Reviving the Doctor

Dr. Martens are the kind of shoe you either love or you hate. The tough, heavy-duty aesthetic is far from beautiful or glamourous but they can add an unexpectedly cool and sometimes, even sexy attitude to an outfit.

Daisy Lowe for Dr. Martens, 2008
photo courtesy cherryflava.com

The first Doc Martens came out on April 1, 1960 in the U.K and were at first worn mostly by postmen and factory workers. During the late 60s and 70s, they also became the footwear of choice for various rebellious youth subcultures such as punks and skinheads. The boots were also hugely popular with the grunge kids of the 90s.

photo courtesy acs.bg

Unfortunately, as time went on, people began to lose interest in the brand and sales took a turn for the worst with the company eventually being forced to cease all production in the U.K in 2003.

More recently, however, things have been looking up for Dr. Martens as fashionable eyes are once again taking notice of the boots. They have been seen everywhere; on the runway, in magazines, and on the feet of many stylish girls and guys around the world.

photos courtesy media.collegepublisher.com, childhoodflames.blogspot.com
and fashionation.wordpess.com

This year, Dr. Martens is also giving people around the world the chance to showcase their artistic talents by creating a design for their next boots.




You are given the choice of either the 8-hole or the 14-hole boots, as seen above, and the freedom to decorate them as you wish.

You can upload an original design onto the site or there are a bunch of tools at your disposal such as pens and spray paint, so you can create your entries online. There are also really cool effects you can add, such as lighter burns, correction fluid and masking tape to give the design a distressed finish.

At the end of it, two winners are chosen; one of which is decided by the public and the other is chosen by industry professionals. The winning designs will be manufactured by Dr. Martens and sold in shops worldwide.

Below are the designs of the two previous winners: Jeremy Asher Lynch and Aprille Soons Palmer, respectively.





Even if you're not a Dr. Martens enthusiast, you'll still have a lot of fun coming up with ideas and playing around with the tools. You never know, it may be your entry chosen to be made and sold to millions of people everywhere!

Click here to start creating your design or click here to go to the Dr. Martens home page.