WAYFARING GEAR: Dr Martens Made In England
Dr Martens Vintage 1460 Made in England boots (Image: Damien Wilkinson)
The Dr Martens Made In England (MIE) range represents a small heritage niche offering, outside of the majority of Far Eastern sourced manufacturing the brand adopts.
The range showcases traditional English cobbler made boots and shoes, with the MIE range handcrafted in the original Cobbs Lane factory in Wollaston, Northamptonshire.
The MIE generally focuses on long standing classic Docs styles (eg 1460 8 eyelet boots and 1461 3 eyelet shoes) and they feature more premium materials hand assembled using traditional/ vintage machinery, built on the original boot/shoe ‘lasts’ and Goodyear-welted.
Leather used for example, can be full-grain Quilon, Horween or Wax Commander finish which will be longer lasting, developing a more natural patina over time.
What you will get might take a bit more breaking in and a premium cost, but will repay the investment with a much longer lifespan.
Having acquired a couple of 1460 MIE variants, I’ve found the fit for me requires a fit that is a half-size up, probably due to the narrower fit the lasts seem to promote.
The boots themselves certainly have a premium and classic vibe - the leather feels good to the touch and, with some use of leather balm, the breaking in need not be excruciating.
Despite the almost ubiquitous nature of DM’s, the MIE distinction should give your footwear a bit more of a stand out statement.
Are they as good as they used to be though? Well, I can’t offer any personal 1970’s DM-wearing credentials so I’m not really qualified to answer this, but a review of on-line feedback would suggest perhaps not with many noting a tail-off in recent standards.
But I suppose we can apply this to many other things!
Indeed, with their rock and roll pedigree, the ongoing endurance and cultural popularity of DMs bears a distinct parallel to that of the music world given the increasing longevity and relevance of many bands and artists (The Stones, Dylan, McCartney, Springsteen et al).
At least let’s hope the Made in England niche can continue to give us some satisfaction.
