A-COLD-WALL* X DR. MARTENS - 1461 GRAPHITE

A bold reinterpretation of a timeless silhouette, the 1461 has been recast in architectural form. Collaboration now offline.

Released in 1961, the landmark Dr. Martens 1461 silhouette was originally envisioned as a resilient, durable shoe ready to meet the challenges of daily physical work. Soon adopted by youth movements across the globe, its anonymous design empowered the wearer to express their own individual aesthetic, no matter their cultural or musical allegiances.

With this rich heritage in mind, founder and creative director Samuel Ross takes the shoe’s basic silhouette and imagines a contemporary take on brutalist design codes. Specifically referencing Britain’s imposing post-war institutional and social housing structures, Ross applies architectural thinking to this reworked 1461.

A distinctly utilitarian release, the A-COLD-WALL* Dr. Martens 1461 begins with a commanding Smoke Bex sole, secured with tonal black welt stitching. Robust smooth graphite leather forms the upper, striking moulded medial and lateral panels providing structural support and enveloping a practical zip closure system. The shoe’s strong lines and angular geometric shaping calls to mind the radically unsentimental approach of modernist architecture; functionality taking precedence over adornment.

The 1461 Graphite carries a range of quiet detail. A custom silicone dual-branded zip pull, subtle ACW* debossed heel branding, dual logo sock liner and brushed silver metal rivets make for a refined finish - minimal embellishment placing sharp emphasis on the 1461’s industrial profile.