On April Fool’s Day, 1960, Dr. Martens’ first 1,460 boots, designed for workers, rolled off the production line. They were built to be tougher and more comfortable than any footwear on the market at the time.
In the decades since, the simple silhouette has been adopted, shaped and subverted by countless subcultures and freethinkers, stomped on stages at punk rock shows and worn on streets and runways while remaining true to its original construction.
60 years on, the boot means something different to everyone who laces it up. And to mark its anniversary and kick-start a new decade, 12 pioneering brands, labels and designers have been invited to express what the boot means to them. These dozen coveted brands all have a long-running connection with Doc Martens.
Their only directive was a simple, seven-word brief: ‘What does the 1460 mean to you?’.
Each month, a new boot drops. The first one is by Japan’s iconic A Bathing Ape®, the streetwear brand known for its distinctive camo prints and premium collections.
The new BAPE® 1460 boot fuses the core marking of both brands, including the original BAPE® camo print and their prized BAPE STA™ logo. It just launched at drmartens.com and at select retailers — in strictly limited numbers.
Did You Know?
A specific range of ‘Made In England’ products are manufactured to this day in the village of Wollaston, England by a small, close-knit team of people schooled in traditional shoe-making? This is where it all began, inside the Northamptonshire factory. I’m sure the shoemakers there have seen it all, designing for some of the world’s best-known rockers, designers and creatives. After all, wearing Doc Martens evokes attitude.