If you believe in the possibility of a post-sneaker world, Dr. Martens derby shoes could be the equivalent of an Air Force 1. Not quite a dress shoe, the silhouette can easily be dressed up or dressed down depending on the occasion. And if you’re still itching for the excitement of collaborations, JJJJound has stepped in with his steady hand.
The aesthetic tastemaker and champion of minimalism has worked with Dr. Martens on the Archie II, a derby similar to the 1461 but slightly slimmer. JJJJound’s flourishes are as subtle as we’ve come to expect, including his choice of black "Wyoming" and dark brown "Crazy Horse" leathers in a matte finish.
Black is intended to represent the “traditional artist,” while its brown counterpart stands in for the “contemporary artist.” I’m not sure how much you really need to fall into either archetype to make a choice between the two derbies, as either would be a great addition to your rotation and remarkably easy to style.
The JJJJound effect —
JJJJound collaborations don’t usually stick out as such until you hone in on the finer details. A tiny tag stitched onto the upper’s seams feature namesake branding, but more interesting are the decisions to keep the eyelets unadorned and include secondary laces in a contrasting brown and yellow Tetoron.
Each pair has been handmade in Dr. Martens Wollaston factory in England, where the “Wyoming” derby has been given a smoky V18 outsole and the Crazy Horse one, semi-translucent brown. Either one of them would pair naturally with a pair of trousers, but if you want to get more daring you could also pull them off with white crew socks and 5-inch inseam shorts for a nice “high-low” effect.
JJJJound’s Docs will be available this Saturday, July 31, for $250 a pop on Dr. Martens’ website and in select stores. The curator-turned-designer has an ardent consumer base for his minimalist creations, so you’ll need to be quick on the draw if you want these slick but unpolished derbies.
