2005 Gave Us Knee-High Converse. 2022 Gave Us Thigh-High Dr. Martens
Remember knee-high Converse? This is her now, feel old yet?
Dr. Martens' new boot, the Azreya Max, looks like it was plucked straight from the audience at Warped Tour circa 2005 — and that's not a bad thing, considering the comeback of old-school emo acts, a revival the internet has dubbed the RAWRing '20s.
The chunky, platform combat boot hits mid-thigh and features an extra-long set of laces that criss-cross up the centerfront of the boot. As an added bonus, a second set of laces wind up the lateral leg.
The style immediately recalls Converse's XX-Hi, a Chuck Taylor boot flaunted by many a MySpace scene queen.
Now discontinued, the knee-height sneakers came in an array of colorways, fabrications, and patterns including leopard print, cherry red, and even a very cursed tweed. Nostalgia-seekers can find them on resale sites such as eBay for hundreds of dollars.
Thankfully, Dr. Martens' Azreya Max fills the xD-shaped hole that the departure of Converse's XX-Hi left in our hearts.
The boot giant's timing is wise. This October, hordes of aged and fledging emos will gather in Las Vegas for When We Were Young, a three-day emo music festival headlined by Paramore, My Chemical Romance, and Avril Lavigne.
Just a month later, another emo festival — this one formatted as a four-day-long cruise — will set sail to the sweet, angsty sounds of classics including Dashboard Confessional, Silverstein, and Underoath.
If you're looking to get a jump on your When We Were Young wardrobe or just plotting the RAWR-ification of your wardrobe, Dr. Matens' Azreya Max is ready, willing, and able.
