Platform boots are a staple of many different fashion movements. Rugged and aggressive looking black platforms are a staple of the goth, punk, and industrial fashion scenes. The most popular boots in this category are made by a brand called Demonia. This brand owes a lot of its success to their very affordable prices compared to other options. To get to that price point, many compromises are made to their construction, and as such, they don't have the best reputation for durability. I wanted to see if I could do my own take on this idea, while making some different choices and compromises. Another alternative fashion staple, perhaps the most famous of all, is Dr. Martens. Having been a cornerstone of the boot world for decades, I figured I could find a suitably priced pair to use as a base for this project. It didn't take too long before I found a black pair in my size, and I wasted no time before I began deconstructing them. All I wanted to use was the upper portion of the boots, so I cut the iconic yellow stitches, which quickly separated the soles from the uppers. Doc Martens uses a modified version of Goodyear welt construction that allows the polyurethane soles to be fused to the polyurethane welt using heat. The position of the welt is flipped, which also exposes the welt stitches, which Doc Martens has made into an iconic part of their appearance. Not having access to that machine, I decided to convert to a more traditional leather welt with hidden stitches. This involves using an awl to punch holes in the welt and upper, followed by a two-needle saddle stich to hold on the welt. This is a very labor intensive process, but it is key to the strength of the boots. The welt and upper being joined this way leaves a ridge around the edge of the boot, creating a hollow area if you attach the sole straight to bottom. The hollow is traditionally filled with cork, as it will squish under your weight, allowing the boots to mold to your feet as they break in. I cut some pieces from thin cork sheets and glued them in, layering until I reached the desired thickness, followed by a slip sole. I also did not have my own sole stitcher, so I took them to a cobbler to be stitched down. He did an excellent job, and also sanded them flush for me and dyed them black without me even asking. The rest of the sole was built up by gluing different layers. First, I applied Vibram "Casual" soles. These are foam wedge soles, which provided the heel rise needed to preserve the original shape of the boots. Then I sanded off the tread to apply two more layers of a flat foam sheet for additional height, followed by rubber ripple soles. Rubber soles provide much more durability than the softer foam, which prioritizes comfort. The ripple design is unique and aggressive, and I think it really adds a lot to the appearance. Having seen some vintage ripple soled boots online, I knew I wanted to incorporate them to my projects. After some rough trimming with a knife, I enlisted the help of my friend Colby, a bootmaker from the Houston leather guild, for the finish sanding. Sanding them without slipping and causing damage to the rest of the shoe takes a lot of practice, and I was too invested in these to want to do them as my first try. Colby did an excellent job and also showed me how he applies dye and edge dressing to really perfect the finish. I'm really grateful for his help, as this would've been next to impossible to get such a nice finish without his expertise and generosity. These boots are a big fashion statement. I feel happy knowing they are as rugged under the hood as they look on the outside. Adding the cork and thick foam soles made them feel great under foot, and I know the real leather uppers will last many years. I think this is a great compromise between cost and quality construction, especially considering these aren't something I would wear every day anyway. I would love to make some more of these for others.