How the Dr. Martens footwear brand came into being and what is unique about it

One of the recent trends is wearing “work” boots. Nowadays they can be found almost everywhere. They are comfortable and practical to wear. The legislator of such fashion can rightly be considered the brand Dr. Martens. It is worth noting that few people know the history of the company, and there are many interesting moments. That’s why we decided to talk about it together with the stylist and image-maker.

Inhaltsübersicht

On the way from the army to civil society

The history of Dr. Martens boots, which stand out from the crowd with their yellow stitching and bright tongue, began in 1945. Dr. Klaus Martens came up with the idea and created his first prototype shoe just after the end of World War II. The idea to make a shoe that was different, more comfortable and with a less stiff sole was conceived while he was still in the army.

The catalyst was when the doctor was admitted to the hospital with a fractured ankle after the end of combat operations. At the time of his rehabilitation, he was so concerned about footwear that he came up with the idea of using Luftwaffe rubber, leather pants and epaulettes (epaulettes) as materials. Essentially, the simplest of raw materials, which were in abundance.

First production

The doctor showed his prototype boot model to his Munich University friend Herbert Funk. The prospects so fascinated the friends that they decided to join forces and try to establish the production of shoes.

In 1947, in the town of Seeeshaupt, which was not far from Munich, production was launched. The time for the start of the company was the most successful, because people were looking for good and comfortable shoes for every day. Interestingly, the shoes were in particular demand among women over 40 who had joint problems.

fashion stylist, image-maker

The boots were very popular with representatives of working professions, who needed to spend a lot of time on their feet, and simply people who wanted to wear high-quality and comfortable shoes for every day. In general, I think, the main thing “Martins” in their laconic design, nothing superfluous, just shoes, but at the same time they are immediately visible.

A symbol of youth and protest

A significant period in the history of the shoe company and the world as a whole is the period of the 60-70s of the last century. Youth subcultures reached a special development. The Hard Mods were characterized by their flashy appearance: short hair, sideburns, provocations in clothing and necessarily red Dr. Martens. Subsequently, the first skinheads came out of the Hard Mods.

One of the high-profile resonances associated with skinheads as provocateurs was the protest march against the Vietnam War in March 1968. The skinheads wore the colors of Millwall Football Club and Dr. Martens boots. They disrupted the march by shouting and provoked other participants in the event into clashes. Most of the youth of the time stood out for being overly aggressive and violent, and the steel-toed Dr. Claus shoes were a dangerous weapon on their feet. The police confiscated the shoes quite often.

At the same time, blue “martins” became an integral part of the Chelsea soccer club, and then a characteristic element of soccer fans’ clothing. In the period from 1998 to 2003 the company sponsored the soccer club “West Ham”. Dr. Martens financed the construction of a multi-thousand-seat grandstand, which increased the capacity of the Upton Park stadium from 26 to 35 thousand. At the time of its opening in 2001, the grandstand was the largest in London, so much so that it was opened by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

fashion stylist, image-maker

Personally, I wear English “1460” – it is a timeless classic and they differ from modern models made in Asia by the quality of leather and attention to detail. I always recommend this model as a first pair. I can also recommend the Jadon model – they are the same “1460”, but on a thicker double sole, they look massive and cool and with them you can create very actual and bold images.

On the verge of bankruptcy

At the beginning of the noughties, the doctor’s shoe giant sold dozens of different in style and style products: classic models of boots, shoes and sandals. Unfortunately, the crisis that affected the brand reduced revenues from $ 412 million to $ 127 million.

The year 2003 was remembered in Dr. Martens as the prospect of bankruptcy. Anti-crisis measures taken by the management consisted in reducing sales, moving production from the UK to China and Thailand and reducing the workforce. This helped.

Dr. Martens shoes now

After a series of changes in production, financial policy and marketing strategy, the company was able to not only bring back sales volumes, but also increase them. In 2018, it produced 10 million pairs of shoes, with only one percent being sewn in the UK. “Martins” assure that there are plans to increase the production of shoes on the territory of England to 165 thousand pairs per year.

fashion stylist, image-maker

“Martins” – extremely reliable, one of their chips is the sole, which can withstand contact with petroleum products, acids and alkalis. They’re made of pretty rough leather covered with something like polyurethane on top. But that doesn’t mean you should mock your pair and test it for durability.

First of all, martins don’t like the cold. The sole tans and loses elasticity, which eventually leads to tears in the places of bending. The same goes for the leather. Do not take martins on the growth of a size larger, you need to take almost fit and painfully unnashing, each time treating a special agent for this shoe.

In this case, they will spread and sit exactly on the foot, which will save your pair from unpleasant creases and cracks in the area of folds. If you take “martins” a little more, they are likely to wear incorrectly and crack.