DR. MARTENS VS SOLOVAIR: The Great British Boot Off

The biggest problem i had with dr.martens boots, is the unreasonable pricing over the years. I bought my first pair 11 years ago for 70€, now they are at 200€ for no reason besides these shoes got a blowup over these years. Got my first pair of solovair a few days ago and looking forward to a better 'boot-experience'😅

just to show the "problem" of Docs once again: Since this video has been uploaded Solovairs are 220 € while the made in Asia Docs are 200 €. So Docs underwent another drastic price increase while Solovairs remain pretty much at the same price. I assume the quality didn't change over the past two years either.

Solovair shoes are very comfortable

what boots that cost similar to solovair have good leather?

I love docs but id love to try Solovairs for sure. For docs one thing I can say. Never walk on Ice if you do not have to ... no grip at all. I know they both are not hikeing boots but I hope your heart does not pound with Solovairs when walking on anything slippery lol

I'm not an expert on this but NPS (Solovair) never made Doc Martens boots as stated in the video.

The license holder to do so was english shoe maker R. Griggs. They made the upper / leather work.

Since R. Griggs could not manufacture the soles for their own, they looked for another manufacturer who could make them for R. Griggs - under license.

This is how NPS (Solovair) came to Doc Martens boots. They made the soles but never the whole boot (at least that's how I understand it).

This license expired I think in 1993.

1960 - 1993: tags on boots say "with cushion soles" and "Dr Martens".

1993 - today: "with bouncing soles" and "AirWair".

That's how you can really determine id your Docs are mads pre oder post 1993.

The original (before 1993) Doc Martens ad went: "Genuine Dr Martens...air cushion soles by Sōlovair (made by british craftsmen)"

No "AirWair" anywhere. AirWair was the invention of R. Griggs when the collab with NPS ended and R. Griggs seemed to make the soles then in house.

went to the shop to buy a pair of doc martens i put em on and laughed at the shoe salesman… doc martens are gone sorry

Got mine but the cap top is too bulky, seems like a clown shoes.

Docs are 300 dollars in Australia.

The big differnce between Solovair and Dr Martens is easy. Quality or not. Dr Marten boots are more comfortable for people with broad feet. Solavair boots are made for people with long pointy feet.
Period.

I bought a pair of Solovair monkey boots for dear money.
My feet are pushing the over leader of the boots over the air cushion soles.
Too pointy boots=good for catwalks, not for work....😂

Bulky bovver boots by the original look better than any pointy follower up.
Sorry Solovair...
Stick to long thin photo models, bye bye!

My first pair of R Martens were 18 hole back in 1983 :)

id rather go for The solovair for quality and i know there going to last longer then docs

it seems both has that horizontal prominent creases every doc Marts have from the first eyelet across the top of the heel cap, I dislike that creases on doc Marts, classic combat boots never produce this kind of creasing, and combat boots has more sole and side zip

How can I order Solovair in America?

The camera close up of when you said “the German army in World War 2” while rubbing your hands was very telling and clear to what you were insinuating almost lol

Having owned both, you won't be replacing the soles on either, because the trash corrected grain upper will have cracked up beyond repair long before the sole will. Obviously, you don't expect high quality for these prices, but neither brand offer a premium boot with this aesthetic made with some integrity and quality materials, and it's a real waste not to capitalize on the historic reputation.

Docs are primarily for young people because of their punk history. Solovair, I find it more for mature people.

The stitching in Dr Martens has no protection, water will ingress through the stitching to your feet.

The Solovairs stitching is more decorative and does not have any connective properties that can transport water hence creating a more weather resistant sole.

I like my DMs, I've a pair of 1460s Black Made in England. I'd like a pair of Solovairs in Ox blood or Burgundy. The only snag is do I choose the Derby boot or the Astronaut?

Solovair can be repaired but the DOCM cant be fixed with a new sole , as they are heat glued. after a year of Martins you need a nea one . Solovair can be fixed like new with the original sole for like 50

Doc martens, oh you fucked up bad. Absolute trash. They’ve fallen fast but then again so have Allen Edmonds, sperry etc

In this competition of slagging off Dr Martens, I think people should know that Solovair boots are much more narrow and pointy than DM's.
If you have normal feet= do not buy Solovair shoes or boots.

Have you seen the differences between DM monkey boots and Solovair monkey boots?
The Solovairs are for tall people with very pointy feet.
The monkey stick with the Dr Martens.

Just had my 10 yr old Doc marten shoes resoled with solovair soles... Best of both worlds. Wasnt cheap (£70), but lot cheaper than buying a new pair.

I find the toebox runs much more narrow in the Solovair. I got a (barely) used pair after only ever having Docs and thinking about getting Docs afterall.

Wasn't this the same brother who said it was named after some random soldier in some war?

They're both pathetic versions of what the used to be

Solovair should at least offer a 8 eye boot with green stitching to match the tag. I promise it’d be a big seller.

Docs are not very good anymore.

You need to compare made in England made in England. Why would you compare an authentic boot made in England to a boot made in Asia?

I'd buy the Solovairs if they did embroidered boots like docs did. By the time I've paid for custom embroidery I might as well just buy the docs and accept they'll need replacing in a few years.

I’m 55 and have worn docs since 85. That being said. When I saw how many people are now wearing them. It turned me off and made in some other country.
I am a Solovair wearer from now on. I have the greasy 8’s and oxblood 8’s. Love them. And made in England.

Made in England would've been a better comparison

So everything the world thinks what is "Dr. Martens" from its start until the early 2000s is Solovair. All that history. All that craftsmanship. All the Dr. Martens in fashion from the 60's mod to the 80's punks to 90's grunge, that's all Solovair.
The Dr. Martens you're buying in 2024, the company is only about 20 years old and the boots are not made in England (except for models specially made there).

Solovair. Done

You get what you pay for! Go with the Solavair!

My solovairs broke during their break-in period. A set of corcoran jump boots lasted me 10 years, and they have that military look because they're actual military boots.

So ive just found out about Solovair lol i was looking to buy a pair of 10 hole steel toe doc M's and i find out they stopped making them, according to Reddit in 2019 they stopped them, well im heart broke cus ive worn 10 hole docs with steel toes since i was a young boy, im 50 now and a crazy thing happened, i went to bed a size 8 uk and woke up a size 9 uk shoe size, none of my shoes fit, now ive had a pair of 2003 doc M's steel toe made in Vietnam and worn them in work, im a pipefitter, work in oil refinery's or ship building, im always told they aren't up to standard safety wise but they got steel toes and i wear them lol those boots have lasted me 2 decades, the soles wore well, id easily walk 4-5 miles a day in them easily! Obviously they are well broken in but apart from a few scuffs on the toes, the boots are in fantastic condition, ive bounced around in doc M's across 4 decades and to think i will never do it again is disheartening, i love my Docs to the point i want buried in them! All these years ive laced up my high shine boots and always felt good about myself, stomping boots and yes ive fought in them, those days are gone, way to old for that but i certainly bruised shinmbones with them on lol ive seen that SoloVair make them as 11 holes instead of 10, which is weird and of course theres no yellow stitching, feels weird to look at, i know they are rated the better quality boot over the now cheap to make Doc M's but expensive to own, but the yellow stitching is ICONIC! I grew up in the punk era, i was a young Skinhead, drainpipe jeans, Fred perry polo shirt and 10 hole steel toe Doc's! Jacket had a tartan inner cloth, navy outside and Tartan inside, 10-15 of us dressed the same like it was a uniform and during the winter months we wore the German Parkers with the fleece lining, what a time it was to grow up in. People try to say being a skinhead was racist, especially after that movie American history X but that wasn't our experience, it was all about the style, the tunes and sticking 2 fingers up to the man lol back then you weren't getting a job with your head shaved, these days they turn up with pink hair, half shaved, bull rings in the noses and Tats that leave little to the imagination and its acceptable so kids do it, thing is in my day it wasn't acceptable and thats what made it popular with us kids, he rebelled and looked good doing it lol i think i could handle the change with Docs to Solovairs if the stitching was more eye catching, they cant use yellow but why not a illumines green or a bright orange, that would be cool, ive went on a bit of a rant bit only because Docs have been a massive part in my life, in fact my 15 year old daughter laughed at me for wearing them, that im trying get down with the kids to grow up lol i told her that Docs weren't something that came along with her generation that it was my generation that made Docs the Iconic boot it is today! Kids they think they know everything lol have all you noticed that the ways we used to do things to rebel against the machine has become acceptable now to the point its almost the normal! What does rebelling even look like these days?

I can't believe I have never heard of Solovair.

When my Grandpa retired after 25 years at the airforce service in WW2, he was issued with a pair of Solavair shoes on his first day and was still wearing them on his last. All his friends and comrades were shot in their feet but he is still able to walk and backflip perfectly, thanks to his Solovair shoes.

I'm stuck to my Alt-Berg Microlights

I have both, doc martens mostly produces in China, while Solovair is produce by NPS in England

I have high top solovairs and made in England docs. The solovairs are so much tougher. But the docs feel slightly more bouncy.

Ive worn many dm s and he is wrong about a lot Ive worn them over 50 yrs

Did this guy just explained that Dr. MARTENS did boots for N**i Germany? Basically na×i soldiers were wearing it hehe 😅🥲😵

I have 20 ups from 1995/96. They are still with me and still fit. I really thrashed them and there's nothing wrong with them. I bought some of the Chinese 14 ups and I can't even break them in.