These Joy Division, New Order Doc Martens are filling our post-punk hearts
British shoe company Doc Martens released a series of shoes and shirts celebrating two of the U.K.’s legendary post-punk bands, Joy Division and New Order.
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The manufacturer is issuing limited-edition versions of their 1460 style boots with graphics from three respected album covers: Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures and New Order’s Power, Corruption & Lies and Technique, created by acclaimed designer Peter Saville. The shoes are available at retail establishments today (June 14).
“We always develop product through the distinct lenses of innovation, music and alternative, which underpin our key product stories,” says Darren McKoy, global product category manager for the brand. “These are the principles our brand has been built on. Music has been at the heartbeat of the brand from the early ’70s right up to the present day. To celebrate Britain’s musical legacy, this season we present a collaboration with two of the U.K.’s most influential groups. Joy Division and the group who rose out of their ashes, New Order.”
The DM team felt Joy Division and New Order had all of the criteria for a product line that is aesthetically aligned with both their company, as well as the bands’ enduring legacies. Back in 2007, an Unknown Pleasures prototype shoe was created by New Balance. When images of the shoe were put on the internet, many longtime fans of the band balked at what they saw was a crass commercialization of revered artists. DM understands that response, keeping the integrity of both the bands and their brand at the forefront.
“When entering a collaboration project, the main goal is to ensure that there is synergy across both sides and that each partner becomes a guardian of the other to ensure we do the right thing,” McKoy says. “We set ourselves certain criteria that we have to answer and be comfortable with to ensure we are staying true to who we are, and as long as we both meet these, we move forward with the project.
“Ultimately, it is down to what you call out as ‘common values,’” he continues. “Keeping the projects authentic, a little disruptive, but not compromising on quality or the design aesthetic ensures the success of each project. With this at our core, it allows us to work seamlessly throughout each project, always knowing that both sides are truly proud of what finally reaches our consumers.”
If your fave boutique doesn’t have them, there’s always the Doc Martens web store.
