Since first launching 60 years ago, the Dr. Martens 1460 has earned a reputation as one of the most versatile pieces of footwear there is. Intended as a functional work boot — as attested to by its popularity with 1960s postmen — it quickly gained currency as a cornerstone of subcultural style.
It’s this proximity to fashion culture that led to the initiation of Dr. Martens’ 1460 Remastered collaboration series, through which singular menswear designers have been invited to reinterpret the classic boot. As the seventh collaborator in the series, the Northamptonshire-based footwear brand has enlisted Samuel Ross of A-COLD-WALL*. He follows in the footsteps of designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Undercover’s Jun Takahashi.
It’s an ideal pairing, given Samuel’s renown for thorough investigations into British cultural zeitgeist. “The 1460 is placed right in the middle of 20th Century cultural crosshairs,” he says, and it’s exactly this hybridity he’s chosen to exploit.
For his take on it, Samuel has respected its traditional status as a staple of working-class uniform, subtly transforming it by way of his trademark modern architectural approach to design, and nods to high-end tailoring. “Crafted with pointed, angular features, no eyelets and an added side zip, it’s one of our most unorthodox collaborations to date,” reads a release.
“This collaboration explores new construction and pattern techniques,” says Darren McKoy, Dr. Martens’ Global Footwear Director. “Samuel Ross is a master of the art of refinement. Here he’s refined the 1460 through his creative lens.”
The Dr Martens x A-COLD-WALL* 1460 Boot is available to preorder here, and launches online and in selected stores from July 25th.