Rick Owens and Dr. Martens’ Fall/Winter 2026 Collection Re-states Their Connection to the Culture that Built Both Labels
Within fashion, labels and designers who stand out the most are those with a clear, genuine identity. Referencing is, of course, a practice used by many, but there’s a definite line where the authenticity of doing so comes into question. High fashion often “borrows” elements of subcultures that it deem cool, without necessarily coming from or giving any benefits to said subculture. The same cannot be said of Rick Owens.
Firmly rooted in the world of music, Owens found escape and kinship in punk rock during his formative years. Shows featuring Fear, Black Flag, The Screamers, and Alien Sex Fiend were his usual haunts, and figures like Iggy Pop became a personal hero of his. The visual aspects and style that were uniforms of the scene went on to inform Owens’ personal aesthetics, forming a lifelong refinement of said aesthetics mixed in with broader cultural references from his own world; art, architecture, S&M lifestyle, and many others. In its center, the de facto footwear of choice that was present in Owens’ youth is Dr. Martens.
It’s easy to see how their continuing collaborative effort from 2021 was a natural fit for both labels, it almost makes us question why they had not done it earlier on. Owens’ early exposure to Dr. Martens could also explain a large portion of his larger creative oeuvre, as evidenced by his own words, as he “saw how a tightly laced ankle leading to a broad solidly planted food had a simple, modest, industrial masculinity—almost like a corset between a muscled calf and a sturdy foot that acted as a stoic ballast.”
For Owens, Dr. Martens became “a symbol of a raw and sweaty vitality” from his younger years. He first got his own personal pair during his early 20s, a high top pair that he eventually cut lower and wore for a long time. “I’m pretty sure some of the scars on my face might have been inflicted by Dr Martens,” he once joked to British Vogue. In a way, Owens and Dr. Martens’ collaboration arguably presents a more youthful version of Owens’s mainline offerings, as the pairs could feel equally at home in runways or moshpits.
For their Fall/Winter 2026 collaboration, the duo presented three models; the Pull-On Boot, the Steel Toe Boot, and the Megalace Mules. The pared-back Pull-On Boot is the most towering pair of the trio, with subtle detailing on the stitching and around the collar opening. The most “traditional” one, the Steel Toe Boot, is a menacing pair which elongated laces and exaggerated tongues provide unmistakable character. The last pair, the Megalace Mules, is a surprisingly versatile footwear. Worn with stacked pants, the mules could even be mistaken for a boot due to its substantial heft and signature lacing system, but its backless silhouette makes for a curiously summer-ready fall/winter shoe. Together, the trifecta reiterates both labels’ deep connection to the subculture that they were shaped by, and continues to reshape.
The full range of Rick Owens and Dr. Martens' Fall/Winter 2026 collection will be available at LABOUTIK soon. Follow our socials for further updates.