Dr. Martens’ latest capsule celebrating cultural icon Betty Boop could be one of its last drops before prices starting going up on fall/winter product.
The newly public British company debuted a capsule collection on June 23 featuring the classic 1930s-era pinup girl. Dr. Martens said full-year sales through March 31 jumped 18 percent to $1.13 billion on net income of $226.4 million. This performance, coupled with rising inflation, spurred the brand to raise its U.S. prices as much as $20 for the fall/ winter 2022 season.
CEO Kenny Wilson said the company doesn’t expect higher prices to mute demand. “The pricing study showed that, even with the price changes, consumers believe that our products represent compelling value for money given our durability and quality,” he said last month when the company reported fourth-quarter results. “We expect our pricing headroom to increase further as we continue to invest in the brand and our product proposition. We will repeat the pricing study in summer 2022.”
For the capsule collection, Dr. Martens gave three of its most popular silhouettes the Betty Boop treatment, creating the Jadon Betty Boop, the 1461 Quad Betty Boop, and the Betty Boop Quad II.
The Jaden Betty Boop features a tonal gloss print showcasing angel and devil Betty Boop poses. The boot is constructed with classic Dr. Martens leather and detailed with red heart rivets on the quarters and the back-strap. Each pair includes two different lace choices, a standard cord and a velvet option. The inner ankle zipper is detailed with an enamel zip puffer featuring Betty herself.
The 3-eye 1461 Quad shoe has been restyled to include bold heart-shaped printed metal toe caps. It also includes heart-shaped eyelets and red heart rivets on the quarters and back-straps. Like the Jaden Betty Boop, this style features two lace options and a branded Betty Boop swing tag.
Lastly, Dr. Martens revamped the Clarissa II Quad sandal by using a synthetic, vegan-friendly Kemble material in white and stacked on the brand’s signature Quad sole. The sandal is detailed with domed heart-motif resin studs across the top strap and black heart and red heart stud rivets above the welt. A contrasting red foot bed, branded Betty Boop swing tag, and black hardware round out the silhouette.
The capsule collection includes a Betty Boop version of Dr. Martens 7-inch mini leather satchel. The bag is made out of black Kiev leather and features two tonal gloss Betty Boop prints and red lip and heart motifs.
The collection is priced at $85-$190 and is available now at dr.martens.com and select partners.