#i wore them all thru summer as a camp counselor and this one 12 y/o was so shocked that my feet werent hot in them

[actuallywlccan]

I have been wearing doc martens almost exclusively since i was 12 (im 22), with the exception being that I recently got a pair of Solovairs, which are boots that are made in old doc marten factories and are essentially better quality docs. So I can say with authority that they become SO goddamn comfortable with time. Usually when I'm breaking in new ones I make sure to wear socks that always cover my ankles so the unsoft leather doesn't rub against my skin. I put bandaid on the back of my ankles to prevent blisters--do not wait until the blister is forming to bandaid it! And I flex/point my feet as well as standing on my tiptoes which helps both the ankle and toe crease.

My ankles roll inwards so my knees touch, so the structure of boots is really good for me, but i have been known to wear boots until they are essentially structureless. Please don't give up on docs just because they take time, they are so fun and worth it.

These rn are total comfort, I've been wearing them for about 18 months, but they were comfy starting about 17 months ago. I don't usually go on long walks bc disabled but I wear these all day when I'm out of the house with no problem. Pls note the crease at the back of the ankle and the bending around the toe. The leather is soft but still stands up on its own.

These were my boots in 2016, I wore them for most of middle school and retired them about a year after this pic (both bc they were dying and bc I outgrew them). If you are not like me and don't wear them every single day with little maitenance, they will last much longer than the 4ish years I tend to get. Pls note the much more obvious creases and how they tend to stand up a bit less straight. It should be said that the two boots shown have slightly different leather types, which definitely impacts stuff, but not massively in terms of comfort.

true queer pain