Having worn Dr Matens since
Having worn Dr Matens since 2009 and feeling like they had been progressively getting worse and worse in quality, I took advantage of a daytrip to Northhampton to visit the Solovair shop (not the factory store, the one beneath the wine shop) to try Solovairs instead.
The gentleman there was so lovely and helpful. The exact size I needed wasn't available but having tried on different sizes I was confident I knew what I wanted to order from the online store. The gentleman in the store offered to pass my email address over to the Solovair online team so that I could still get the 10% discount.
Within under 30 mins they had sent me a discount code. I ordered on the train home, around 6pm in the evening. The next morning before 10am I had an email that my Solovairs had been shipped.
Basically, it was perhaps the best retail experience I've had a in very long time, and the ease and efficiency of the operation were something I'm unfortunately finding rarer and rarer.
Lastly, the boots themselves - I got the classic Black Hi-Shine 8 Eye Derby Boot as I just wanted something really classic. Wearing them in has been hard on the feet (as expected) but what I didn't expect is that I would notice such a difference between the leather and overall feel compared to Dr Martens. They feel far and away just more solid, rugged, a quality boot.
I wish I could make this rating more than 5 stars. I hope Solovair continues long after this, they have a customer for life in me now.