Not to be dramatic but trying to break in Dr Martens is hand’s down one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. It’s a journey that has spanned months – if you follow me on Twitter you’re probably well aware of my trials and tribulations with my Jadon boots. I know they’re notoriously hard on your feet so I was mentally prepared to have a battle on my hands but I truly underestimated the world of pain and plethora of blisters that I was going to subject myself to over the past few weeks. To save you the hassle, I’m sharing my tried-and-tested tips to help you break in your Dr Martens.
I actually had Dr Martens as a kid. It was the early 90s and they were pretty much a rite of passage in my school. While I remember wearing and loving my DMs, I don’t remember any pain. That’s why, when I spotted the sassy platformed Jadon boots, I fell in love. I’m not usually one for flats but the platform added a couple of inches to my height while adding a badass, slightly rebellious edge to the classic 8-hole boots. What I’ve since learnt is that Dr Martens look badass because you need to BE a badass and earn the right to wear them, otherwise they’ll defeat you!
I have to admit, I rarely wear in shoes when I buy them so my initial approach was a little rookie, to put it mildly. After I bought my boots, I wore them around the house with two pairs of socks on for about 10-20 minutes at a time. After that, I was impatient and attempted to wear them to work. My commute involved 20 minutes of walking and by the time I limped into the office, my feet were cut to shreds and I had to change into 5-inch Jimmy Choos for comfort!
After this failed attempt, I took to Twitter and got a bunch of great tips to help you break in your Dr Martens:
- Tights or thin socks under thick socks
This was a common suggestion and to be honest, it sucked. This is what I tried initially and I still got blisters and threw my boots off at the first opportunity! - Hiking/Anti-blister socks
The lovely Ross from @FashionWorkd suggested hiking or anti-blister socks. I tried them and they didn’t stop my feet from blistering *but* I do think they helped with some of the blistering and stretching as they’re much thicker than regular socks. - Wonder Balsam
Fashion designer @CharliCohen suggested Dr Martens’ own Wonder Balsam, which is a balm designed to protect the leather as well as help soften the leather inside your boots. This actually worked really well, I used it on my boots for a week while wearing them in with a couple of pairs of socks for added stretch and it helped wear them in. - Wet socks
The amazing @thatkat suggested wet socks. I didn’t get around to trying this out but it’s definitely worth a try! - Bliss Softening Socks
This is my own tip! If you haven’t heard of Bliss Softening socks, they’re super thick socks with a polymer gel lining to help nourish your feet. As they’re super thick and cushioned, I wore them while wearing in my boots indoors, I love the 2-4-1 effect of having a foot treatment while wearing in the beasts.
So there you have it, after a few months, I’ve finally tamed my Dr Martens and compiled a list of tips to help you wear in yours. Please share any other tips in the comments!
Tshirt – Palace | Shorts – Topshop | Boots – Dr Martens
Photography by Kylie Eyra.
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