There’s a change in the air… the nights aren’t drawing in quite so early, the days are getting warmer, and the birds are cheeping a little louder. Spring is on it’s way! The best part about this time of the year is that it’s time to start building up a new wardrobe in time for summer, because what better way to wave goodbye to winter than to treat yo’self to some new clobber?

Following on from their beautiful AW14 collection, Dr. Martens have just launched their brand spanking new range for Spring/Summer 2015, and I was lucky enough to have a sneaky peek.

I popped down to the Bristol Broadmead store to take a look at the exciting new ranges, the most prominent being the West Coast Hardcore collection, inspired by the DIY aesthetic of the 1980s LA punk scene. I love the Bristol shop, the staff are genuinely always really friendly and helpful, plus it’s only a stone’s throw away from Cabot Circus. The new collection was pride of place in the doorway, and the deeper I delved into the shop the more treasures I unearthed.

“The Dr. Martens’ SS15 range is hardcore style mixed with pure Americana, re-creating the rebellious self-expression and creativity of the 1980s US West Coast hardcore scene.”

This collection is a celebration of colour, creativity, and individuality. A traditional British classic meets the American cultural underground, creating a capsule collection inspired by those early hardcore musicians touring the UK and taking a little piece of our heritage back with them. They were responsible for the first wave of imports of Dr. Martens into the US, and would customise their boots by painting them, even the sole, which is replicated in the ‘rub off’ colours of the new collection.

In keeping with the brand’s tradition and wanting to evoke a nostalgia of that era, the brand’s designers have tracked down vintage pairs to create both authentic versions and modern takes on original styles. I love the colourways of the new collection, it’s use of Japanese tattoo prints, and the unique shape of the new range of women’s styles.

As well as having a look at the brand new range, I was incredibly lucky to be asked to pick out a pair for myself. I chose these absolutely beautiful Mary Janes(*), which are part of the Archive collection, again celebrating the heritage of the Dr. Martens brand by drawing inspiration from the original footwear made popular by those early fashion pioneers all those decades ago.

It was love at first sight with these shoes. I bought a pair of the 1461 originals last year and they have hardly left my feet since, but I was on the lookout for something a bit different. The colour of these Mary Janes is a super vibrant cherry red, and I reckon these will dress up just about any outfit. As with any pair of Dr. Martens, at first these and my feet weren’t pals, but a few Compeed blister patches and some sore heels later and I’m finally starting to break them in.

As well as the West Coast Hardcore range, Dr. Martens have also just announced a collaboration which has got the internet very excited – Dr. Martens x Adventure Time!

For those who don’t know about Adventure Time (have you been living in a cave for the last few years?!), it is a Cartoon Network series following the adventures of Finn, a human boy, and his shape-shifting talking dog, Jake. It’s a surreal jaunt into the colourful land of Ooo, where inhabitants are made of cake, and there’s always danger and excitement around every corner. It’s technically a kids show, but there’s some dark elements and bits of surreal humour in there enough to entertain the adults, too.

I was so excited about this collaboration when I first heard about it because to me, it is quite simply a match made in heaven. Adventure Time is eclectic and independently minded, just like the Dr. Martens brand. The new boots are modelled around the two main characters, with a limited edition run of only 1460 pairs created. The new styles look brilliant – it’s as if your feet have magically morphed into Finn and Jake!

The new collection lands in the Bristol Broadmead store on Monday 2nd March, and to celebrate, there will be a special Adventure Time themed morning with the staff dressed up as Jake and hopping around on Finn spacehoppers. If you fancy getting in on the action it’s all taking place from 9:30-10:30 – pop in and say hello!

The West Coast Hardcore and Adventure Time collections are available at Dr. Martens Bristol, 16 Broadmead BS1 3HH. 

A massive thanks to Dr. Martens for inviting me to collaborate with them on this post.