Dr. Martens: The British Icon Born Far From England

Dr. Martens, “Doc Martens” or “DMs.” These are the different names for a very cool brand of boots. The brand is British, and it is owned by a British company, Permira, but that is only part of the story. Doctor Martens actually began life in Germany.

skiing accident

It all began in 1945 when a young army doctor from Munich called Klaus Maertens went skiing in the Bavarian Alps. He had an accident and he injured his ankle. As he was convalescing he decided that his army boots were too uncomfortable and so he designed his own. He used rubber to create an “air cushion sole.” Later he went into business with a friend from university days called Herbert Funk. The business was successful, but it wasn’t a particularly “cool” brand. Most of the customers were housewives over the age of 40.

export

The business continued to expand and the two partners decided to start advertising in foreign markets. In England the county of Northamptonshire is the capital of the shoe industry. It is the home, for example, of the famous Church brand. But the owners of another shoe company, Griggs, saw an ad for Dr. Maertens’ boots and they were intrigued. They signed a contract with the German business and began manufacturing their boots in England. They also changed the name from Maertens to Martens. The first British “Dr. Martens AirWair” went on sale on April Fool’s Day, 1960.

making music

Again, the image wasn’t very “cool.” It was considered a boot for “working-class” men and it was popular with postmen. But things changed in 1966 when Pete Townshend, lead guitarist of The Who, bought a pair. He wore his DMs on stage and many young men followed his example. The boots were popular with skinheads. Skinheads loved ska music, but in the 1970s Doc Martens became associated with another musical genre: punk rock. Later they became the footwear of choice for fans of grunge music.

The pope

The boots were adopted by young British women, many years after the German housewives. Dr. Martens AirWair also produced clothes, but things began to go wrong. In 2003 the company closed its British factories and moved production to China and Thailand. It did, however, reopen its factory in Wollaston in Northamptonshire the following year. And the year after that saw the death of Pope John Paul II. It is said that he had a special pair of white Doc Martens, but this is probably an urban legend.