Update: Dr Martens responded to say it’s not standard company procedure to package small items in boxes of this size.

We’ve all had online orders that arrive in ludicrous packaging – boxes within boxes, or everything swathed in layers of plastic – but Dr Martens’ packing approach seems to take things to the next level.

Case in point: Katie received a huge parcel from the shoe company on Monday – surprising, as she’d only ordered a single pair of shoelaces. Upon opening the large box, inside which she could easily have fitted a pair of shoes, the mum from east Yorkshire found a white envelope. And inside there? Finally her pink laces.

She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “The public are always encouraged to be mindful with waste yet big companies are continuing to waste packaging like this,” Katie, who didn’t want her surname shared, told HuffPost UK. 

“At least it was cardboard and not a plastic bag, which is one thing.”

The pink laces were in a padded envelope which would’ve easily fitted through the letterbox, had they not been placed in a large box full of excess paper packaging.

“I couldn’t believe they’d been sent in a box,” Katie said. “I’d ordered them online because I couldn’t get pink laces on the high street and assumed they’d be sent in the post, but they sent them by courier.”

When she received the item she took to Facebook to complain, writing: “This is disgraceful… won’t be ordering anything from Dr Martens online again.”

In response, Dr Martens told HuffPost UK: “We stand for doing the right thing and are continuously looking for ways to minimise our environmental impact.

“It is not standard procedure to package small items in boxes of this size. On this instance the wrong sized box was used – as a brand we always value our consumer’s feedback and have passed this on to the relevant team.”

Katie said she’s passionate about recycling and being mindful with waste, which is why she posted it online. And – if you go by social media – it seems she’s not the only one having issues.