Barman, in the comments here:
Many years ago my daughter had a thing for Dr. Marten boots, she had about five pairs in various colours (all paid for by herself to be fair)...
I used to take the piss out of her for wasting her money for such a stupid fashion statement but she insisted that she only bought them because they were 'so comfortable'... Her blistered, bandaged and plastered feet told a different story!
On the Northern Line on Saturday, I noticed that the young woman standing next to me was earning a bright orange Doc Marten with a blue lace on one foot and a pale blue Doc Marten with an orange lace on the other.
I asked her whether she bought a pair of each. As a die hard Doc Marten fan, she had her stock speech ready and imparted the following information:
1. She owns seven pairs in different colours and she mixes and matches.
2. They look old and battered (seemed fine to me, but she's the expert), but they've just reached peak comfort levels; and by implication, that they are pretty uncomfortable when new.
She alighted at the next station, so I did not have time to ask her about her system for matching shoe laces with the opposite boot. I did wonder whether this was Barman's daughter or whether there is a whole sub-culture with many adherents.
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