When Did Dr. Martens Become So Wildly Experimental?

Waxed leather, yellow stitching, a grooved sole… a pair of Dr. Martens is unmistakable. Over an almost 80-year-long history, the English shoemaker has established itself through sturdy, no-nonsense leather shoes recognized worldwide.

You’ve probably built up a good idea of who wears these ubiquitous leather shoes: subcultures across Europe and the UK have worn Docs since the ‘60s; Tyler, The Creator is a noted fan; Supreme has been collaborating with the brand for almost a decade.

But it’s time to forget everything you know about Dr. Martens.

On October 1, the brand wiped its Instagram account and then posted a video of a Dr. Martens-wearing model being blasted with air from a huge fan.

“We are rebooting,” reads the video’s accompanying message. “Please remove all preconceptions for the remainder of this journey.” Clearly, this is the language of a company looking to rebrand.

The cryptic reboot message signals the beginning of a new era for the footwear maker, but there’s been a renewed energy slowly building around Dr. Martens for a while now.

Last October, Dr. Martens 14XX was founded, an experimental-leaning line informed by its workwear origins. “Our design team is hungrier than ever for experimentation and to explore uncharted territories in terms of product innovation,” Darren McKoy, Dr. Martens’ Global Creative Director, told Highsnobiety ahead of its launch. The result so far has ranged from technical, modular designs to having soles in places they shouldn’t be.

The 14XX line’s output doesn’t look like the simple boots Dr. Martens made when it was founded. However, as the saying goes, all living things must grow or they will die — and Dr. Martens is growing into an increasingly left-field footwear maker.

It’s not only 14XX pushing the agenda for weird and wonderful Docs. Limited-edition collaborations are usually a source of no-holes-barred experimentation for brands and Dr. Martens is no exception (its ongoing Central Saint Martins partnership being the most notable of the lot), while its seasonal, general-release shoes have been a surprising source of eye-catching footwear.

Recently, we’ve been introduced to the brand’s Isham Mule in a highly impractical but deliciously textured finish as well as a new model, a grungy, chunked-up boat shoe. In both cases, these are objectively weird footwear propositions — in the best way.

Dr. Martens is no stranger to skewing convention (just look at its Suicoke sandals from 2021 for proof), however, the regularity of these statement-making releases has caught our eye. The brand is producing hit after hit.

And Dr. Martens purists needn’t be worried about it abandoning its roots: straight after wiping its Instagram account, the brand launched its bumper "Boots Like No Other" campaign celebrating its most iconic shoe, the 1460. “As a brand rooted in innovation and inspired by workwear, the 1460 is a special silhouette to all of us,” says Joel Wilson, Design Lead at AMP, Dr. Martens, via email when I asked about the new campaign. “You can expect to see a lot more of it – new styles, new iterations, and new colors.”

While still honoring the rich legacy that built its name, and the time-honored styles that make it a universally-known brand, Dr. Martens is evolving.