A new chapter for the brand begins in September, bringing together a renewed focus on Dr. Martens’ Icons, global talent campaign, cultural programming anchored in ‘micro-joys’ and genres of fandom around the world, and a new series of designer collaborations.
With Bouncing Soles platform celebrates the people and passions that have shaped Dr. Martens for more than six decades, while creating new ways for a generation of wearers to make the brand their own. At the heart of With Bouncing Soles is one question: “What Makes Your Sole Bounce?”
“Today it becomes the creative thread that connects the people who have shaped Dr. Martens with a new generation discovering the brand for themselves. It’s an invitation for people to celebrate creativity, individuality and the confidence to express who they are.” Neil Cummings, Global Brand Creative Director
“I’ve always been drawn to pieces that become more personal the longer you live in them, and Dr, Martens has always represented that for me. I love that the campaign starts with such a simple question: What Makes Your Sole Bounce? For me, it’s staying curious – taking on new roles, finding inspiration in unexpected places, and always being open to what’s next.” – Chloë Sevigny
“I’ve worn Dr. Martens at different moments throughout my life, so being part of this campaign feels genuinely authentic. What makes my sole bounce? Words. They continue to open up new ways of seeing, feeling and understanding the world. I love that the campaign plays with the idea of sole and soul because creativity often lives in those layers of meaning. Dr. Martens has always been a symbol of individuality and self-expression, and I’m proud to support a platform that celebrates the people and spaces keeping culture alive.” – Jordan Stephens
Lala Books, the independent bookshop from Camberwell, installs an honesty library co-curated with Jordan Stephens, and returns in October to host a book club. Poetry collective Adult Entertainment stages an intergenerational dub poetry night. So Young magazine teaches the near-lost craft of the fanzine – cut, stick, copy, bind. Steeze Factory takes the store over for a night of live cyphers, SNL anchor Paddy Young turns the store into a comedy club for a night, and three Substack writers open their notebooks for one-to-one clinics with anyone hoping to make a living from words.
In October the programme travels north to Manchester, where craft and community hub Altogether Otherwise opens ‘Suddenly Real’, a free drop-in poster shop for the city’s makers – made possible by Doc’s, and subculture zine Dance Policy stages ‘The Manchester Bounce’ – a day and a night tracing the city’s soundsystem history through exhibition, conversation and a club floor, all at beloved nightlife venue SOUP.
