Everything old is new again, & who better to solidify that archaic adage than Dr. Martens!Yes, it's official: Dr. Martens are hot, again. They're in all the mags/blogs/city streets -- especially in Japan, where they're selling faster than hotcakes, doughnuts & Transformer movie goods -- & all the hip European kids are wearing 'em. Dr. Martens for men are popping up on stylish punkettes like Daisy Lowe, Agyness Deyn, Erin Wasson & Irina Lazareanu. Even the eternally-cool Johnny Depp reportedly ordered Dr. Martens as party favours (!) for his daughter's birthday party. Oh & Depp wears them to his movie premieres all the time, of course.
From the looks of things, the revival of these iconic shoes -- remember your favourite pair from your days of teen/post-teen rebellion? -- is only going to get bigger. After resurfacing with new styles & successful collaborations with Stussy, Beams Japan & Yohji Yamamoto, Dr. Martens has hooked up with Raf Simons, producing special capsule collections & some pretty crazy gladiator sandals for men. A pair of Dr. Martens worn with the right outfit somehow looks fresh, cool, & modern -- it may seem to defy logic a little, but hey, it works swell!
The Dr. Martens boot, known also as Doc Martens, Docs, & DMs, was originally developed by two German doctors, Dr. Maertens & Dr. Funck, who made the shoes, with air-conditioned soles, for sale to German women with foot trouble. In the 1950s the concept was spotted by boot manufacturer Bill Griggs of Northamptonshire. His family firm made the famous bulldog boot used by the British army, but they were looking for a new product. With the permission of the German doctors, the family business made some key changes to the design &, from 1960, sold them as workmen's boots. The boot became a fashion statement, & there are now more than 250 different styles of Dr. Martens footwear sold in over 78 countries. ('Dr. Martens' is an anglicised version of 'Dr. Maertens'.)Incidentally, to celebrate the upcoming golden jubilee of its most classic boot (the "1460" or cherry red 8-hole, born 1 April, 1960), Dr. Martens had invited designers & artists from Britain & around the world to give the boot a makeover. The results are pretty zany & wacky -- go here to see all 69 impressions.
Some of our faves (by Kansai, Benjamin Cho, & Sean John, respectively):-
1 comment:
I received these shoes as a birthday gift a few days ago. Upon opening the box, I immediately tried them on — and I haven’t wanted to take them off since! They’re, by far, the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. They’re extremely light, yet they seem to offer great support in all the right places.
Dr Martens Boots
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