Breaking in Dr. Marten's

I found these Dr. Marten's oxfords and was attracted to their more feminine silhouette and lower vamp. Unlike most shoes, they were able accommodate my toe spacers. I wore them for the first time yesterday, but by the end of the day, I had bleeding blisters and was in excruciating pain. It was extremely difficult for me walk, and I had to pop into a pharmacy to find additional heel grips, socks and bandaids. Worse, while my bare feet were able to grip the sole, the socks caused by foot to slide forward, jamming my toes into the point of the toe box. I've read that Docs take awhile to break in, but is this kind of painful initiation typical?

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Dr. Martens 'Brook' Oxford Flat (Women)

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9 years ago

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9 replies

Latest reply was from annagybe

Ankita

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Oh my...that sounds really bad
I've never tried these shoes, but there are a few things that hAve helped me with new leather shoes -rubbing a balm or leather softer around the edges that rub against your skin (I usually do this everyday until the leather softens), rubbing vaseline or balm on your foot itself at the heel and over the toes as that will stop the shoe from rubbing against your skin, maybe even try a shoe stretching device?
Also putting on a pair of your thickest socks and walking around the house for small intervals helps the leather to expand and take the shape of your foot.
I really hope they get comfy soon for you...they are beautiful shoes ☺

9 years ago

Diana

Veteran

IIRC, your feet are like mine, right? Flat and low volume? I find that docs just have too much room for me, plus I need a half size that doesn't exist. I do have one pair of boots in which I wear thick socks and double insoles (like a drugstore foam one plus an arch support orthotic) so you could try adding a foam insole to take up room.

The doc martens wonder balsam helps to soften up the leather. (Plus it's a fantastic leather conditioner for all sorts of leather goods.). Rub in a lot of it and let it sit overnight.

Where are the blisters? Are they at the back of the ankle where the edge of the shoe hits? I find this happens on my low volume feet if the heel cup is too deep ( which is the case for me for almost all docs.) With boots it doesn't matter as much since there's no edge there. You could try a heel lift or maybe just the extra insole I mentioned earlier.

Or it sometimes works to beat the stiff part into submission with a hammer....

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Dr. Martens Wonder Shoe Balsam

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9 years ago

Word Lily

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Ouch! I don't have experience with this brand, but I've been considering them.

All I can suggest is the standard advice when it comes to breaking in shoes, of wearing them for a few hours at a time, gradually building up, until they're comfortable? Or maybe wear some socks?

I'm a little concerned that it's a fit issue, though, not just a breaking in issue, with it being that bad ...

9 years ago

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

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Huh. All my Docs, back in the day, were boots, and I always assumed that oxfords wouldn't be as bad to break in. It's hard to know whether your problems are related to the leather still being really stiff and needing to relax, or whether there's a fit problem that's not going to improve.

Did you wear them all day? I've learned that no matter what the shoe, I always start by wearing them around the house for an hour or two, then only part of a day, before I wear them a whole day at once. And the stiffer the structure is, the longer it takes for it to loosen up.

I assume at this point you can't return them, so there's nothing to be lost by letting your feet heal up for a few days, then wearing them around the house for a while and seeing if the situation improves. Maybe an additional insole will help.

9 years ago

gradfashionista

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Diana, I think our feet our similar, although according to a post Angie did a few years back, my feet are "high" volume because of the width. In any event, if I put an insole in, my foot tends to come out of the shoes, even when using Superfeet and heel grips. Were I to size down, the shoes would be too small. The blisters were at the back of the heel, and only formed in the toes because of having to socks (which I rarely do).

9 years ago

Jeweled

Veteran

The first few days I wear a new pair of shoes, I make sure to carry a little packet of moleskin with me.

It's an adhesive fabric pad that you can stick to the skin to prevent blisters. (Available in most pharmacy / drug stores.) They're not bandaids - they're a different kind of adhesive pad.

I learned to use them on hiking trips as soon as I feel the least rubbing from my boots. Now I use them whenever any style of shoes starts to rub. They work miraculously well!

9 years ago

Jenn

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Veteran

Sounds about right. You can't be punk rock without living through some pain.

All joking aside, Docs are notoriously hard to break in, and, if I remember correctly, my mary janes were equally as difficult as my boots. I agree with all the above tips: cut down your wear time, use the leather balm, and slap on some moleskin. You also might be able to work the heel a bit by bending it in and out with your hand to soften up the leather.

9 years ago

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

I tried a pair of Doc Martens last year when I was searching for the perfect metallic oxford. I couldn't believe how stiff and uncomfortable they were. It felt as if I had mistakenly put on a shoe-shaped box rather than the shoe. I thought surely they must soften up, because otherwise I don't know how so many people would wear them.

9 years ago

annagybe

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Veteran

Docs are a pain to break in. I remember from my goth days. I've always worn them with socks.

9 years ago

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