My first EVER pair of Dr. Martens

I have NO IDEA why it took me so long to finally get my hands on my very first pair of Dr. Martens but now that I do, I know it will become a new addiction. Luckily Dr. Martens handed me the perfect opportunity to own a pair when late last month they held a sample sale with an amazing offer of £25 for any pair of shoes they had in stock. They had promised there would be 9,000 pair of shoes available. I knew I had to go down there and I knew it would be crazy, and crazy it certainly was. It took me over FIVE hours of queuing, from 9.45am until just after 3pm, to get myself into the building. It is safe to say I am a certified loon. Trouble was, as I queued, it was impossible to see how close to the front I was and the longer the time dragged on, I was convinced I could be near the front. At the two hour mark I did not want to leave when I thought the front of the queue could be a dozen metres away. It was impossible to step to the side and have a look because there was a barrier along the way to keep the queue in a straight line. I was dying of boredom – particularly when even my iPhone died of exhaustion from tweeting too much (hey, I had to pass the time). When I finally made it to the sale, nothing could prepare me for what I was about to see.

Inside it was like a warehouse, with nothing but boxes everywhere, and people – LOTS of people. The boxes were not just stacked but scattered all over the floor, and the shoes were thrown all over the place. It was like a bomb had hit the place. It was literally impossible to step anywhere without stepping on a box or shoe. You think I am exaggerating, don’t you? You really, really do! Here is the evidence (via Nerd About Town). Finding a pair of shoes I wanted was a real pain in the neck since they were thrown all over the place. Not only did I need to find a pair I liked but I needed to find my size as well! Quite remarkably, every single shopper I met were super polite. Every little bumps and gentle shoves I encountered from other bargain hunters were greeted by sincere apologies, and that really impressed me.

I ended up buying two pair of Martens – total price £50 and left the place around 3.40pm. I felt sorry for some of the staff there – they looked miserable, and who could blame them? As I strolled along Brick Lane, I noticed the security staff had significantly cut most of the queue off and told people to go as they had no chance of getting in. Some people who queued after me had to wait 7 hours!

I went home feeling jaded and vowed never to go through that experience again. The next day my feelings were different. I felt quite happy I went to the sample sale. Why? Because doing so enabled me to save over £200 by choosing to buy the two pair from the sample sale rather than the shops. Let’s face it – £50 IS a real bargain. Is it worth it? Yes but there is a price to pay – your sanity – but at least it is temporary. Would I do it again? In a heart beat. I LOVE these boots!