Doctor Martens are one of the most popular shoes in the world and have a long and fascinating history. The first pair of Doctor Martens were invented by German doctor Klaus Maertens in 1945. Whilst he was out skiing, he was injured and said that his military boots were too uncomfortable for his injury. He teamed up with the British shoemakers R. Griggs Group Ltd, who changed the name of the shoe to Doctor Martens, added the famous yellow stitching and that was that – the first ever pair of Doctor Martens were born!
The first pair came out in Britain in 1960 – the style was called 1460 and are still made today. The shoes were intended to be utility wear, with the air cushioned soles making it more comfortable for the wearer who spent a lot of time on their feet, popular with factory workers and postmen they were the working man’s shoe. But the shoes became the height of fashion when Pete Townshend of the band The Who, donned a pair on stage so he could be comfortable whilst playing guitar. They suddenly became the must have shoe of the moment. As they were intended for the working classes, the shoes became popular amongst the skinheads and also the punks – comfortable and hard wearing, it is little wonder that the shoes with the air cushioned soles were so sought after!
During the 1980s, the boots became more and more popular amongst women, who were buying the boots and customising them with their own unique designs, and American hardcore musicians had started to notice the boots and make them their own. Towards the end of the 1990s however, sales of the boots and popularity had begun to slump, resulting in all of the factories that made the shoes being closed (apart from one) and production was moved to China and Thailand meaning that the boot could no longer bear the famous “Made in England” stamp. In 2007 however, with sales starting to increase again, the factory that originally made Doctor Martens – the Cobbs lane factory in Northamptonshire recommenced production of them.
Even though it has been nearly eight decades since the boot was first though of, they have not only endured, but continue to thrive in the fickle world of the fashion industry – people still come in their droves looking for Doctor Martens Gloucester shop https://www.cottersshoes.co.uk/product-category/brand/dr-martens/ knows very well. There is no sign of them ever going away, as each new generation adopts the world-famous boots and makes them their own.