I was initially thinking of buying Solovair instead since they are still being made in the UK as opposed to the mostly made in China/Thailand/Vietnam Dr. Marten's boots and Solovair also comes with half sizes,too. The problems is I didn't know where I can buy them here in Tokyo and I just learned that they are being sold here as well the day after I got my Doc's! The shop is in Ikebukuro, just a train ride away from my place.
My first pair was bought during the 90's when they were still being considered as novelty items and were not really part of the mainstream like how it is now. They were original British-made boots with Solovair printed on the tag and the documentation. (Back then and maybe still to this day, Solovair makes the shoes and sole for the Dr. Marten's brand.) They were a pair of black six-holes boots. These boots took a long time to break-in, they only become comfortable after many week's of wearing them, but they were super comfortable after that. The Quillon leather on it also lasted very long. I had them for many years and never had any problems apart from rats chewing on the sole and leather. And it began to look ugly and I just gave them to our security guard, who happily accepted it.
This advice seems to be working as I do not feel a lot of discomfort or pain while breaking-in my boots and I am now on my third day. I never had the terrible blisters on my ankles like how my first and especially my second pair did to me.
I also applied some "Wonder Balm" to my boots to soften and condition the leather further, hastening the break-in period and protecting the leather from water and the elements.
I will update this blog as the weeks pass by, until my boots are fully broken-in. I will also give a feedback on how these Asian-made Doc's compare to my older boots in terms of durability and other things. Rick.