Fairies Wear Dr. Martens: Black Sabbath launch official range of DM boots

Black Sabbath DM boots
(Image credit: Dr Martens)

Footwear brand Dr. Martens have hooked up with Black Sabbath to produce two pairs of unique footwear.

"Before there was metal, there was Black Sabbath," proclaim the Wollaston-based cobblers. "It’s been 50 years since their groundbreaking debut records crash-landed on to the music scene. And changed the course of rock history. 

"In our first collaboration with the ‘godfathers of heavy metal’, we celebrate Black Sabbath and Paranoid’s 50th anniversaries, and shine the spotlight on Keith McMillan’s "Keef’s" equally hard-hitting artwork."

First up is a pair of Dr. Martens iconic 1460 8-hole boots which are emblazoned with the cover of Sabbath’s debut album, while the black 1461 Sabbath shoes feature the Paranoid artwork on the back heel with the words ‘Black Sabbath’ embossed across the toes.

Both pairs also feature Sabbath’s mascot Henry, with the flying demon badge attached through the laces.

Black Sabbath was originally released in February 1970, while Paranoid followed in September the same year. McMillan designed the cover artwork for both albums, and took the iconic photo that adorned their debut at Mapledurham Watermill in Oxfordshire.

Dr. Martens have a long history of musical collaborations, and have previously manufactured a range of Sex Pistols-themed boots, a range of footwear produced in collaboration with the iconic CBGB club, and a range of goods adorned by the Who's target logo

Black Sabbath's Paranoid album has received a vinyl makeover for its 50th anniversary, and will be released in a package featuring two live albums and a rare mix. It's out on October 10.


The 1460 Black Sabbath Boot

The 1460 Black Sabbath Boot
This pair of classic 8-hole Docs are emblazoned with the cover art of Sabbath self-titled debut album which was created by Keith ‘Keef’ McMillan. Eye-catching? Definitely!

The 1461 Black Sabbath Leather Shoes

The 1461 Black Sabbath Leather Shoes
If the boot doesn’t quite fit your tastes, then this pair of nifty Docs might do the job. The Paranoid artwork covers the heel, while ‘Black Sabbath’ is embossed across the front.

1461 Leather Sex Pistol Shoes:£129now £89

1461 Leather Sex Pistol Shoes: Were £129 now £89
Show off your love of the Sex Pistols with these cracking leather shoes. The design is based around the newspaper headlines that followed their infamous appearance on Bill Grundy’s TV show!

1460 The Who ankle boots: 149 now £75

1460 The Who ankle boots: Were £149 now £75
A collaboration with The Who sees the 1460 transformed into something quite special. The boots feature a smooth leather upper with a large target icon emblazoned across the heel. 

1460 CBGB Printed leather ankle boots: £149 now £105

1460 CBGB Printed leather ankle boots: Were £149 now £105
The eye-catching design is thanks to a collaboration with famous Manhattan music venue CBGB. The boot is printed top to bottom with a vibrant skull pattern.

Fraser Lewry

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 38 years in music industry, online for 25. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.