Doc Martens: The Music World's Favorite Boot
Photo Corbis
Recently, at just 14 months old, North West reached a personal fashion milestone. Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s daughter was photographed leaving LAX with her famous parents, wearing a super tiny, super adorable pair of Dr. Martens. She might not have the mental capacity to know it yet, but that first pair of Docs is fairly a big deal. It’s a rite of passage that millions of people have gone through since 1960, when the iconic footwear brand was transformed from its utilitarian beginnings as a more comfortable alternative to army boots, into a fashion phenomenon. Since then, Docs have become that rare fashion equalizer, a shoe that everyone from a grunge rocker to a celebrity baby (Harper Beckham was recently spotted in them as well) this can pull off. Here, six of our favorite musicians tell us about their first pair.
Photo Courtesy of Izzy Almeida
Izzy Almeida. The Brazilian-born front woman for the Brooklyn-based duo Hunters, whose follow up to their self-titled 2013 debut will be released sometime next year. You can catch them on tour this October.
Describe your first pair of Dr. Martens.
My first pair of docs were a pair of black 1490s.
When did you get them?
I wanted them forever. I finally got them for Xmas when I was 13.
How did they make you feel when you put them on?
I was so excited to have them. December is summertime in Brazil and I wore them every day no matter how hot it was. Everyone was wearing sandals and flip flops and I was wearing my black docs.
What did you love most about them?
They were comfortable and I could wear them with anything. I still wear docs all the time. I’ve bought a few vintage pairs as well. I was really scrawny at 13 and my older brother used to pick on me so I would just kick him with my new docs to make him leave me alone. They made me feel feminine, but kinda “tuff” at the same time.
Kid Sister. The Chicago-based rapper, whose debut single “Pro Nails” featured Kanye West, just released her new mixtape, DUSK2DAWN: The Diary of Jane Jupiter.
Describe your first pair of Dr. Martens.
Classic black, purchased for me by my father.
When did you get them?
1993.
How did they make you feel when you put them on?
Like an icon.
What did you love most about them?
I wore them to a club I used to sneak into called Jubilation. It was where you went to hear house, jungle, trip-hop, industrial, etc. They were essential to my aesthetic, which matched perfectly with what was happening sonically. The perfect caption to a perfect snapshot of ‘90s youth.
Jesse Jo Stark. A modern embodiment of the classic L.A. rocker chick, Stark just released her debut solo EP, Down Your Drain.
Describe your first pair of Dr. Martens?
They were black boots with lime green laces.
When did you get them?
My first pair was given to me by my dad.
How did they make you feel when you put them on?
Like I was ready to destroy.
What did you love most about them?
They were cool because I had never worn anything like ‘em before and I loved that the dirtier they got the cooler they looked….Brains got no limits while wearin’ Docs!
Tove Lo. This summer, the Swedish export made her television debut on Late Night With Seth Meyers, where she sang her breakout single, “Habits (Stay High.” Her debut album, Queen of the Clouds, is out September 30.
Describe your first pair of Dr. Martens.
I still wear my first pair! They’re so rugged but I love them. Black air ones.
When did you get them?
I got them 5 years ago, ordered them online cause no store sold them where I was living.
How did they make you feel when you put them on?
Well they hurt a little at first. But I wore them all the time anyway cause I felt fucking cool!
What did you love most about them?
I just love that I can wear them with everything. If I’m in a dress that’s too posh for me, all I need to do is put on my docs and I feel badass again. I have whites, yellow, leopard, red ones that I love too, but I always go back to my first old black pair!
Bethany Cosentino. One half of L.A. surf rock duo Best Coast, who broke out in 2010 with their debut, Crazy For You. Their third studio album will be released later this year.
Describe your first pair of Dr. Martens.
Black classic leather doc martens. My friend and I got a matching pair at the same time and she put red laces on hers. I wanted to copy her but figured I needed to do my own thing so I left the natural laces in mine.
When did you get them?
I think I was in like the 8th grade. I was super into punk and all the older punk kids wore docs.
How did they make you feel when you put them on?
Since I was so into docs and was fascinated by all the people I knew that wore them, when I got my own pair, I felt like they made me so much cooler. I also remember feeling really tall, which was really cool because I’m very short.
What did you love most about them?
I was a pretty awkward, self-conscious teenage girl, but I remember my Docs always made me feel really cool and tougher than I actually was!
Photo Courtesy of Elliot Morgan
Taylor Momsen. A former Gossip Girl star and lead singer of The Pretty Reckless.
When did you first pair?
Probably around thirteen, a while ago. I’ve been wearing docs for so long I don’t even remember.
How did they make you feel when you put them on?
I felt like I had found a shoe that I could wear forever, and I was right. They go with everything.
What made them a memorable pair of shoes and what did you love most about them?
I love how comfortable they are and they just get better with age. They never go out of style and something that classic should be in everyone’s closet.
