Back to School with Dr. Martens & What to Wear For the Stylish School Run 2016/2017

I went to big school in the 90s. Apart from a brief affair with a pair of Kickers (one green sole, one red; what were we thinking?) I wore Dr Martens shoes the entire way through. They were comfortable, lasted more than one year & had the unique feature of being both desirable for us picky teens, and still be allowed uniform for such a fussy school like Sullivan Upper. 

So with school starting back on Tuesday, I took Michael along to the Dr Marten store in Corn Market in Belfast to try their  Back to School shoe styles, and to pick up my own yearly new boots for the school run.

The store has sizes from tiny baby booties, right up through primary school sized feet to young adult styles for secondary school. There is the classic black leather, but also brown and various leather effects to choose from. There are several styles of girls' 'Mary Jane' strapped shoes also, I wouldn't mind a pair of those myself, I love the bows.

There are also fun designs for the weekend for kids to choose from. Shiny patent leather that will be long lasting and keep them cosy and dry all winter. They provide a measuring service so you will get the longest wear out of the size you take home.

I wouldn't have thought of the shop being a place to look for a school bag, but they have just got a collection of gorgeous leather bags in stock that would be perfect for school or university. There are also classic satchels which I adore, I wish I needed a school bag myself! 

You can even match your bag to your boots. 

After Michael tried his pairs on, it was my turn. I think a pair of Dr Martens is pretty much vital for the winter, and when the school run is wet & miserable, I always wear my Docs. I go for the almost knee high, zipped boots from the women's department and they've just had the Autumn collection arrive.

So these are the new women's boots for winter, in two different leather effects. I chose the centre boot, called Viola, in rich brown. I have a similar pair from three years ago in black, and below you can see my pair from two years ago, in red. So I chose the brown to look well with my leopard skin coat. I can wear them with jeggings underneath, or with tights. They look great with either. They take absolutely no wearing in- they are soft and comfortable from day one. You can also see from the photo below that even after two years and constant wear, they don't fall apart. You would have a hard time wearing out a pair of Dr Martens in fact!

So there you go, a one stop shop for shoes for both your primary and secondary school aged kids, sturdy school bags, and finally something for you to wear on the school run too!

I think I will be making a return visit to buy the light bluey green shoes that caught my eye. 

Dr. Martens: Do You Remember Your First Time?

Last week, Dr. Martens got in touch and wanted to offer Michael his first ever pair of DMs. They currently have an  Adventure Time themed collection, in kids' and adult sizes.

Fans of the quirky cartoon will love these, and you can even wear your Adventure Time fandom subtlety with the Marceline design in black & white. 

So as it was half term, Michael and I took a trip up to the Belfast Doc Shop so he could choose a pair, and of course pop into Yo Sushi, it would have been rude not to. 

The Cornmarket sited store is packed with designs for all the family, right down to newborn sized booties. 

Belfast Dr. Martens store downstairs.

Belfast Dr. Martens store upstairs

Also blue patent on the top shelf out of shot

So Michael had a lot to choose from, but after looking at the designs online when we got inside, he just threw a bit of a strop and wouldn't even try them on. I think he was dying to get to Yo Sushi, so instead the staff suggested I pick myself a pair. I know, blogging is tough sometimes ;-)

 I was pretty peeved off that Michael wouldn't choose a pair, as it's a really great quality boot to have, and go only has trainers really. But what can you do? I wasn't going to force a pair on him. Although when he found out later his best friend Connie has a shiny black pair, I think he wished he hadn't thrown a strop?

I actually am 'well stocked' in Dr. Marten's boots myself. I have mid-calf high zip up boots in black, which still are as new despite being worn for three winters of icy school runs and coastal path danders. Before them I owned the same design in brown.

My newest pair I wore along to the store visit. I got them last October and chose a design with a little more height, ox blood, matt, knee-heigh zip ups. That's them below.

The leather used in these casual, daily wear style boots, is a lot softer than the classic Dr. Marten eyelet boot. There's no 'breaking them in' process, and they keep their shape and don't slouch, even on matchstick legs like I have (spindly legs yet still have a double chin in this photo!) 

In the store's flash sale they had this ankle boot, Gayle, down from £95 to £65. I think for the quality and longevity of a pair of Doc Martens, that's a very decent price. You could look at it this way; they last so well that in 7 years time when you are still using them for Autumn and winter, you'll have paid less than £10 a year. It's simple, shopping mall mathematics, or rather any excuse to buy some lovely boots.

The tweed print is what drew me to this pair, which is also available in black. The buckles are adjustable, but with my tiny ankles I don't need to undo them to put them on. I'm not a huge fan of ankle boots, but these I like.

Detail on the Gayle boot in brown

And to keep them looking new every autumn, they included this water & stain spray, which I can use to liven up my existing pairs, and even leather handbags, or suede, or nubuck.

So I was disappointed that Michael didn't want to play along and receive his first ever Dr. Martens, but it made me remember MY first pair. I was about 13 or 14, so it must have been the early 90s.

EVERYONE had Dr. Marten boots. I remember one non-uniform day at Sullivan Upper, my schoo, and at least half the class proudly sporting the cherry red, ox blood red, or black boots. I really, REALLY wanted a pair. 

It wasn't the price that was the problem, my Mum didn't mind paying that sort of price for winter boots, but my parents really didn't want their little 13 year old girl, stomping around in big boots that they were used to seeing punks wearing. 

My first Dr. Marten's, bought around 1993 when I was 13

Finally they gave in, but I couldn't get leather, or black, or loads of height. My first pair were suede, green, six eyelet boots and I LOVED them. 

So, thinking Michael was supposed to get his first ever pair, and thinking about my green, suede wonders, I decided to ask Twitter did they remember their first pair of Dr. Martens.

So many people replied, with fond stories about them at that age, or what they got up to in their first pair. Many, like me, had to convince their middle class, church-going, Northern Irish parents, that Dr. Martens weren't just for punks or naughty boys & girls. Now we would think nothing of getting a child a pair, there's even newborn baby size!

So it's clear Dr. Martens as a brand means more than just fashion, when people have such clear memories of their first pair. Signing off, here's a selection of the replies. 

Stand For Something: Belfast Doc Marten's Store Opening Night

The Belfast Doc Marten's Store had it's official launch last night, with music by The Groundlings and a DJ set from Terri Hooley. The iconic building has two storeys of shop floor and features huge artwork by local artist Visual Waste on the winding staircase. 

I've never seen so many DMs in one place, both on sale and on feet, as everyone at the opening party had styled their boots or shoes to their own personal taste. I wore my cherry red Mayen Docs, which are incredibly comfy for a high boot. I've been wearing Docs since I was eleven (in 1991!), they are a brand very close to my heart, so it was a great pleasure to be part of the launch of the store.

Drinks were sourced from local brewers Farmageddon, and the food from Love & Death Inc. The fish and chips in cups were amazing.

The store is definitely worth popping into if you're in Belfast this weekend, as there will be discounts and offers running to celebrate the opening. The range includes women's boots and shoes, men's and also children's and even babies' Docs which are terribly cute. The clothing range also tempted me, lots of vintage vibe punk wear and smart mod styles. Make sure you call in and check it out.