★★★★★ 5
Authentic Docs for great price!
The boots I purchased were Chelsea 2976 in Nappa leather (not the brown Crazy Horse, but the Black; such nice and soft leather!) and unisex size men's 7/women's 8/EU 39 (I'm normally a women's US 9/EU 40, but that's what fit best--see notes on sizing below).
Considering the price, I was a little skeptical that these were genuinely Dr. Marten's, so I ended up bring them into a store to verify before wearing them--and multiple salespeople, who had worked for the company for 7+ years, said they looked like the real deal to them, which is amazing for the price (I got them when they were $99 online, but $160 in store; may have been a sale...?).
Before ordering, I also visited the store to get the right sizing--Dr. Marten's doesn't sell my normal size in the US (EU 40), so I needed help figuring out what to buy. In the end that was either a women's EU 41 or a unisex 39. Dr. Marten's women's sizes are cut more narrow, so if purchasing women's, I needed a longer shoe to give my toes more space (EU 41, which they say is a women's US 9 but on many shoes EU 41 is a US 9.5 or even US 10). Unisex sizes are wider, so I was fine with a shorter length (EU 39). In the end, the only real difference between the women's sizing and men's sizing on the Chelsea boot was at the ankle; for some reason, the women's 41 had more of a gap at the ankle and I worried that might make it rub/blister more, so I went with unisex sizing. It might also depend on the boot, so I'd say go to the store for sizing before purchasing online.
Once I got them & verified their authenticity, I got a but of things to help with weatherizing them and breaking them in (Dr. Marten's has a great kit! And, double thick socks). I did get a bad blister wearing them too long & uphill on the first day (and I had to get used to their weight; I don't have many heavier shoes). But, I used Compeed patches for the blister (should have put them on to prevent, but it was fine once they were on) and after a week of wearing them a little bit at a time, they are now super comfortable and I love them! Highly recommend!
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Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2024
