Dr Martens slammed over boots showing person with breast removal scars
The design has generated controversy online
Instagram
Popular footwear brand Dr Martens is facing criticism for promoting boots which depict a person with mastectomy scars.
The pair of boots, designed by a queer artist, feature a topless cartoon figure with scars under their breasts, as a result of breast removal surgery.
The colourful boots were given away as part of an Instagram competition, sparking a debate among its customers and social media users about the appropriateness of the design.
Some accused the company of “cashing in on the mutilation” of women and called for a boycott of the company, whilst others praised Dr Martens for celebrating minorities.
Jess Voss Art designed the shoes to spread "queer joy"
DrMartens.com
One user commented in a rage: “How shameful, I am disgusted”, whilst a second added “cashing in on the mutilation of young teenage girls and lesbians is so cool and progressive. Shame on you!”
YouTuber Oli London tweeted: “Why is Dr Martens promoting trans double mastectomies? Cutting off healthy women’s breasts in the name of gender identity should not be promoted
Dr Martens confirmed the pink cartoon character was 18+ years old, when many doubted that the person depicted was an adult.
However, other also supported the shoes. Some described the shoes as “fire and rainbows”, whilst others said they would “explode” with joy if they won a pair.
The controversial boots are not up for sale, however, users could enter a giveaway to try and win the pair.
The popular footwear chain gave the pair of boots away in a social media competition
Reuters
Users needed to like an Instagram post, follow both Dr Martens and the artist and tag a friend, in order to be eligible.
The company has confirmed that they will not be selling the shoe.
The shoes in question which have gathered up so much controversy, were designed by Colorado-based artist Jess Vosseteig.
On the company’s website, Vosseteig described herself and her vision: “I love illustrating to empower all genders, break gender stereotypes, and promote body positivity/neutrality. I want my audience to feel seen and heard in my work, be empowered to be themselves, educate others, and push societal norms!”
When explaining her design, the LGBTQ+ artists said that she wanted to focus on spreading “queer joy”.
"The inspiration for my design came from representing queer joy! I wanted to include two stylized people that were part of the queer community,” she commented.
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“I knew I wanted to incorporate lots of color with rainbows, clouds, and sparkles! I wrote ‘Queer Joy’ on the back of them to send the message that queer joy will always exist.”
The boots, released under the brand’s “DIY Docs” feature, allows for customisation of the popular shoe.
Her design features on the 1460 boot, the original Dr Martens shoe that became popular with skinheads, scooter riders and punk rockers in the 1970s.
Today, the boots have become popular and trendy among many minority groups including the LGBTQ+ community.
Vosseteig, who goes by Jess Voss art, won the 2022 Creative Activism award from the University of Colorado, Boulder, for her piece titled ‘periods have no gender’.
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