Dr. Martens Women’s Leona 7 Hook Boots

First DMs love them usually 5.5 so ordered size 5, perfect fit even with thick socks

These boots are so comfy, I love how they look and they fit perfectly!

These shoes are fakes. The insoles are not genuine dr. Marten soles. The font on the tab on the back was wrong. The box was genuine but you could see where they tore off the genuine sticker and put on the fake sticker. The size on the inside of the shoe did not match the box and the stitching was horrible. AND the inside sole was torn. Definitely not happy with these.

The good: This shoe looks amazing, just as in the picture. The shoe is incredibly comfortable. The first day I wore them for 10 hours during a stand up shift less than 30 minutes sitting down. So, safe to say they are comfy for 10 hours of standing. They have that powerful goddess feeling to them when you wear them.

The bad: They are not made with black leather. They are made with a brown leather covered in a black vinyl. In my opinion the colors clash, but I didn’t think that would be a problem as the interior is never seen. Now that I have worn them for two weeks minor scuffs have appeared on the toes. Even through the MINOR scuffing you can easily see the brown leather underneath meaning as this shoe ages that brown leather is going to become more and more visible, making the age of the shoe far more visible. That being said I would not consider this shoe good for longevity, which is one of the major selling points of Dr. Martens. They are supposed to last forever. I have Dr. Martens made in the early 90’s that look better than this shoe will in 1 year.

I knew the manufacturing of this boot has been outsourced, but they went way cheaper in material quality than I would have thought for a 170 dollar shoe. The hooks for the laces are actually closed loop holes that the lace has to be threaded through so fast lacing is not a thing. I can tell they are not made using a high quality metal. they are not actual brass, they are a cheaper metal that has been.

The laces they come with are an absolute joke. They feel papery, and they are extremely thin for how heavy this boot is. I immediately had to replace with new laces as I could not even lace them tight enough with the ones provided. They were so bad I cannot imagine these were the original laces provided by Dr. Marten. I don’t even understand how laces of that poor quality could be ok for any shoe.

All that said, these were the first pair of brand new Dr. Martens I had ever bought. I had read a lot that quality was going down in these shoes, but that they were still worth it. This shoe would be worth it if it could be found for 100 dollars, but I would not pay that much ever again for a new pair of Dr. Martens. They are so cool looking and SO comfy that it makes it worth it, but the price I paid was for longevity of the shoe. I think I will have to frequently use a shoe repair kit to maintain the color of the boot in hopes that it will dye the light brown leather beneath. Who knows how long the vinyl will last anyway. I say this hoping to be wrong, but I predict it will peel in 1-2 years of heavy use (I intend to wear these every day I work.) (Also, my job is not very “dirty”, I just stand a lot- I DO NOT recommend for a dirty job! They could not handle the abrasions)

I love these boots. I am a bootlover, have a variety of motorcycle and other classic & combat style boots, but had never had a true pair of Docs. I singled these out for the height of the sole (I like the effect of a boot with some heel and this gives some height without a strained arch), the moderate glow to the leather treatment (not matte, not shiny), the classic Doc details, plus the vintage addition of the brass grommeting. I’ve seen others rate the boot leather as cheap — it’s not; it is a thickness comparable to a dress-shoe leather. The foot bed is comfortable, modestly padded, with a smooth leather lining. The only downside for me is sizing. I usually wear a 7, although sometimes between a 6.5 and 7. The Doc 7 is probably perfect to allow heavy socks, but is soupy with thinner socks. Wish I could size down, but only whole sizes. One other heads up: as boots go, they are heavy – not uncomfortable, but expect the weight.
These are honestly the most classic Doc Martens. The dull shine and vintage grommet hardware set them well above comparable styles. I absolutely adore these boots.
BUT, BIG PROBLEM after less than 6 months of wear:
I am on Amazon trying to track down the vendor because after a few months of light wear (I own dozens of boots, so these are in light rotation, indoors, in a mild climate), the soles on both sides of both boots are peeling apart. I would readily ask for a replacement pair because I love them that much, but there is no way that a pair of boots should disintegrate so quickly like this – especially Docs.
PROBLEM
since it’s past the return period, Amazon site gives me no option to contact the seller. I would hope the seller would see this review and reach out to me… Otherwise I’ll have to try to get satisfaction through, I don’t know, my credit card, Amazon directly, or Doc Martens? It’s really unacceptable.
Slightly smaller issue: these boots have a chic look in part because they have thin, waxed cotton dress laces rather than burly boot laces… except one lace broke, and it has been impossible to find the exact replacement laces. Laces on the Doc site are roughly $3-4… but vendors on Amazon sell the thick laces, only, for about $11.
So so far, as much as I love these boots… they’ve been a handful of issues.