Yes, love them! Why don't you try Hudson rather than Steve Madden. I have a couple of pairs and I love them for yucky days.

I had 3 pairs of DMs in the 90s (black, cherry and sprayed silvery green!!) although I wouldn't wear them now to be honest. I had an army coat and an undercut too. I was cool.

I owned DMs back in the 90's. They were so great. Lasted forever. I keep flirting with the idea of getting a pair of white ones sometime soon.

I think those boots would look fab on you Kirsty. x

I recently got these (http://www.spartoo.co.uk/Dr-Martens-1460-x156523.php) and I love them - I was a bit wary of looking ridiculous, but they are so perfect. Definitely needed for the "summer" we are having!

Can't help with the boots (although I like them), but jacket wise have you looked at outdoor/sports brands? Mine is Merrell and I heart it.

I have a pair of combat boots from Benneton and wear them on wet days - they are ace and mega comfy. I had monkey boots as my feet were too small for DMs and eventually got one balck pair of DMs - my brother though? He had a oxblood coloured pair - he was way cooler than me and still is. Bums.

P.S would link to the benneton pair but they don't really have much of an online presence - they are great though and I would recommend them highly - the leather is starting to get softer now and that makes them look ace.

I had DM boots and shoes as
School shoes but in Essex that wasn't really cool it made me the enormous footed weirdo,.,, anyyyyway, I like the boots. They're sensible and comfortable. I'm far more interested in comfort these days in footwear, you just don't want sore or wet feet right?

All Saints have some lovely brown leather ones similar but they are pricey!! I've been eyeing them up for ages

YES! I adore sling-em-on with a dress or leggings boots like this. Do it.
Not sure of any recommendations but will be coming back to see if your other readers make any.

I was SO not cool enough for DMs in the 90s, or indeed ever actually. I had a brief flirtation with a pair of baby blue Caterpillars in the early Noughties but I could never shake the accompanying air of fraudulent cool.

I LOVE these though, if I could wear them I would. And you should.

K x

Yes! I wear my not-really-combat-boots-but-scruffy-ankle-boots-all-the-same boots practically every day. Haven't worn them with a dress yet, but it's a matter of time. These ones.

Someone even admired them when I was in San Fran, don't you know...

Ahhhhh DMs! I had a pair of boots (black, with multicoloured laces and beads and crap threaded through - I may have been a bit of a 90s hippy. I'm not sure that counts as cool...) and also the sandal type shoes for school for a couple of years. Just had a look and I can't believe now how expensive they are - if I was a teenager now I'd never be able to afford them...

No handy present-day boot hints here I am afraid but I will be watching with interest to see what others recommend!

Hi - I am new to your fab blog, but I have to chip in here because I have always loved a bit of boy chic and lived out the last years of the 80s in my beloved dms. The combat boots are so cool especially with those matching skinny, tanned legs! What are fantastically comfortable and still cool (I think but am probably waaay too old to know!), are the biker boots by Fly London. Dreamy leather, lots of colours, double buckle,zip and super comfy wedge heel - perfect with skinny jeans or skirts. Love. Danish clog boots by Sanita are great too but probably not for stomping miles in. But those combat boots, they look like the ones for pounding the streets on your summer bargain hunting!

Hmm, well I am not as young nor as hip as you but I know I would look like I was either a) a social worker trying to prove my down-with-the-kids status in a very earnest way or b) someone who has been wearing them since I was a student and am unaware of the outside world moving on.

Do you get the Sunday Times? If so, look at Style p20 - there are some very promising looking Frye biker boots on there...

I had doc marten shoes at shoes... not entirely sure this made me in any way cool. (I wanted Kickers instead but the compromise was Doc Ms!)

I used to wear chunky boots to work two winters ago and then change into more work appropriate shoes once I arrived. Always thought the boots looked better than the shoes ;)

I was just going to chip in to recommend Frye - I've been wearing my Frye Engineer Boots (in the brown 'gaucho' colour) near enough daily for the last 5 years and I love them so. They are the perfect height for with skirts / dresses as well as working with skinny jeans and I even managed to get away with wearing them to my seemingly super-corporate job for some number of months once I decided nobody cared that much about my feet.
They wear in really well (if you can get past the initial ripping feet to shreds couple of weeks).

Also, I had Clarks shoes too at school. I even once contrived to 'lose' them at school during PE in an attempt to trade up. Instead I was purchased an exact replacement which I paid for out of my pocket money for months thereafter. LOSER.
Oddly I just bought my first pair of Clarks since then (a pair of grey suede desert boots half price in case you're in the market for dry weather shoes)