in SLC & Bright Cellars sent you a box with the sponsorship offer? Utah is so anti-alcohol that shipping any in has to be done through the DABC, props to them for dealing with the red tape! I've had a similar wine delivery drop their sponsorship offer for one of my shows when they realized how much of a hassle it would be.

[@korzaski]

i like how even though you personally don't like doc martens for the poor quality of materials you still offer up advice consistently knowing that it's a thing people want anyways exclusively cause of the fashion. it can be hard to set aside bias, especially since you're a professional in the leather space. its admirable. obviously nowhere near something like a red wing, but i still love docs for the look and general comfort from the start (at least i think they're comfortable, not everyone does). they both have their place.

[@Naeidea]

I always felt Docs were great boots, i had a pair in school, got comments even from my teachers about having such great boots. Years Later: Then I needed a replacement for a pair of Rockports that i wore into the ground and they never let me down, still wearable in fact. I looked at similar Rockports and the prices had shot up. Nope. Let's research something else. NPS, Solovair popped up and now I have two pairs. They are my favourite boots and can't believe it has taken me this long to find them.

[@martinsmith1525]

Thank you, very helpful and interesting. 👍

[@jenniferscala8523]

Thank you for this!

[@themoor5498]

I have owned 4 pairs of DM 1460 canvas and one pair of 1460 rain boots (all no longer available) since well before 2012, and they still have many years more of wear in them! They have a proud place in my hand-crafted boots collection. It marks the journey that brought me to the knowledge of quality boots. As a result, I replaced my black, brown, and olive Docs with Oak Street Bootmakers Black CXL and Badalasse Lisio Cotti Cap Toe Trench boots, and Grant Stone's Jungle Kangaroo Diesel boots to replace my olive Jadons. I gave those boots to a couple people that were happy to have them. When asked why I was giving them away, I told them the truth. Up until May of this year, I was shopping for my next pair of Docs. I now know better. This community is expansive enough to welcome anyone that loves boots. Period! There's more to be learned as we continue our journey toward our GRAIL pair of boots!

[@Johnnybananass-_]

I spent hours then days trying to do your mink oil trick from your old DM video and nothing worked, haha I did wonder how oil would get through the top finish, glad I wasnt going insane

[@coyote4936]

I use saphir universal cream for my original vintage ox blood docs and it works really well

[@travismurrant1559]

love to see more break un suggestions for builder pros or jim greens

[@royogrady9179]

I set mine out in the sun - along with the wonder balsam, which liquifies - let it warm up for 30 minutes or so and then coat the inside of the boots (not the footbed, which I protect with shop towels). Let it set in the sun for another 30 minutes, wipe it down, go for a walk. Repeat daily until you don't think you need to.

[@exosolas9780]

I use leather balm, but heat them up first to the point that they have honey-like consistency. If the boots are very dry I heat them up both.

[@IMAXXHEW]

I've owned a few pair of 1460s and never conditioned them because I was ignorant and could care less at the time. Now I still own a couple pairs of Docs, but not the 1460s... I like the Newtons. I apply Huberds Shoe Oil/Grease to all my boots now. Best stuff there is by far for boots used in extreme working conditions.

[@chrisprado269]

You should do a best designer leather boot series

[@debs8934]

Thank you for your videos. If I want to put a water protectant on my boots, should I put it after the conditioner ? If so how long should I wait? I have the soft pisa leather boots but I also want to treat my leather jackets. Thank you.

[@milergrzegorz]

Doc Martens were 2nd pair of boots that i bought with my own money. They were very disappointing in terms of durability and comfort. After them I bough extremely cheaply (around 30$) pair of brand new Danish Army m58 boots. They served me for 10 years and if not for the fact that it was cheaper to buy another pair than to resole them i would probably still have them. Since they are all leather construction i first kept them in water for couple of hours. Then wore them until they dried and after that conditioned them from inside and outside and now they are very soft even though they are made from thick leather and were very hard when new.

[@nathanc2222]

Hello from Nashville, Tn!

[@henrymcelroy967]

Can you do a video on the Dr. Martens 1460 Sr St Industrial Full Grain Work boots

[@FleetwoodCrack]

I've had 4 pairs of Doc's Greasy Black, Crazy Horse, and Aztec which were all more natural leather and a pair of Pascals which had the plastic coating.

[@Badluckfistfck]

Yes, my Combs are a lot more natural leather vs my Jadons which are obviously plasticy and were so much more painful to break in

[@ibims8323]

hey, great video! do you have any experience with germany`s "ballistol" on leather boots?

[@tuckerlamping7885]

I still think you should do a hunting boot review. You've got the zamberlans, crispi, danner, even sportiva has boots popular for hunting!

[@troglodyte12]

I'd usually sand off the plastic coating on docs/gripfast boots with a light grit sandpaper, carefully avoiding the stitching, then prepping the newly exposed raw leather with saddle soap then a coat of Fiebings oil based dye with a dauber , let it dry for a day or two then apply Sno Seal or neatsfoot oil which softens up and hydrates the leather making it more of a grainy natural or greasy type leather thats alot more comfortable and easier to wear.

[@Lexidezi225]

Why even buy them

[@markm0000]

@@Lexidezi225 I’m going to say that was a sarcastic joke.

[@Bragi71]

And why don‘t you just buy GOOD boots?!?

[@glendas.mckinney926]

To prepare any of my all-leather shoes for travel or other all-day walking, I put gobs of moisturizer on my feet and wear them around the house for a bit so that the heat and motion works it into the leather. This is a great method for new shoes or even shoes that I usually only walk short distances in

[@Yelisse.]

Eh hi i have a few questions about dr marten. 1- what is better thick or thin sole for like daily. 2- is the wonder balsem really worth it? 3- jadons or 1460? Hope you can help me a bit

[@purplesnails22]

Amazing video. I just bought my first oxblood 11 hole Derby Solovairs. Will the oil/milk break in method get similar results? I've been on the reddit forums and the nps website and there's no recommendions when doing this. Others on the forums are also out right against that method with solovairs because its already conditioned. So a lot of conflicting and confusing responses. I just don't want to get crows feet on my solovairs like the rest of my dr martens

[@ukriroutalempi5124]

Here in Finland many people use tar for leather care. We use it for everything😅

[@pipereloq5802]

I'm buying a pair of the smooth leather ankle boots, which conditioner would you recommend for those??

[@martinsmith1525]

So docs have always had a plastic coating on their leather ? That's a new to me, as i thought the 60s and 70s docs had full grain leather ? How did you find this info ? I would love to know and i do not mean that in a bad way, it would educate me more as i was always led to believe they were full grain leather at the beginning of the production of Dr Martens ? 👍

[@princetony3586]

Please!!! do a shoes and boots collection video

[@sothisisjoy]

Best conditioner for white Docs?

[@lauracamp6593]

is this acceptable for Made In Englands as well? or just for the more plasticky ones?

[@jazzmoon77]

It’s not even the blisters that suck now, they just seem so much more stiff than when i wore them in the 90s. They just aren’t moving with my feet when i walk. I have ordered mink oil to try to get some flexibility in the leather of the pair i bought 2 years ago.

[@IntegrityVA]

Very informative video, leaving a comment to satiate the algorithm gods albeit a tiny bit so your work doesn't go unrecognized. Now back to the main channel :D

[@FuturePerfectContinuous]

is it possible to remove the coating?

[@balatonitaho]

Can the mink oil method be used on the toe box part where there's lining?

[@sessilian]

Since they're coated in plastic, has anyone tried a plasticizer? Or something like Armor-all?

[@kerry00]

The problem for me was the top of the boot at the airwair tag. That digs into my leg and bruises badly. What would help with that?

[@stianb.a.3585]

Are the 1461 Oxford boots (smooth leather) plastic coated?

[@hoLMZ.]

What about the patent high gloss doc martens??

[@yassver]

Can you do mink oil on nubuck?

[@MenchieExtrakt]

How much balsam is too much?

[@Naeidea]

I tend to not buy a Doc. Then buy a Solovair or NPS instead. A trick I have sworn by.

[@Franjo.Horvat]

Mine have fabric inside, not sure what to do...

[@cardboardboxwho]

I'm so curious, what do you think of Doc Martens' virginia leather as a leather specialist? I have a pair of pascal virginas that I never needed to break in and I just think its so different from Doc Martens' usual line.

[@mdd25]

I have them too and they are killing the top of my feet!! The length is good (size 3 UK/36 European), it's just the part where the stitching of the tongue starts that presses on my feet and Idk if I should return them or just struggle to break them in. I am sure next size up would be too large :(

[@achille5]

I wish this video got my traction, I loved this one. The more knowledge I can get, the better.

[@amazingamer]

Do you condition it on the inside of the boot where the toe goes, because it's got a weird fabric there

[@astrozombie989]

Yeah I’m wondering about that are too, because that’s where they tend to crack…

[@cgamboa73]

got a new pair every year at work. they will last me year and a half. every time that wear a new pair, i would wear them toss water on top and keep moving. maybe a second time. by the end of the day they would don't bother anymore.

[@sabeaniebaby]

The part of my boots that needs wearing in is the toe box... looks like I can't oil the inside of this boot as it has a lining. Thanks for the video

[@astrozombie989]

Exactly, and that’s where they crack

[@manguydude905]

Makes a video on how he hates Dr. Martens.... Makes multiple videos on how to care for Dr. Martens 🤣 I think he has a love/hate relationship with them. It's funny how even on the Dr. Marten website they talk about how to condition the boots and even sell a conditioner knowing it does nothing with the coating on them. Good idea on conditioning them from the inside!

[@sebastienhoule838]

I have 2 pairs of Docs in crazy horse and wild buck. Both leathers are greasy type leather...no plastic coating and the breaking period was minimal without any special attention.

[@maxjarvela4255]

You mean Solovairs?

[@sebastienhoule838]

@@maxjarvela4255 no I mean Docs 😉

[@143mrqz]

I can attest to this

[@FleetwoodCrack]

I've had Greasy Black, Crazy Horse, and just received Aztecs today and they are all a more natural greasy leather. I do have a pair of Pascals which are plastic coated Doc's as well.

[@yunusegunes]

Does this also go for the Made in England boots or can those be conditioned from the outside?

[@sinisterthoughts2896]

Yes, all docs style boots.

[@winterburden]

I use motor oil.

[@beijingbikinikill8608]

I was expecting this to be a parody video and do a bunch of goofy things to mess up the boot. This was better than that.

[@kriengsakwangdulyakiti8349]

Inside of boot is flesh size of leather, it is suede leather in general. To break in my boots, I use suede conditioner/cleaner that look like water spray into inside of boots. It will soften the boots, easy to break in and not leave greasy oily surface. I use product from Germany, some kind of bamboo lotion. I have this to clean/condition my suede shoes and boots. I notice it soften the leather immediately.

[@archeewaters]

2 other options you can use to condition; use saddle leather conditioners, use hair product conditioners. they both work really well to moisturize the leather. and yes, your docs can last longer than 5 years, c'mon!

[@Gwweeennnnn]

What kind of haut product? I dont find something around me 😮

[@archeewaters]

@@Gwweeennnnn anything that moisturizes. i use L'Oreal "Recover" masque that i bought at the hairdresser (a bit expensive) but i also use Herbal Care fruit extract citrus conditioner that i bought at the pharmacy ( not expensive). it works on dry hair and it works on leather. you have to massage it in. make sure it doesn't stain the colour of the boots before you use it. try a small area then wait fir it to dry before you do the whole boot. i put it on the inside where the most painful spots are to make it softer.

[@themoor5498]

Doc Martens were my go-to boots after retiring from the military and missing wearing boots! I own 4 pairs of the canvas 1460s that are not produced anymore and are well over 13-15 years old! I wore them with business office attire, and they still look good! The only pair of Docs that gave me hot spots were the Combs Crazy Horse Casual Boots, that I purchased a couple years, ago. After having the leather biting into my ankles and rubbing my skin virtually raw, I massaged shea butter into the inside of the boots a couple times before wearing them out again and that was all that was needed to soften the leather and make them feel like mine. Docs are popular for a reason and are a good introduction to moving up the ladder to more quality boots.

[@archeewaters]

@@themoor5498 i like that shea butter idea. thanks!

[@themoor5498]

@@archeewaters 👍

[@The_Zilli]

My 3 Steps: Step 1. Put boots into box. Step 2. Return boots. Step 3: Be a smarter shopper.

[@marcp.1752]

Step 4: Choose a different brand with better quality

[@themoor5498]

Although this is humorous, when I left the military the only boot brands beside Corcoran that I was aware of were Doc Marten and El Naturalista. It has taken some years but, now I know about quality crafted boots and can spend my money wiser. All that to say, Doc Martens have their place in the boot community, too. I replaced my most recent DM purchases (Combs Crazy Horse, Wintergrip, Jadon) with Grant Stone, Oak Street, Caswell and Truman boots once I learned of the handcrafted boot world after watching Carl Murawski's video on Doc Martens. I'd say that like all things information, education and finance brings about a desire to own better. Meanwhile, I will still be rocking the other pairs of Docs that I enjoy wearing, too!

[@user_000_1.]

could this be used on the vegan 1461 shoes?

[@UncleeDaddyy]

Skip to 5:55 to get to the actual tutorial part of the video. You’re welcome

[@AliceBowie]

I expected to see them get dissolved in acid or something.

[@kwakamonkey]

I broke in my army boots by dunking them in the bath over night then wore then when wet . had those boots for years and they were comfortable despite some saying they wrecked your feet. they were the UK assault boot .

[@themoor5498]

@kwakamonkey I can attest that my feet, knees and back suffered from 20+ years of walking, marching, standing and running in those hard military boots!

[@alessandrocerioli2151]

For being a guy who hates Dr Martens you make a lot of videos about these boots!

[@achille5]

14:08 😂

[@yesdogs1567]

coconut oil.

[@joeguzman3558]

I guess those boots are like cotton candy - it looks nice like your getting something but it's nothing

[@yartp]

Love my Docs. However, I've never found them needing a break in period. At least not the Asian made. With them, broken in is the same as half worn out.

[@aayotechnology]

How does one know if theirs are plastic-coated docs?

[@numairsalmalin3552]

they pretty much all are unless you specifically buy a pair that's advertised as some kind of natural leather (idk exactly what they name their natural leathers but Weston mentioned "crazy horse", also keep an eye out for anything that says "full grain"). otherwise the easiest way to tell is if the leather looks like flesh. leather is like skin basically and has natural creases and lines (similar to how humans have finger prints etc), so if your boots have those grain patterns it's likely not plastic coated (unless it's artificially embossed with a grain pattern which could be possible??? but idk if docs partake in that practice). well i kinda answered the opposite of your question, how to tell if it's NOT coated, but the easiest way to tell if it IS coated is if it's perfectly smooth. leather isn't naturally perfectly smooth (like i mentioned before), so if yours is you can bet it's plastic coated

[@RoseAnvil]

They call it “smooth” leather as well

[@HexExxon]

Oh ho ho ho, boot review but I'm gonna drop my own winery. Haarmeyer Wine Cellars, check us out 👌🏻

[@buttsakauf]

“If you beat it too hard you could fracture it….”

[@theuserthatishere]

made in vietnam now! not england

[@vladyslav4]

Це ж вже було!

[@johndally7994]

“Raw dog it”? How presidential of you.

[@smashallpots1428]

man those yellow docs look fine in the A roll shots but horrible in the B roll

[@simongrushka983]

dont americans know dubbin? it was never mentioned by on rose anvil channels. also, a gently heating up the boots (with either hair dryer or in the oven on the lowest settings, prefferably on the electric one not gas one) and dubbin (so it goes into the liquidish state) is great. i usually use an old (clean) sock to apply it, and a pair of boots can easily absorb half of the tin of dubbin

[@zygmuntthecacaokakistocrat6589]

I used to use Dubbin, but found it leads to stretch & surface cracking of the leather. It’s really designed for heavy leathers as in saddle or harness.

[@ivanheffner2587]

4:36 That boot is so over-sized for that foot. Also: TIL that Doc Marten / Solovair are “hard” to break in… I didn’t notice; but I’m comparing it to a pair Belleville.

[@sinisterthoughts2896]

I didn't realize you were asked. Today I learned something too.

[@BlueSpirit.]

In 1980 my boot camp Sergeant had about 40 female “Privates” in the showers naked except for our new boots. I still got blisters. 😊

[@themoor5498]

Ha! DS Hamilton was tough but, she didn't make us do that! What we did have to do was take the filter end of a cigarette, dip it in white paint and mark the top of the back stay with a white circle on one pair of the two pairs issued. What hurt my feet mostly was that I was issued one pair that fit well and the white marked ones were probably 1/2 size too small and narrower! Nonetheless, I had to wear them every other day to be uniform when inspected in formation the following morning. Ah! Those were the days! Ha! 🙂

[@marcowalther7867]

🚮is the only way for Doc Martens

[@77Matt]

Fourth option: stay away from heavily plasticized low-quality Made-In-China brand-depleter footwear.

[@EricCampbellUAV]

4th of July. who cares about those lobsterback boots. should be showcasing red wing irish setters

[@morganjohnson4332]

Unless they were make before 1990, throw them away.

[@djeagleton4601]

is he joking bc I really can't tell

[@Joaniecjo]

Did he just say they use “cheap leather” and “covered in plastic” and the inside has a “compressed paper sole”? WHAT??! That’s scary.

[@williamarodrigues6971]

Buyer beware, From what I learned from Rose Anvil go with Solovairs instead of Doc Martens

[@OfDeath]

The best way to break in Doc Martins is to take them off and throw them in the trash.

[@Brajin1]

😂

[@Lexidezi225]

Yep. Junk

[@AuslanIz]

Thats the only way!! 👍🏻

[@SilvercreekAnimations]

You beat me to it.

[@FuturePerfectContinuous]

😂❤

[@marcp.1752]

i was shocked by your video, how cheap cr@p those Doc's are, which i had worn since my teenage days....

[@airsoftluke17]

Wear them and watch them fall apart in 3 months 😂

[@themoor5498]

I have owned 4 pairs of DM 1460 canvas and one pair of 1460 rain boots (all no longer available) since well before 2012, and they still have many years more of wear in them! They have a proud place in my hand-crafted boots collection. It marks the journey that brought me to the knowledge of quality boots. As a result, I replaced my black, brown, and olive Docs with Oak Street Bootmakers Black CXL and Badalasse Lisio Cotti Cap Toe Trench boots, and Grant Stone's Jungle Kangaroo Diesel boots to replace my olive Jadons. Up until May of this year, I was shopping for my next pair of Docs. I now know better. This community is expansive enough to welcome anyone that loves boots. Period! There's more to be learned as we continue our journey toward our GRAIL pair of boots!

[@airsoftluke17]

@@themoor5498 dude it’s 2023 the new ones suck they don’t last a year in a rainy city like Seattle. My pair wore out in 1.5years and I didn’t wear them everyday

[@krisjonesuk]

Somewhere here on KZbin is a video by a young woman who recommends filling Doc Martens with newspaper, wrapping them in towels and then taking a hammer to them to soften the leather.

[@mr.monitor.]

Buy something better to start with.

[@AuslanIz]

These boots are hilarious!! I would rather buy some 11 Stormers Rubber boots than these "Dorito plastic clown shoes" 😂😂

[@vladyslav4]

Why even show those stupid methods with water?

[@sinisterthoughts2896]

Why even posta stupid comment? Seriously though, did you really think before you wrote that comment?

[@vladyslav4]

@@sinisterthoughts2896 why even post a stupid reply?

[@TheMultitasker123]

If you have chefs foot then I personally guarantee your boot will be broken in after 10 wears 😂🫡