Dr. Martens has long been associated with rebellious crowds and fashion front-runners, but did you know they were originally workers’ boots? Founded in 1901 by the Griggs family, the brand was well-known for creating sturdy work boots in the Midlands.
Now their simple silhouettes allow their wearers to adapt the boots as part of their own individual style. Their famous durability and longevity make them the poster child of gigs, festivals and street wear, symbolising attitude and power.
Starting in 1901, the Griggs family were known for making boots in the small town of Wollaston, Northamptonshire in the Midlands. They were at the very heart of the English shoe industry and for six decades Griggs’ footwear earned a solid reputation as sturdy, durable work boots.
Then post-war Munich, in 1945 Dr. Klaus Maertens, a soldier convalescing from a broken foot, created a unique air-cushioned sole to aid his recovery. Maertens showed the prototype to an old uni friend and mechanical engineer, Dr. Herbert Funk. Using discarded military supplies they began producing their unique shoes, and within a decade had a booming business. In 1959, they decided it was time to advertise their revolutionary footwear invention in overseas magazines.
Back in England, the Griggs company was now being run by the third generation of the family, Bill, along with brothers Ray, Colin and son Max. Whilst scanning the pages of a shoe trade magazine, Bill’s eye was caught by the advert for their innovative air- cushioned sole.
An exclusive license was acquired and a few key changes made, including an altered heel, a bulbous but simple upper, a distinctive yellow welt stitch, a two tone grooved sole edge and a unique sole. The boots were branded as ‘Airwair’ and came complete with a black and yellow heel loop featuring the brand name and the slogan “With Bouncing Soles” (based on Bill Grigg’s own handwriting). Taking its name from date of its inception, April 1st, 1960, the eight-holed 1460 boot had arrived.
Initially worn by postmen and factory workers, Dr. Martens’ first few years of existence was very much that of a £2 work-wear boot, selling solid quantities to Britain’s working classes. Then something incredible started to happen...
The decade in which the boot was born saw an unprecedented wave of change, new ideas, cultural upheaval and eventually social revolution. This radical atmosphere also witnessed extravagant and often rebellious fashion.
Dr. Martens were suddenly picked up by ska-loving skinheads who proudly championed working class style. Shortly after, Pete Townshend of The Who became the first famous person to wear them as a symbol of his own working class pride and rebellious attitude. It altered the course of the brand’s history, changing this functional work-wear boot into a subculture classic.
The decade of glam, punk, Two Tone and early goth saw youth culture bloom into countless tribes. Each new wave adopted the boot subverting the style of the previous wearers. The boot had become a fierce symbol of self-expression for a diverse crowd.
Sales of small men’s size boots alerted Dr. Martens to a street trend for girls buying then customising (usually with florals) the simple 8-hole boot. Meanwhile, US Hardcore musicians touring the UK began to take DM’s back to the west coast, beginning American grunge subculture’s affinity with the brand.
Grunge turned the mainstream music world on its head and took Dr. Martens along for the ride. Back in Britain, Britpop rebelled against this so-called ‘loser kid’ apathy but did so in the same boots, the 1460. The emergence of nu-metal and very early emo saw even more styles of self expression stomping in DM's.
However, shortly after the brand’s fortieth birthday, sales declined so dramatically that all but one of the UK factories had to be closed to stave off bankruptcy. But in 2003 high end designers began re-interpreting and customising the 1460. The boots were back! In 2007 the original Cobbs Lane factory in Northampton resumed with hand-made DM's Originals.
The people that champion Dr. Martens are now as diverse as ever, attracted by its unique alt appeal and authenticity, as well as reputation for quality. They are seen as boots for life, as evidenced in the high price tag on the second hand market.
Still a staple of diverse tribes, celebrities, musicians and free-thinking individuals they are becoming a symbol of political change, associated with progressive attitudes and identity. Delivering whole new twist on the boot for life.
