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DM's Lite Rigal is a Streetwear-friendly update of the classic 1460. Image via Dr. Martens.
The Dr. Martens company is so proud of its “AirWair” technology and “Bouncing Soles” that both are printed on the brand’s iconic black and yellow tag, which famously hangs out the back of its shoes. And yet, for the first time in company history, the people behind “Docs” – the reigning sellers of outsider boots– have updated the construction of their product.
On Sept. 1, Dr. Martens launched a new line called DM’s Lite. There are five available styles, including the “Newton,” a boot that resembles the classic lace-up 1460 -- but at a third of the weight of the original. That’s the promise of the Lite: a shoe that maintains the brand’s fundamental look and DNA, while doing away with the clunky, stiff, or heavy feeling that some shoppers describe when they try on a pair of Docs for the first time.
I wanted to see for myself if DM’s Lite keep that promise. As a business, Dr. Martens has lived a thousand lives, spanning a sale of its parent company to the European investment group Permira in 2013 for 300 million GBP, or roughly 485 million USD. That was after Dr. Martens experienced a huge boost in sales in 2012 (in June of 2012, a rep for the brand told me that orders for fall were up over 50%). But despite a number of design updates since the original 1460 launched on April 1, 1960, this is the first real product innovation in the storied lifetime of the brand.
I visited my local Dr. Marten store on Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where DM’s Lite have been on the shelves since the last week of July. This location has logged the second highest sales numbers for DM’s Lite on the East Coast (the frontrunner, as of Sept. 2, was the Georgetown store). As I laced up a pair of cherry red Newtons, the sales staff described the materials: supple lightweight leather and memory foam insoles. Sure enough, the boots look like 1460s, right down to the yellow stitching, but feel remarkably like sneakers. And while longtime wearers of Doc Martens accept that the shoes require a break-in period, DM’s Lite are comfortable from the moment they come out of the box.
A classic 1460 boot (left) next to the Newton (right), at the Williamsburg Dr. Martens store.... [+]
That’s a good thing, right? I wasn’t sure. I started wearing black, eight-eye 1460s when I was 12 years old, after they had traveled through various subcultures over the course of three decades – Neo-Nazi, Ska, Punk – and landed on American Grunge. I must admit I was skeptical of DM’s Lite, which seemed somehow less authentic than the originals. That break-in period, at least in theory, was like hazing: a process of earning the right to wear the shoes.
Apparently, I’m not the only traditionalist. The sales staff at Bedford Avenue explained that DM’s Lite mostly appeal to first-time buyers, and are positioned to court today’s Streetwear customer. With that in mind, it’s no wonder that DM’s Lite wear like sneakers – the competition isn’t regular leather-soled combat boots anymore, but sleek, supportive athletic shoes.
While I was skeptical of DM’s Lite, I admit that I’ve come around to the new line. As a brand, Dr. Martens has always managed to walk the shaky tightrope between alternative and mainstream acceptance and Streetwear – at once counterculture and pop – does the same. By updating the old AirWair to new SoftWair technology, the company has made a savvy decision to pursue DM-friendly buyers, refusing to lose otherwise well-matched customers just because the originals are less comfortable than contemporary sneakers.
I’m rooting for DM’s Lite. Whether or not I’d buy them, former 90’s teen that I am, remains to be seen.
