Modern Vespa

IPO = Initial Public Offering meaning they will be offering stock to the public. The IPO is on London Stock Exchange. I've never had a pair of Doc Martens but they have always been popular recommended footwear on MV over the years.

Best
Miguel

I wonder if this has something to do with Brexit. Some Docs are still made in the UK. They fit my feet funny so I can never enjoy a pair, but they have a loyal following.

I still prefer Adolf Dassler's products.
And i buy them in Germany (Zalando).

So you wear Adidas

46,5

A new record!!! Should we call you 'Bigfoot' in the future?
posted by "littlefoot"

I don’t really have a dog in this race but that’s interesting.

However docs have been crap since they outsourced to China.

-g

Uselessness

... it's a bigger fight than us ...

I agree with your sir! As a Norhamptonshire born and bred child, I was used to seeing a lot of shoemakers in my area, in fact my mum and dad both worked for Grensells and mitre sports manufacturers in the past. I used to work as a printer in Northants many years ago, and one of the benefits i used to receive were freshly made shoes from Loakes brothers!

There is a well known belief in Northants that since Griggs buggered off to china, quality has fallen. They still make "proper" Docs, in Wollaston, northants not far from where I live. They have "seconds" sales every so often, (shoes that maybe have a small glitch or mark, not good enough for general sale) where I can pick up "proper" Doc Marten shoes, at a fraction of the price.

With "proper" Docs, the leather is much, much more tougher, and take a few months "breaking in" but the results pay for itself, much so, after "breaking in" they feel like trainers- you just have to persevere with the pinching while they get used to your feet.

I have both "proper" docs and Chinese docs, and the difference is huge, mind you, so is the price. £50-£65 for Chinese, over £150-£180 for "proper docs!

Graham

So any UK MVers going to buy stock?

Miguel

Meh :-\ no thanks.

DM hasn't really been itself since the end of the last revival. They took off in popularity with skinheads, rudies, scooter boys, punks and revival mods which helped launch them to popularity then. A FP polo (esp black and gold), jeans, flight jacket and DM's were basically a uniform.

When the scene died off they tried to keep the brand alive in fashion and pop culture and did an OK job of it but were really prepping to sell. UK sales I believe have dropped off to almost nothing and the brand is no longer the one I knew at least. As far as quality I have no clue as I haven't owned a pair in like 20 years and moved on to Frye and Redwing which I believe are better quality. One downside I will say is at least growing up in Montreal the soles are slippery on ice!

ha! no lies. griggs was the original maker of the monkey boot right?

but for sure, the quality is different. i bought my gal a pair of maryjanes awhile back and they are 100% tougher than the dogshit that's available now. in fact, so tough that she's mad that they have to be broken in!

-g

redwings are kind of a coin flip. i've been wearing them for nearly 30yrs and the entry level stuff is hot garbage now. made in china with a glued sole horseshit that fall the fuck apart in a year. the mid level stuff is okay for the price. then on the highline you've got the coin flip- stuff that is "lifestyle" and the other stuff that is real deal work boots. but pony up because it's gonna be dolla-dolla billz, yo on that stuff.

i run a rotation of redwings, keen and carhartt for work. if you switch 'em out they don't get beat down as quickly.

but docs as work boots? yeah, let me know how that works out the first time you step into a puddle of trans fluid or some spilled gas.

-g

I'll guess the fashion world had a "boots" hit recently, so it will take some time to come back - so no to shares, thanks

Personally, I had my fare share of boots while in the army...where they were always used, wrong size etc... well, not always, but that's how it felt

When I was young, we ordered second hand military boots from the US! That was also lottery - some got really nice ones, some not. Later the trade turned into Europe, I believe nowadays the hard core guys buy old Swiss army boots that are typically not so much used and in a nice shape .

Nowadays I could buy a new pair of 'the official' Finnish army boots. Virtualy the same ones are available for work too, with metal (or is it hard plastic nowadays?) enforcements and such. Not pretty, but last for ever!


Finnish army boots

For about 10 years I was a training manager for a mid-high level shoe chain in both Canada and the US. I refuse to own a pair of cheap glued down sole boots and look for quality. I also know you are going to pay a lot as it is a labour intensive process and quality leather is not cheap. The upside? Take care of them and you can resole them for years and years . Between Frye and Redwing I find the Wings generally an easier break-in. For actual riding boots I like the quality of the high end Revit boots made I believe in Brazil. With my work boots I try and not use then with a toe shifter but the scuffs can be rubbed out.

We sold DM's and they were the easiest sale. Customer knew exactly what they wanted and selling the branded DM shoe care stuff was also easy and had a huge margin.

Off topic but kind of a funny story though I didn't think so at the time. We had a house brand that was pretty good and made in Italy. Partially glued down soles but not bad. Anyway one year the supplier decided to swap out the high end glue we supplied for cheap crap to the manufacturer. They almost ALL fell apart and we had heaps of them in bins in the back rooms.

If you like really high end work boots, checkout WESCO (West Coast Shoe Company). I have two pair of custom made engineer boots (made in 2002 and 2009) and a pair of off-the-shelf boots from them I bought back in ~1980. They last forEVER!

www.wescoboots.com

-Craig

Thanks Craig! The Hendrik and Johannes are good looking boots and I may order a pair. Probably leaning towards the Johannes but I do like me a nice toe cap. The customization is awesome and price really not too bad. I think I'm maybe looking at about $700 or so CAD for a pair. Do they run true to size? That is the real PITA when ordering online and I'm not sure they have a spot in Toronto where I can get fitted. I'm about a 10 1/2 or 44 and standard width is usually OK. I wish it was really standard but for instance with with Frye's I'm ok with a 10 but RW's I know I need the 11.

I would say back in 1980 they ran true to size. But that was 40 years ago. The boots I've had made most recently are both custom so I don't know what size they would be equivalent to.

-Craig

Thanks, I think I found a few places here that sell them and will do the fittings. In the spring I'll probably want a new pair of boots and will do it then. This thing we're all dealing with at the moment might have settled at least a little and better riding weather will be here.

Aren't you supposed to wear flip-flops on a scooter?

One of the grandkids loves Docs. They don't look particularly functional with the thick soles and deep tread. Maybe just on the styles she likes.

I have actual motorcycle boots, with high-traction sole material, I wear on the BV. Don't recollect the brand, but mid-height, for easy on-off but still some ankle protection. Look fine with shorts (yeah, I know, Toreador Pants not my thing) on errands. On the smaller scooter, just slip-on shoes.

Not a financial whiz by any stretch, but seems like some companies go IPO to cash out before a downturn. Prices set more on hopes than reality. And not unknown for quality to take a hit in service of bigger short-term profits.

The dress and also the shoes suitable for a scooter are those of the Mods in the Quadrophenia movie.

I mentioned revival Mods, particularly meaning the late 80's/90's scene. Just like the Northern Soul Mods are different from what we were. The dress was similar to what you see in Quadrophenia but YES, we did wear DM's. Not as a rule but it certainly was considered proper footwear. We were also much more closely tied to the Ska scene and many Mods also enjoyed Ska. Most of the Mods I hung out with I actually met at Ska shows.

If you think Quadrophenia is the final word on what "Mod" is then you do not understand that these things change over time and generations. Believe me, I lived it and was pretty involved in the scene in the Northeast/Midwest so speak from experience and not what you see in a movie.

*EDIT* Sorry for the /rant/ but I know I speak for a lot of us that were part of the scene and the current generation of Mods. Quadrophenia was a great movie but so many people just point to it and think that it is the definitive edition of Mod culture. I did have friends that mostly dressed like that but most of us did not outside of the parka and a few other items. FP and Ben Sherman you bet, they were still huge when I was around and I think still are. Even the hardcore old school Mods would put a pair of DM boots on a Rally as odds are you'd be walking through mud at some point and if riding a scooter hundreds of miles a loafer makes little sense.

This is a picture I just came across that is basically how most of us dressed. FWIW DM also makes loafers.