Breaking in a pair of Doctor Martens?

[Feek]

I've got a pair of DMs that I bought a few years ago and wore once. I had them on for a couple of hours and in that time I got such huge blisters that I've been scared to go back to them since.

When I was a lad I used to wear DM boots all the time and I'd decided to get some more, I don't recall having this trouble getting them broken in all that time ago. It occurred to me yesterday that they're still at the bottom of the wardrobe and I ought to do something about it as they'd be dead useful with the weather as it is.

What's going to be the best way to break them in? Hot bath, set fire to them, wear them for a few minutes a day, increasing gradually *yawn*

Spec me a breaking in method for a pair of high DM leather boots.

[kaiowas]

I wear DMs all the time, can't help much with breaking them in as I never seem to have any trouble, I just start wearing them and after a couple of days they're fine. They are rubbish in this weather though, not particularly grippy and they are useless at keeping the cold out.

[Kitten]

Put them on your feet and wear them for a while (you can sit down, you don't need to walk around or anything) then scrunch up some warm, wet newspaper and pop it in, filling to where your feet have moulded. The boots will stretch, you'll need to dry them out afterwards but it should work

[Jonny69]

Wee on them then roll on them.

No, don't do that. Even though it would be funny. I normally wear shoes round the house for a bit initially, then a quick walk to the shops, then the full on hardcore 40 minute walk to the stations etc for work and *pray* my feet make it

What about the old two pairs of socks trick?

[Blackstar]

Thick socks, I love my DMs although I haven't worn them in a few years and they look a little ragged round the edges.

[Flibster]

Always the hot bath method for me.

Put them on with the socks you'd normally wear, fill the bath up so it almost covers boots, stand in bath until feet are toasty warm, wear boots after a quick dry around the house until they start to harden up again. Repeat several times.

[Jingo]

Are the mighty DM's completely waterproof then or is the work of a Master Dubbins required?

[Feek]

That's what I wondered? The ones I have a steelies, how would they cope with the wetness?

[kaiowas]

I never do anything to care for mine because i'm lazy but I can still wade in deep puddles without getting wet feet. If I've been out stomping in the snow or anything like that the leather gets that kind of dull sheen that suggests it's absorbed some moisture but that's probably because i've had these ones a few years and my feet stay dry. A new or regularly polished pair should be fine. The cold issues I have with them seem to stem from where the upper is stiched to the sole. Again if I've been out in snow thats deep enough to go over the top of the sole then all around the edge of the top of the sole feels really cold (but still dry). Had an extra pair of thick socks on the other day and my feet didn't feel it though.

[Jonny69]

Originally Posted by Feek

That's what I wondered? The ones I have a steelies, how would they cope with the wetness?

Ah right, I see. Mine just took a very, very long time to break in and still pinched my toes until the day I binned them. Mine were the matte finish brown ones and I slathered them in beeswax to seal and soften them. Other than that it just seemed to be a matter of putting some miles on them to wear the soles down a bit until they were the 'right shape' for my feet if that makes sense.

They got soaked through plenty of times and never went rusty.