Nine Inch Nails x Dr. Martens "The Downward Spiral" Collection

The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails still stands as one of the most ground-breaking and culturally significant rock albums in history, three decades after its release. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of this 1994 masterpiece, Dr. Martens has teamed up with NIN for a footwear collection, serving as a tribute to the darkness that generates light.

To celebrate the iconic album, Dr. Martens has brought out its most iconic silhouettes: the 1460 boot, 1461 oxford, and 1490 boot. The NIN 1460 features a black and white design with the album artwork ‘Wound’ by Russell Mills printed on the upper. It also includes a branded ankle zip and removable jungle zip front. The 1461 3-eye shoe comes with a rubber-grained leather NIN embossed toe cap and features the iconic ‘Crystal Teeth’ image from the album’s inner art on the vamp. The 1490 10-eye boot features a custom print inspired by the band’s pre-show ritual of covering themselves in corn starch for a decomposing, post-apocalyptic aesthetic.

A friends-and-family exclusive edition of the NIN 1490 has also been created, built from leather embossed with the Downward Spiral album art in pure black. The band will be gifting this pair to some of their biggest fans as a tribute to the bond shared by NIN and those who have supported them for decades.

Both known for their culture-shifting qualities and rebellious self expression, the collaboration between Dr. Martens and Nine Inch Nails pays tribute to the movement of expressive liberation embodied by both partners.

“This collaboration just makes so much sense,” says John Crawford, Nine Inch Nails’ Creative Director. “Not just because of the countless fans I’ve seen wearing Dr. Martens at NIN concerts over the years (myself included), but because NIN and Dr. Martens are both known for rejecting convention and expectation in favor of innovation, with their distinctive ability to transcend genres and styles in a way that unique to each person who experiences them. The goal was always to make this collection feel as authentically Nine Inch Nails as possible, and I believe through close collaboration with the team at Doc’s we’ve succeeded in that.”

The Dr. Martens x Nine Inch Nails “The Downward Spiral” collection launches Friday, July 19th, available via drmartens.com and select partners. Check out all four styles and the campaign imagery below.

Nine Inch Nails x Dr. Martens 1460
Style Code: 32171101
Release Date: July 19, 2024