Downes Shoe Repairs — Brisbane's most iconic seller of Doc Martens — have been operating in The Valley for over 100 years, and with a recent venue change and a fresh new look, the store is ready to bring even more unique shoes to Brisbanites.
Leah Fischle is a seasoned team member at the store, and she's over the moon at the change of scenery. “Everyone's loved it, they've loved the new shop and space. Some things haven't changed — the range is awesome, we're still really passionate and we remember people when they walk in... [but] The Docs that used to be crammed side-to-side in the shelves have all got their space to shine now.”
She also has some big plans coming up for the store. “We're putting together a book of local artists with their rates and examples of their work so we can be the glue between the end user who says, 'I want a funny face on the toe of my Doc'. We can say, 'Oh, he can do this and she can do that'.” Leah says the resurgence in popularity of Doc Martens has multiple origins, including an unlikely pop starlet. “It started way back when Miley Cyrus was still innocent!
Hannah Montana wore them in every different colour, so that was part of the new teen wave. You'd see them here and there on a really young person, then we started to get more teenagers coming in. I actually noticed it from the GFC. We were going through a massive recession here and I thought, 'What happens when there's uncertainty?' Well, naturally, we want to go back to something that has substance, something real, not a throwaway product. And I started noticing people getting into Docs and getting into quality.”
(Leah also puts a myth to rest. The most recent incarnation of The Doctor, Peter Capaldi, doesn't actually wear Doc Martens — he wears British Boot Company boots.) Claire from Barlow Shoes, which claims to be the largest Doc supplier in Adelaide, hopes that Docs will only grow in popularity as time goes on. “They've been selling really well. The most popular would be the black 1460s, they're the original ones.”
