If you’ve owned a pair of Dr. Martens, you’ve probably seen the words With Bouncing Soles stitched into the heel loop. They’ve been there since the first boot rolled off the production line in 1960, originally alluding to its air-cushioned sole. More than six decades later, the phrase has taken on a life of its own. For the brand's latest campaign, it transforms into a question: What Makes Your Sole Bounce?
Dr. Martens has enlisted Chloë Sevigny to find the answer. The actor and perennial style icon has a way of transforming pieces into personal statements, making her an apt face for a campaign about individual expression.
“For me, [bouncing soles is about] staying curious,” she says, “taking on new roles, finding inspiration in unexpected places, and always being open to what’s next.” Sevigny joins musician and writer Jordan Stephens and comedian Naomi Watanabe in a cast full of unique perspectives.
The idea is well-suited to a shoe that changes with its wearer. Dr. Martens began as practical footwear, prized for comfort and durability, before finding a place in music and subculture. A pair can feel tough, polished, or a little irreverent depending on the person wearing it — and it always looks better once it’s been broken in.
That sense of history is built into the campaign’s footwear. Five of the brand’s most recognizable silhouettes — the eight-eyelet 1460 boot, the three-eyelet 1461 shoe, the Adrian loafer, the pull-on 2976 Chelsea boot, and the buckled 8065 Mary Jane — are now available in Cherry Red alongside the brand’s already-beloved shades. Crazy Horse leather is known for developing character over time, picking up marks and variations that add a profound distinction to each pair.
Of course, there’s no single way to wear any of them, and that’s the point of With Bouncing Soles. The shoes are just a starting place. The people in them make the story their own.
