Can You Resole Doc Martens? Yes. But Should You?

Yes, you can resole your favorite pair of Docs Marten boots, but it’s more difficult than a normal Goodyear welted boot, and getting a new sole put on them may cost about the same as buying a new pair.

• You can resole Docs, but it’s difficult and expensive
• Docs do not use typical high-quality materials of welted boots
• The welt is heat sewn to the sole with flame, making it extra laborious and pricy to resole
• There are similar, higher-quality boots on the market

How Doc Martens are Resoled

Unlike most Goodyear welted boots, Docs’ flame welting creates a very tight bond between the sole, plastic welt, and uppers. That’s great for holding everything together but not great if you’re the cobbler who has to cut everything apart and rebuild or repair the welt and sole.

Julie Derrick, a cobbler in Portland, Oregon, also replaced the foam layers and sands down the glue and remnants of the old sole. When it comes to the problem of the crummy PVC welt, she added a midsole to create a stable base and attached new Vibram soles to that.

How Goodyear Welted Boots are Resoled

I’ve been lucky enough to work with a few cobblers. I’ve learned how to resole my first Goodyear boots and helped fix a pair of squeaky soles at Bedo’s Leatherworks. I even handmade my own pair of boots.

The first step in resoling a pair of Goodyear welted boots is carefully removing the old sole from the boot. This is done by cutting the stitching that attaches the sole to the strip of leather, called a welt, that runs along the perimeter of the boot’s outsole.  

After the sole has been detached from the welt, the cobbler will peel the worn rubber sole from the midsole layer, which is work because soles are both glued and stitched on. The cobbler then removes any excess glue and stitching, and checks that the leather welt is intact. All of the defunct materials are replaced, and the new sole is attached to the welt and uppers.

That’s the abridged version; I have an entire article on this here and a video above where you can see the process. (It’s surprisingly soothing to watch.)

Considerations Before Purchasing Doc Martens

I’m going to make a pretty big ask here. For a moment, forget what you know about Doc Martens; they are no longer the edgy 90s boot you had as a teenager. They used to be, but in the early 2000s, they moved 98% of their manufacturing to Asia, and in 2014, they were bought by global investment firm Permia.

You won’t find anyone who laments an iconic company reducing quality more than this guy, but the truth is your Docs are likely made in China, Vietnam, Laos, or Thailand with a lot of plastic components glued and melted together with low-quality leather uppers. Yes, there are Made in England Docs that have a better reputation but like it or not, the Dr Martens boots are made in Asia.

As far as boots go, they also lack many key features that make them durable and comfortable boots. We’ll detail below where Docs have devolved (even the made-in-Britain lack many of these features).

• No Shank: Doc Martens used to have a wooden shank that helps with stability.
• No Half Sizes: Docs don’t do half sizes. I’m between sizes.
• Made Overseas: While they symbolize “Cool Britannia,” modern Doc Martens boots are predominantly manufactured in Asia, diverging from their original British roots. It’s not that it’s inherently bad to make something in Asia, but this is where the quality went downhill for Docs.
• Low Quality Leather: Doc Martens use relatively thin materials, often coated with a synthetic layer. Over time, this can lead to cracking and reduced durability. They also don’t even know where the leather comes from: I asked them, and they just said “South America or Asia.” 
• Cracking Soles: Doc’s soles are known for their susceptibility to cracking, especially in colder climates.
• Lack of Grip: The sole is soft, and the lugs are shallow, so they lose grip more easily than other boots. They look like they should be grippy with their lugs but they aren’t that deep and combined with the sole’s famous softness (which I admit is comfy), they wear smooth pretty quickly. 

Recommended Dr Martens Alternative: Solovair Black Hi-Shine Derby Boots

So, I’ve trashed Docs. They aren’t easily resoleable, they’re made of lower-quality materials than I like, and I don’t think they’re very functional.

But those probably aren’t the reasons most people buy Docs. They buy them because they look cool and they’re affordable. But if you’re part of the crowd who both likes Doc’s aesthetics and wants quality boots, I recommend Solovair’s Hi-Shine Derby Boots.

Getting New Soles for Solovair Boots

Unlike Docs, you can send your old boots to Solovair, and they’ll resole them at their factory.

The process starts by inserting a foot shaped wooden mold called a last into your old boots to help retain their shape during the resole operation. After securing the last,  the sole is separated from the welt using a knife and then temporarily attached to the welt. Then, the boots are brought to the heat seal machine and fused to the welt with a blade heated to 700 °C. Once the fusion is complete, any extra material is trimmed away. The boots are buffed, polished, and returned.

Solovair’s Leather

• Solovair uses European tanneries and cattle
• Dr. Martens sources leather from “South America or Asia”
• Both leathers are smooth and glossy
• Solovair’s is thicker and more robust

Solovair boots boast glossier leather, but both have sanded (or “corrected”) grain to create a smooth finish.

They offer a “hi-shine” and a matte option. Dr. Martens is vague about the origin of its leather, only hinting at South American or Asian sources. In contrast, Solovair proudly sources from European tanneries and cattle, appealing to people who value European craftsmanship. They even use Horween leather for some of their boots. Horween is one the most famous and respected tanneries in the USA, if not the world, so you know they care about quality.

And they appeal to people who love the look of Docs: it’s a nearly identical look, even the leather looks similar while being much higher quality. One downside is that Solovair will require a tougher break in than Docs because of the thicker leather.

[Related: How to Break In Boots; 12 Tricks for Tough Boots]

Solovair Construction

• Both use heat molding
• You can send your boots to Solovair for resoling
• Solovair doesn’t have yellow stitching of Docs

The most noticeable difference between the boots lies in their appearance. Solovairs have matching stitching that is subtly toned down. This contrasts with the iconic, bright yellow stitching on the original Dr. Martens, which isn’t to everyone’s taste. Some prefer the understated style of Solovair’s stitching for its versatility, while others believe Dr. Martens’ bold yellow stitching is a defining feature of such boots.

[Further Reading: Cheap vs Expensive Boots | 5 Areas to Consider When Buying]

Solovair Sole

• Solovair’s rubber is slightly less springy than Docs
• Solovair has a wooden shank
• Both have extra padding but in different places.

Solovair boots come with a rubber outsole that is marginally less springy than Docs, though the difference is barely noticeable. In terms of their construction, these boots feature increased cushioning under the heel and reduced padding under the toes compared to Dr. Martens.

However, the general consensus is that Solovair offers more comfort for all-day wear than Docs, and they also maintain their shape better over time.

Sizing

• Dr. Martens: Size down to the nearest whole-size
• Dr. Martens don’t have half sizes
• Solovair: Use British sizing (usually one whole size down from US sizing)

Surprisingly, Dr. Martens doesn’t sell half sizes. If you check out their bad reviews, this is a problem for a few people, like me, who typically wear a size 11.5. The brand suggests sizing down by half to a full size for the best fit. So I chose size 11, which turned out slightly large, but a size 10 would have been too small, leading to a bad fit with the Docs.

Solovair has half sizes. Their boots also have different lasts, so if one model doesn’t work, you can find something that fits your foot better.

[Read More: Do Dr Martens Run Big? How to Size the Punk Rock Icon]

Price

• Dr. Martens South East Asian boots are $170.00 
• Docs made-in-England boots are $260.00
• Solovair are all made in England and cost $219.00

If you compare the Asian-made Docs to the English-made Solovair, Docs are about 40 bucks cheaper. but that’s not really a fair comparison. It’s a lot cheaper to get labor in South East Asian countries.

Docs English-made, “heritage” boots are $40 more than Solovair. The construction is more robust than the Asian made Docs, but Solovair is still a better buy, and better value.  

Wrapping Up

But if you want recognizable and familiar boots with yellow stitching and branded pull tabs, Doc Martens boots are the way to go; just don’t expect to replace the sole easily

Can you still get Dr. Martens boots resoled?

Yes, but it can be difficult to find someone able to resole Dr. Martens boots because the original sole is heat-sealed onto a plastic welt. If you find a willing cobbler, the price will probably be more than a new pair of boots.

Can you take Dr. Martens boots to a cobbler?

Yes, but contact the cobbler first to ensure they're willing to resole a pair of Dr. Martens boots.

Do Dr. Martens boots still have a lifetime guarantee?

No Dr. Martens boots discontinued their lifetime warranty. According to their website, The only footwear (they) guarantee for life is from our discontinued For Life Collection.

Can you exchange old Doc Martens for new ones?

No, you can only get a free exchange for new Dr. Martens boots if they are less than one year old and have a manufacturing defect.