Dr. Martens Created a Chunked-up Grunge Boat Shoe
Dr. Martens' new Lowell shoe is a pleasantly weird grunge-meets-frat moment, a little punk and a little workwear.
Best known for its ultra-punk, ultra-chunk design language, Dr. Martens seems an odd band to take on boat shoes. But the Lowell isn't actually a boat shoe.
Instead, the Lowell scratches the very specific itch that the British shoemaking brand invigorated many years ago with its signature black boots.
It combines the easy wearability of boating-style loafers with the thick-soled flair central to Dr. Martens' edgy ethos.
Or, more accurately, the Lowell is a hefty workwear-leaning take on a boat shoe — or at least a moc-toed derby. It definitely has boat shoe energy, at least.
Notice that the sturdy base of the shoe is a bit thicker than what you would find underneath a standard boat shoe and, of course, you won't find Dr. Martens' iconic yellow stitching anywhere else in the footwear market.
The Lowell also has thick contrasting blanket stitches across the raised toebox, a nice textural hit.
The ensuing prep-ish punkish design recalls the Dr. Martens x Stüssy 8053 collab from years back, still a great reference material for workwear that works stylistically.
Dr. Martens has perfected the art of transforming durable footwear into an era-defining style moment, at first inadvertently and now purposefully, leaning into the grunge era with the Lowell.
The Dr. Martens' ecosystem of taking previously utilitarian pieces and making them into go-to gear has been the brand's bread and butter for the better part of eight decades.
The Lowell, available in four leather and suede colorways for $170 on the Dr. Martens website, isn't a change of pace.
It's really just a small step in a comfortable direction, one made even more inviting by the recent boat shoe boom.
