Footwear

[czabby]

The problem i have surviving glasto is the footwear...can anyone suggest really comfy trainers/boots that feel like slippers but dont look shit and let your feet breath...also nice airy socks as well!!....mud notwithstanding obvs!

[Slavivlad]

This is the Boots topic that is around somewhere on this forum.

 

[p.pete]

I've seen people recommend bamboo socks - bit pricey so I've not tried them yet...

[Ex_ollie]

Get a pair of hiking boots with a pair of arch supporting insoles. I have a terrible time with wellies as my feet sweet like hell and i get pain between my tarsals and hiking boots were the answer for me. 

[grumpyhack]

Decent walking boots (my choice is leather) and don't worry about what they look like as long as they do the job.  And break them in before the festival.

[balti-pie]

On 05/04/2017 at 10:49 AM, p.pete said:

I've seen people recommend bamboo socks - bit pricey so I've not tried them yet...

They're ace tbf, well worth the money. eBay search Alexander Green bamboo socks - about a fiver for three pairs, and I pretty much guarantee you'll coo over how comfy and soft they are if you're wearing th on a long walk. Little beauties! (No, I don't work for em, but they really are good) 

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

Don't do what I did as a young whipper snapper at my first festival many years ago... I thought it was a good idea to wear espadrilles, fucking espadrilles! Luckily it wasn't a really muddy one, but, I did have to traipse through a urinal/toilet area overflowing with excrement at one point, delightful and a lesson learned.

On a serious note I've got a few pairs of thousand mile socks which I guess are similar to bamboo socks? I couldn't recommend them highly enough, they're pricey for what they are (not far off a tenner a pair IIRC) but they last, and they pretty much guarantee you won't get any blisters, and once you've got a blister at Glastonbury it's not much fun at all.

[RichardWaller]

DM's are always a popular choice. Got me pair on now actually, bought em second hand off eBay about three years ago, all broken in for me so none of the blistering crap. They've survived Glastonbury 2014 and 2016 and still going strong.

[char90]

3 hours ago, RichardWaller said:

DM's are always a popular choice. Got me pair on now actually, bought em second hand off eBay about three years ago, all broken in for me so none of the blistering crap. They've survived Glastonbury 2014 and 2016 and still going strong.

Breaking in my new ones at the minute...oh the pain

[tigertoo]

DM's for me too, I love them and have many pairs.

Been wearing them at glastonbury festival for over 20 years now - in particular long ones with ribbon laces which are my current fave for glasto as they protect me from the deeper mud. Which reminds me I must give them some tlc with renovating cream or dubbing after last year's mud bath.

I also have the dealer boot style pull on ones which are excellent for sunny glasto's you can sit down, take em off, and park your pint upright in one - no chance of knocking it over then

[char90]

1 hour ago, tigertoo said:

DM's for me too, I love them and have many pairs.

Been wearing them at glastonbury festival for over 20 years now - in particular long ones with ribbon laces which are my current fave for glasto as they protect me from the deeper mud. Which reminds me I must give them some tlc with renovating cream or dubbing after last year's mud bath.

I also have the dealer boot style pull on ones which are excellent for sunny glasto's you can sit down, take em off, and park your pint upright in one - no chance of knocking it over then

As a 20 year connoisseur, any tips for a less painful breaking in period? I've been wearing round the house a couple of hours an evening most nights and they are definitely on the way to comfy but I wore them out on Saturday for the first time for a longer period and my feet are ribbons! 

[tigertoo]

I havent had a need to break in DM's for many years. the long ones and the pull on ones didnt need it and my newest pair are the DM's for life range which are a lot more expensive than the standard range but the leather is more supple I think it is marinaded in oil or something.

way back when i used to break them in I cant remember what I did other than wear plasters at the back of the heel and thick socks. If they arent softening up you could try liberally applying the original dubbing or the new renovating cream from the doc shop. or a more cheap version you could try would be vaseline or hand cream. good luck hope they feel good soon and well done breaking them in well before the festival. 

[RichardWaller]

18 hours ago, char90 said:

Breaking in my new ones at the minute...oh the pain

Been a good while since I've had a brand new pair, not sure I'll bother again really, let someone else suffer for me. 

16 hours ago, tigertoo said:

DM's for me too, I love them and have many pairs.

Been wearing them at glastonbury festival for over 20 years now - in particular long ones with ribbon laces which are my current fave for glasto as they protect me from the deeper mud. Which reminds me I must give them some tlc with renovating cream or dubbing after last year's mud bath.

I also have the dealer boot style pull on ones which are excellent for sunny glasto's you can sit down, take em off, and park your pint upright in one - no chance of knocking it over then

They're bloody great aren't they? I've got three pairs right now, had five ever I think. Got a pair now that are at least 30 years old and still fine. Got em off eBay about ten years ago, remember the seller had proudly described how he'd worn em to the poll tax riots in the 80s. Figured they'd be pretty durable...

[tigertoo]

I have to admit i am a bit of a DM addict. i am not generally brand loyal but I lurve docs 

i've had about 3 pairs of doc shoes, 4 pairs of pull on/dealer boot style 2 pairs of doc sandals and 3 pairs of boots over 30 odd years. my longest wearing pair are green nubuck leather/suede boots I bought 30 years ago. I wore them for 15 years then my feet got slightly bigger in pregnancy and they never fit quite right afterwards. but my teenage daughter has been wearing them for a few years now. ( she says most of my wardrobe is sh!t but has extracted a few gems including the docs and my jimi hendrix and mighty boosh t-shirts  ). I have particular affection for the green ones as I remember seeing Blur at the town and country club in Leeds about 20 years ago and overdoing it somewhat near the front. My ancle was swollen and I was quite drunk and woke up the following morning still wearing them. 

my docs for life are truly marvellous but I am ashamed to admit how much they cost me. I bought them full price and they were fantastically comfortable from day one. I would love a pair of the 'Vonda' ladies high boots with the beautiful roses emroidered up the side but it would be extravegant as I have 4 pairs on the go already plus the old ones my daughter wears.

I will stop now as I could engage in DM admiration for several hours and send everyone to sleep.