If there is one perfect leather lace-up shoe, it's probably a Dr. Martens. It's that shape! The elegantly rounded toebox, the kinda-sleek kinda-chunky upper — there's nothing else like it. Dr. Martens' 1461 low-top shoe is so quintessentially a shoe, it even looks like the shoe emoji.
So, why change?
That's exactly the case made by "With Bouncing Soles," the first global campaign overseen by Dr. Martens' Global Brand Creative Director, Neil Cummings, who joined the brand in 2024. Its title and theme riff on a phrase that's been imprinted onto every Dr. Martens shoe since 1960, the point being that these three words are and have always been Dr. Martens — and the Dr. Martens you've always known ain't going nowhere.
However, this new campaign also subtly reflects Dr. Martens newness, albeit newness that's quite old.
"We’ve stripped back a lot of layers of previous brand expression to making Dr. Martens, our craft, and communities clearer, and our touchpoints more consistent and easier to engage with," Cummings tells Highsnobiety. This is reflected in his team's evolution of everything from Dr. Martens' art direction to its logo and "use of color." Done right, you won't even notice that the decades-old shoemaker is even changing. In fact, that's how you'll know it's working.
You may not notice these changes even as they make the venerable shoemaker feel that much more classic. The kinds of things you will notice, however, include Dr. Martens' expanding product line, which now includes both throwback models like the 1460 "Cappers" and '90s-inflected Zebzag platforms alongside all-new shapes like the extra-flat San mules and hiking-ish Wayborne boots. Newness, even as Dr. Martens de-ages.
Amidst noticing all this change (and non-change), I spoke with Cummings and John Hensman, Dr. Martens' Head of Design for Footwear, about what's new — and what's not.
What's different between Dr Martens now and Dr Martens five, 10 years ago? What's changed?
Neil Cummings: What has really changed is how people experience the brand. We have a broader range and far more touchpoints than we used to, and people don’t think about product, retail and digital as separate things. They experience Dr. Martens as one brand, so everything needs to feel connected.
How does that mentality set up Dr Martens for the next five, 10 years?
it gives us room to experiment as the range develops without losing sight of the qualities that hold the brand together. It can also be interpreted differently across markets, because Dr. Martens doesn’t occupy exactly the same cultural space everywhere.
The brands that endure are the ones that stay true to who they are while continuing to give people new reasons to care. That adaptability is what will give it longevity.
What does that mean to the consumer?
They should expect us to place even greater value on how we celebrate footwear. The product is where everything begins.
So, though this is indeed a change, it's also less of a pivot than a repositioning.
People know Dr. Martens. Recognition is important, but it’s only the starting point. We need to keep giving people reasons to care.
The brand is instantly recognizable, but it has never belonged to one generation, one scene, or one type of person. It occupies a rare position. Craft made the product, but people made it part of culture. Our role isn’t to tell people what Dr. Martens should mean to them; it’s to give them the space to make it their own, while being very clear about what comes from us: footwear made with purpose, character and a strong point of view. We create the foundation, and the people who wear it take it somewhere else.
Thanks, Neil. John, let's talk a bit about these newer shoes. I notice a lot of young people drawn towards easy but "unconventional" Dr. Martens shoes like the Carlson mule. Are these new shoes a reaction to that demand?
John Hensman: We react to people’s lifestyles and pay attention to how people are dressing, how their expectations of footwear are changing. Footwear development happens over a long timeline. It isn’t about seeing a trend and immediately responding to it.
The popularity of Carlson does show a clear appetite for easy-on footwear that is comfortable, versatile and still has a distinctive point of view. The aim is to understand the wider shift in behavior and interpret it through a Dr. Martens lens, rather than simply reproducing what is already in the market.
How do you ensure these new shoes still feel like Dr. Martens, even when they shift the shape of the sole or upper?
The aim is to evolve without losing what makes Dr. Martens distinct. We have a strong set of design codes — the yellow welt stitching, grooved sole edge, construction, proportions and use of leather and hardware — which give us a clear foundation to build from.
Due to us having these very distinctive codes to play with and a rich archive to reference we can change proportions, silhouettes, sole heights and still retain what makes DM’s unique. We put in a lot of effort to ensure the overall product still feel unmistakably like DMs.
Are the limitations around that Dr Martens world? When does a design go too far?
All our products should have purpose, material integrity, and a clear point of view. Novelty alone isn’t enough.
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