I worked in the food service industry for a while, and when I asked my manager for shoe recommendations, she immediately (and for days) proceeded to wax poetic about Dr. Martens. Let me tell you, these shoes gave me more blisters than any of the shoes I have ever owned in my life combined. I was reassured that this was just the breaking in period and that they would become the most comfortable shoes I'd ever owned, but I found this incredibly hard to believe. Lo and behold, six months later, these are the only shoes I wear anymore. The soles have amazing traction, which is super important when you live in a city whose rainy season lasts ten months out of the year (hi, Seattle!). If the leather starts getting gnarly, just slap on some of the Wonder Balm (don't actually slap it on), and they're good as new. I don't have any other Doc Martens to compare them to, but one caveat is that these shoes do run awfully large. I got the size 5, put insoles in, and they still slip off my feet.

Just what I was looking for - I've been looking for a pair of comfortable casual shoes to wear for a couple of months now. Most of my shoes start to hurt my feet after half a day, so I wanted something that I could wear all day without getting any foot pain. The Chandas are true to size (I wear a 7.5 for shoes that require socks, ordered the 7, and they fit like a glove) and the thicker heel keeps the shoe from being too flat. I've been wearing these shoes nearly every day since they arrived. One great thing is that they didn't need any time to break in - usually with new shoes there's a bit of a breaking in period to stretch the leather, but when I put these on for the first time, it was like I'd been wearing them for years.

Mom bomb - A touch short, if returned for the next size up in this shoe. I don't mind a little extra room because if wear them with thick socks for winter. I am happy with these shoes. They are good and sturdy shoes that look cute and tough. I like to wear them to meetings with my kids' principal because these shoes say, "Hey, if don't fool around."

I've been wearing these shoes to work (food service industry) since March. Breaking in the shoes was beyond painful; I got nasty blisters and almost wrote off Doc Martens entirely, but was encouraged not to give up. They're cute and stylish, but still not the most comfortable shoes, as my toes still get pinched after long days in them. They're also heavy and don't breathe well, so it's a relief to get out of them at the end of the day. The best part about these shoes is that the soles really, truly are no-slip or whatever the term is: night after night I've walked around freshly mopped floors with nary a hint of a problem.