How Doc Martens Has Transcended Trends to Stay Relevant for Over 60 Years

It’s safe to say that Doc Martens has achieved icon status.

The British shoe brand has stood the test of time over the last 64 years. What originally started as a workwear boot business has transcended trends through the decades — from punk style in the ’90s to the hipster Tumblr era of the 2010s to today’s celebrity-influencer culture and even the workplace. At this year’s Fast Company Innovation Festival, creative agency SS+K, which is part of M&C Saatchi group, hosted a fireside chat with Doc Martens global creative director Darren Leon Mckoy to discuss what makes the brand iconic and why the “ugly shoes” have become a classic.

Achieving a legacy has more to do with simplicity than trendiness, Mckoy says. “I’m a person who’s obsessed with brand DNA,” he said at the event. Staying true to Doc Martens’s brand DNA is his priority as creative director and the guidepost he uses in every new project at the company. That’s how the brand sustains through the years, he said, along with a few other key factors:

Resist trends

Mckoy said there’s “always temptation” to push the brand into new spaces. Through his time with other brands like Adidas and North Face, he learned that businesses don’t always need to hop on a trend to stay relevant. Stevie Archer, the chief creative officer of SS+K who moderated the chat, pointed out that trend cycles today close much more quickly than they did in years past. Brat summer caught enough steam for businesses to make themed billboards in July, only for “demure” trends to take over a few weeks later, she pointed out.

A strategy that does stand the test of time is keeping customers educated and refreshing their memories of the brand’s origin story, Mckoy said. It’s common for businesses to feel pressure to innovate and try introducing a new product, but Mckoy said he’s learned to ask if it’s worth it. If changes are to be made, they don’t need to be radical, he added. Doc Martens maintains the promotion of its classic shoes, the 1460 and Jadon boots and the 1461 Oxford loafers. The brand experiments with different leathers and might tweak a style, but otherwise, it keeps R&D minimal, he said.

Look at customers

While visiting from the U.K., Mckoy shared that he visited a store in New York City. He said that if a brand isn’t willing to see its customers in person, then “you’re wasting your time.” Visiting a store is the simplest way to gain insight and inspiration directly from customers, he says: how they style the shoe, what they ask for, and how they interact with the brand.

Mckoy also recommended looking at what resonates with younger generations because they are both customers and good predictors of what will resonate in the near future. He said the brand has a large team of Gen-Z employees and constantly showcases a diverse range of young people wearing the shoe in everyday settings on its Instagram, such as parks, festivals, Pride events, or simply walking on the street.

Bolster intellectual property

Successful businesses need a good product, but branding needs good intellectual property. When you visit a Doc Martens store, its walls are black, just like the color of its signature leather. The imagery on its Instagram is a mix of grainy videos, warm-toned filters, and bright flash photography of people walking on the street, sitting on concrete steps, and gathering in urban crowds. Mckoy says all of it contributes to the brand’s intellectual property, or the grungy, vintage vibe that comes inherent when customers think about the brand.

The brands that succeed are the ones that never lose sight of where they come from. Mckoy reiterated throughout the panel that Doc Martens always returns to its core. Doc Martens in the 1940s was the symbol of rebellion and hard work. It became synonymous with the working class, British culture, and personal strength, all of which remain relevant today. “Go back to what makes your brand special,” he said. “Don’t forget that.”