Dr. Martens has teamed up with fellow Briton Ventile for the 2021 edition of its Made In England range.
The British boot brand and technical textile company released a seasonally appropriate orange-and-black rendition of Dr. Martens’ classic 1460 boot this month. The footwear sports Ventile’s L24 fabric, a material made from 100 percent extra-long-staple cotton yarn. The “sustainably sourced” fibers are spun, twisted and woven into what Dr. Martens described as the “world’s densest cotton fabric.”
“As part of our Made in England range here at Dr. Martens, we like to collaborate with suppliers who manufacture products with similar core values for quality and durability,” senior footwear designer Stella Makinwa said in a statement. “Ventile was the perfect choice with its rich heritage in performance and weather protection.”
The Ventile 1460s—like all the other entries in Dr. Martens’ Made In England collection—were manufactured at the boot maker’s Northamptonshire factory. They were created using “traditional age-old shoe-making techniques,” the newly public company said.
Dr. Martens’ collaboration with Ventile is just one of several the brand has released recently. On Saturday, for example, it released a Combs II boot and Reeder shoe designed with the Canadian travel goods brand Herschel Supply Co. A week earlier, it teamed with streetwear veterans Haven on a premium version of Dr. Marten’s 1461 shoe.
Last month, the company released two ‘90s-inspired styles with Marc Jacob’s Gen Z-oriented brand, Heaven by Marc Jacobs: the new Audrick 8i HMJ Croc boot and Audrick 3i HMJ Croc shoe. Stacked on 1.9-inch soles, the two styles both sport a faux-croc scale pattern on a high-shine upper, as well as daisy-shaped eyelets and Marc Jacobs’ double-headed teddy lace charm. In August, Dr. Martens released an “anime-inspired” take on its casual Tarik boot with the Tokyo retailer Atmos, which Foot Locker recently acquired, and two slip-on sandal styles with the Japanese brand Suicoke.
Dr. Martens partners with Nordstrom
On Monday, the boot brand announced it was partnering with yet another company—Nordstrom.
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This time, however, Dr. Martens wasn’t unveiling a special footwear release, but an exclusive popup at the retailer’s New York City flagship. Slated to run through Nov. 7, it will feature 30 unique products, including the classic Merino and Collier styles, which will be exclusive to the department store until Nov. 1.
The immersive experience looks to recreate a music venue atmosphere, complete with trusses, stage lighting and graffitied furniture, Nordstrom said. To complete the homage, the store plans to host a live performance with local band Sunflower Bean Friday. The concert will be livestreamed on both the store and Dr. Martens’ Instagram accounts.
“Dr. Martens and Nordstrom have a long history as partners in the U.S. and Canadian markets and this year our brands have come together to build an even stronger partnership as the momentum in 2021 continues to grow,” Lisa Kim, vice president, Dr. Martens wholesale, said in a statement. “Dr. Martens is proud to launch our Nordstrom Center Stage collaboration, celebrating our strengthened brand presence and creating a special Dr. Martens experience to further our consumer connection in Nordstrom NYC.”
Additional stores outside of New York City are also offering an extended merchandise selection and other “elements of the pop-up,” Nordstrom said. The seven other participating locations include stores in Oregon, Utah and California.
The Dr. Martens partnership arrives as Nordstrom gears up for the holiday season. On Tuesday, it said it aims to hire 28,000 seasonal and regular employees across its U.S. and Canada Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stores, U.S. supply chain facilities and customer care teams. The retailer plans to offer supply chain and hourly and overnight store employees “premium pay.” New store employees will be eligible for up to $650 in incentive pay and new supply chain and fulfillment center employees will be eligible for up to $2,500.