Awake NY’s Hairy Dr. Martens Are Very New York-Coded (EXCLUSIVE)
Wherever Awake NY goes, the brand brings a distinctly New York flavor.
Even when collaborating with Dr. Martens, the quintessentially British footwear brand founded in Northampton (which is literally the middle of England), it manages to masterfully weave its NY roots into the narrative.
“Awake collaborations are based on mutual respect for each other's brands. Identifying partners who are down to amplify and not solely commodify,” Angelo Baque, founder of Awake NY, tells Highsnobiety. “With Dr. Martens, there was a natural synergy in our shared appreciation of underground youth culture.”
The two brands have come together to create a colorful, pony hair take on Dr. Martens’ recently unveiled Lowell model — a kind of chunked-up grunge boat shoe.
Available in either vivid green or deep purple, with three contrasting laces to wear at any time, the hairy shoe is clearly built to be noticed.
“New Yorkers stand out pretty much anywhere you go in the world. The use of pony hair and vivid colorways are an extension of setting yourself apart from the rest,” says Baque. “The padded collar and gold star eyelets are a nod to the punk roots [of Dr. Martens] and flashiness of NYC.”
And the nods to New York don’t end at the shoe’s boldly-colored hairy exterior, the launch is supported by a campaign drawing from the Cumbia music scene in New York, a melting pot of contemporary genres and traditional sounds that date back countless generations across Latin America.
“Roy and Vegas from the Awake NY team are real New York cats who through their Queens upbringings were familiar with the traditional Cumbia scene of the Latino-Americano diasporas taking place in their hoods' church basements and rental banquet halls,” says hellotones, a Bronx-born DJ with Mexican heritage who features as part of the campaign.
“They peeped from early the new energy and approach I was bringing to the genre and invited me to spin at the Awake shop for Dia de los Muertos in 2023; We’ve been locked in since.”
“Now, with this Awake NY x Dr. Martens collaboration, we take it a step further. I was honored at the invitation from Awake NY to have my Kumbias Mezcladas soundtrack in this campaign and to have it set at Mi Sabor Cafe, the Dominican restaurant-turned-nightclub where I started throwing my very first parties. This campaign is a testament to the impact of my unique approach to Cumbia.”
Available to shop from December 6, this partnership is a true coming together of varied cultures, a combination of perspectives (probably) never seen before: New York Streetwear meets a British heritage brand and is infused with some Latino-American energy.
