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Need recommendations for women's combat-style boots


KarenNC
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My daughter has worn the soles off of her black inexpensive combat-style boots by wearing them almost daily and they can't be resoled. I am looking for recommendations for something to replace them. Since she's definitely shown it's her favorite style of shoe, I'm willing to invest a bit more than I might otherwise and get a better quality pair. She may end up going to college in the NC mountains next year, so something that can handle some snow would be nice (though she has good waterproof Ahnu hiking boots that will work for that).

 

Cost: I'd rather keep it under $100

Color: black

Size: Women's 7.5 or so, or the men's equivalent (current pair is a 7W, but she doesn't really have to have a wide shoe)

Material: I'm assuming leather would be better so that it would last longer. Something that could be resoled by a local cobbler would be good.

Style: Basically classic lace-up combat/motorcycle boot, not a super-thick sole. She's open to the kind that can fold down, but would want something without a thick lining as she wears them year-round (even this week when it's in the upper 90s here).

 

Are Dr. Martens still considered good?

Steve Madden Troopa?

Edited by KarenNC
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Has she tried Army surplus stores and purchased actual, old school, all leather combat boots? They wear like iron. Mine lasted through 4 years of service, years of yard work after the military, and I didn't wear them out before I stopped wearing them altogether.

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Steve Madden shoes are just for show, doc martens are still good, but I feel slightly less than the kind I had in high school 1000 years ago. Can pick them up cheap on 6pm or zappos in a variety of colors. BUT, the longest-lasting ones are the leather that aren't "soft leather." They are longer to break in but last and last.

 

Now that I said that, I have a pair of soft leather ones that are still kicking. I am looking at them right now :p But I only wore them for a few years after I bought them and now rarely.

 

 

Eta: I have a pair of troopa and they are quite comfortable and nice enough, but I don't wear them like a teenager would, kwim?

Edited by Ailaena
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S.W.A.T. boots, either original -- may last longer? or with air soles.  I have a pair of originals. My ds has airsoles. I think his are more comfortable especially in the uppers which broke in more easily, but mine may be wearing better longer (or I may be less rough on them).

 

I don't know about resoling, but putting on an extra sole right at the start might be possible.

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Doc Martens are a little bit over your budget, but they'll last forever.

 

http://www.drmartens.com/us/c/womens-originals

 

Sigh, I really want a pair myself, but at 50 I'm not sure they're appropriate.

 

I have a friend in her 60s who has a floral pair and loves them, so go for it! Honestly, I've found that as I've gotten over 40 and now a few years over 50 that I care less and less about what other people think about how I choose to dress. :)

 

I've seen some on sale that would bring them down into my budget and that's what's prompted the question. 

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I wear a pair of floral Doc Martens nearly every day in fall, winter and most of spring. I got them for about $110 at the Nordstrom Rack. I would watch all the discount sites for exactly what you want.

 

Doc Martens are super tough and comfortable and I will never be too old for them!

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Steve Madden shoes are just for show, doc martens are still good, but I feel slightly less than the kind I had in high school 1000 years ago. Can pick them up cheap on 6pm or zappos in a variety of colors. BUT, the longest-lasting ones are the leather that aren't "soft leather." They are longer to break in but last and last.

 

Now that I said that, I have a pair of soft leather ones that are still kicking. I am looking at them right now :p But I only wore them for a few years after I bought them and now rarely.

 

 

Eta: I have a pair of troopa and they are quite comfortable and nice enough, but I don't wear them like a teenager would, kwim?

 

I had seen some comments that seemed to indicate doc martens don't have quite the rep they used to have since they are no longer made in the UK. They came into real popularity after I had already graduated in the early 80s. 

 

She does wear her current combat boots *all the time* with pretty much everything. Thanks for the suggestions of the cheaper sites! That's an even better price than I was looking at.

Edited by KarenNC
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My dd has a pair of UGG boots but they won't fit your budget.

 

 

They're warm, extremely comfortable and she loves them.

 

UGGs do look really comfortable, and she has a pair of knock-offs, but wouldn't fit this purpose. They're not something anyone would willingly wear in a NC summer, lol, and she wears her combat boots all year long (not that I understand why, they seem like they'd be too hot as well, but I'm not 16).

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I wouldn't count on Doc Martens being of the same quality now. Most are not made in England anymore and Nike owns them IIRC.

 

I own two pairs. My beloved ones I got on ebay were ruined in Hurricane Katrina and I could never find that model again. They were so comfortable. They were a reddish color with a softer inside. The black ones I own are not like that inside. No arch support, either. I have two pairs. One pair has steel toes (pictured in my avatar) and a straight shaft. The other pair has a curved shaft that hugs the shape of your calf and no steel toe. The second pair looks a bit more feminine.

 

I don't know enough about different boot brands to tell you what is best to get. I have narrow ankles and I have to wear thick boot socks and even go as far as to wear band-aids sometimes to prevent blisters. When I say boot socks, I don't mean just any socks that have a label "boot socks." I mean thicker at the bottom including above my ankles. They were a gift so I don't know what to link. Probably military grade. They might be too hot for your dd's feet, though. And definitely less toe room in the ones that don't have steel toe so the fit would maybe be too tight.

 

I wear them once in a while, but they are a pain because they do not have a zipper. I lace mine over/under/over all the way up and really wish my laces were longer. Both pairs of mine are 20 eyelet. How tall you want them will be a significant factor in price. One of my pairs I think was $150. The other I think was around $130. I got them once in a shoe store and once from zappos.

 

I actually feel kind of badly about my boots because they're real leather. But several vegan styles can be quite expensive. If you get leather I'd recommend shoe polish. I polish mine periodically.

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I wouldn't count on Doc Martens being of the same quality now. Most are not made in England anymore and Nike owns them IIRC.

 

I own two pairs. My beloved ones I got on ebay were ruined in Hurricane Katrina and I could never find that model again. They were so comfortable. They were a reddish color with a softer inside. The black ones I own are not like that inside. No arch support, either. I have two pairs. One pair has steel toes (pictured in my avatar) and a straight shaft. The other pair has a curved shaft that hugs the shape of your calf and no steel toe. The second pair looks a bit more feminine.

 

I don't know enough about different boot brands to tell you what is best to get. I have narrow ankles and I have to wear thick boot socks and even go as far as to wear band-aids sometimes to prevent blisters. When I say boot socks, I don't mean just any socks that have a label "boot socks." I mean thicker at the bottom including above my ankles. They were a gift so I don't know what to link. Probably military grade. They might be too hot for your dd's feet, though. And definitely less toe room in the ones that don't have steel toe so the fit would maybe be too tight.

 

I wear them once in a while, but they are a pain because they do not have a zipper. I lace mine over/under/over all the way up and really wish my laces were longer. Both pairs of mine are 20 eyelet. How tall you want them will be a significant factor in price. One of my pairs I think was $150. The other I think was around $130. I got them once in a shoe store and once from zappos.

 

I actually feel kind of badly about my boots because they're real leather. But several vegan styles can be quite expensive. If you get leather I'd recommend shoe polish. I polish mine periodically.

 

Thanks. I have been reading a lot about changes in quality in Doc Martens since they started making them in China and Thailand in 2003. It appears that the newer ones can't be resoled as well? We looked more closely at photos of the soles of the ones we saw on sale and the tread looks quite shallow for the thickness of the sole, so I'm concerned that it would wear off quickly. She also is used to the inexpensive ones she has now that have a zipper and I wonder if losing that would make them less desirable.

 

Too many concerns at the moment to justify spending that much, so we're going to wait a bit until more stores are carrying boots for the fall so that she can try on several different types to see what she likes and what fits well. She has a narrower heel, which sometimes is an issue. I wish REI had something in this sort of style, because I love their return policy---bring it back for any reason within a year, even if it's been heavily used. Hmm, I looked in the women's section, wonder if there's something in the men's that would work? The issue there is finding something small enough---maybe the boys' section?

 

Thanks for all the input from everyone!

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Mine were purchased in 2005 and I'm not particularly concerned about them, but I do think it's something to be aware of when comparing the boots of today to ones people have in their closet. I have never once thought about resoling them. I didn't even know you could do that with them. Like I wouldn't even know who to take them to. I'd have to do a lot of research probably.

 

There may be models with a zipper, but just not the particular ones I fell in love with. If she wants like a 14 eyelet or smaller, it may be less of a pain to lace. Nowadays lots of girls wear skinny jeans under their boots. I do not think they would fit under the boot very well. It would be very challenging for me to lace them closed with denim underneath. I can do it with leggings (I've done this with leggings + dress). I usually wear my boots under bootcut jeans or with some cargo capris. When I was in college I used to wear them with skirts a lot.

 

They are unisex so it really isn't so much a man vs woman sizing thing as making sure you know which whole size to get. They don't usually offer half sizes. I remember it was hard for me to figure out my size. You can try them on at zappos and mail back but I'm not a huge fan of trying on shoes via mail. It was kind of a last resort thing as my retailers were limited. I fell in love with their wing-tipped shoes, but tried them on in the past in a store and they never fit my foot right (the hard tongue on the shoe stabbed me). We had a store called Craftsman's but I don't know if it's nationwide and it's hard for me to even find a website. You could maybe try Journey's.

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