text:
Dr. Martens
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
For the ITV Comedy/Drama series, see Doc Martin. For the historic Taos, New Mexico physician, see Thomas "Doc" Martin.
Marten Havighorst
Type
Private company
Industry
Footwear
Founded
1947
Founder
Klaus Märtens
Headquarters
UK
Products
Boots , Bag ,Clothing and Shoe Care Products
Owner
Permira
Website
www.drmartens.com
Dr Martens 1460 Oxbloods Smooth
Dr. Martens is an English footwear and clothing brand, which also makes a range of accessories – shoe care products, clothing, bag, etc. In addition to Dr. Martens, they are also commonly known as Doctor Martens, Doc Martens, DMs or Docs. The footwear is distinguished by its air-cushioned sole (dubbed Bouncing Soles), upper shape, welted construction and yellow stitching. The boots have been the choice of footwear among various groups in British culture: in the 1960s skinheads started to wear them, "Docs" being the usual naming, and by the late 1980s, they were popular among scooter riders, punks, some new wave musicians, and members of other youth subcultures, most notably the grunge fashion scene in the early nineties.[1][2]
In 2006, Griggs' 1960 Dr. Martens AirWair boot was named in the list of British design icons which included Concorde, Mini, Jaguar E-Type, Aston Martin DB5, Supermarine Spitfire, Tube map, World Wide Web and the AEC Routemaster bus.[3]
Contents
1 History
1.1 Founding
1.2 United Kingdom
2 Acquisition
3 Gallery
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
History[edit]
Founding[edit]
Klaus Märtens was a doctor in the German army during World War II. While on leave in 1945, he injured his ankle while skiing in the Bavarian Alps. He found that his standard-issue army boots were too uncomfortable on his injured foot. While recuperating, he designed improvements to the boots, with soft leather and air-padded soles made of tires.[4] When the war ended and some Germans recovered valuables from their own cities, Märtens took leather from a cobbler's shop. With that leather he made himself a pair of boots with air-cushioned soles.[5]
A pair of classic black leather Griggs' Dr. Martens boots, with distinctive yellow stitching around the sole
Märtens did not have much success selling his shoes until he met up with an old university friend, Herbert Funck, a Luxembourger, in Munich in 1947. Funck was intrigued by the new shoe design, and the two went into business that year in Seeshaupt, Germany, using discarded rubber from Luftwaffe airfields.[citation needed] The comfortable soles were a big hit with housewives, with 80% of sales in the first decade to women over the age of 40.[6]
United Kingdom[edit]
Sales had grown so much by 1952 that they opened a factory in Munich. In 1959, the company had grown large enough that Märtens and Funck looked at marketing the footwear internationally. Almost immediately, British shoe manufacturer R. Griggs Group Ltd. bought patent rights to manufacture the shoes in the United Kingdom.[7] Griggs anglicised the name, slightly re-shaped the heel to make them fit better, added the trademark yellow stitching, and trademarked the soles as AirWair.[3]
Cherry Red and Black 14-hole Dr. Martens boots
The first Dr. Martens boots in the United Kingdom came out on 1 April 1960 (known as style 1460 and still in production today), with an eight-eyelet oxblood coloured smooth leather design. Dr. Martens boots were made in their Cobbs Lane factory in Wollaston, Northamptonshire (which is still operating today).[6] In addition, a number of shoe manufacturers in the Northamptonshire area produced DMs under licence, as long as they passed quality standards. The boots were popular among workers such as postmen, police officers and factory workers. By the later 1960s, skinheads started to wear them, "dms" being the usual naming, and by the late 1970s, they were popular among scooter riders, punks, some new wave musicians, and members of other youth subcultures.[1] The shoes' popularity among skinheads led to the brand gaining an association with violence.[1] Alexei Sayle sang the song "Dr. Martens' Boots" in a 1982 episode of the British TV comedy The Young Ones.
The boots and shoes became popular in the 1990s as grunge fashion arose. In late November 1994, a six-storey Dr. Martens department store was opened in Covent Garden in London which sold food, belts, and watches, as well as shoes. At this time the R. Griggs company employed 2,700 people, expected to earn annual revenue of £170 million, and could produce up to 10 million pairs of shoes per year.[8][9] Dr. Martens sponsored Rushden & Diamonds F.C. from 1998 to 2005. Diamonds approached owner and local businessman, Max Griggs to request sponsorship from his company. A new main stand was built at Nene Park in 2001, named the Airwair Stand. Dr. Martens were also the principal sponsors of Premier League club, West Ham United F.C., renaming the upgraded west stand 'The Dr Martens Stand' until 2009.
In the 2000s, Dr. Martens were sold exclusively under the AirWair name, and came in dozens of different styles, including conventional black shoes, sandals and steel-toed boots. AirWair International's revenue fell from US $412 million in 1999 to $127 million in 2006.[10] In 2003, the Dr. Martens company came close to bankruptcy.[11] On 1 April that year, under pressure from declining sales, the company ceased making shoes in the United Kingdom,[12] and moved all production to China and Thailand. Five factories and two shops were closed in the UK as a result of this decision, and more than 1,000 of the firm's employees lost their jobs.[13] Following the closures, the R. Griggs company employed only 20 people in the UK, all of whom were located in the firm's head office.[14] 5 million pairs of Dr. Martens were sold during 2003, which was half the level of annual sales during the 1990s.[15]
A Dr. Martens retail store in Hong Kong (2012)
Dr. Martens in Vaughan Mills
In 2004 a new range of Dr. Martens was launched in an attempt to appeal to a wider market, and especially young people. The shoes and boots were intended to be more comfortable, and easier to break in, and included some new design elements.[15] Dr. Martens also began producing footwear again at the Cobbs Lane Factory in Wollaston, England in 2004. These products are part of the "Vintage" line, which the company advertises as being made to the original specifications.[16] Sales of these shoes are low in comparison to those made in Asia, however; in 2010, the factory was producing about 50 pairs per day.[6] In 2005, the R. Griggs company was given an award by the "Institute for Turnaround" for implementing a successful restructure.[11]
Worldwide sales of Dr. Martens shoes grew strongly in the early 2010s, and in 2012 it was assessed as being the eighth fastest-growing British company.[17] Over 100 million pairs of Dr. Martens shoes have been sold from 1960 to 2010, and in 2010, the company offered 250 different models of footwear.[6] The R. Griggs company opened 14 new Dr. Martens retail stores in the United Kingdom, United States and Hong Kong between 2009 and 2011,[18] and also launched a line of clothing during 2011.[19] In 1999 Dr Martens battled it out in counter lawsuits in US Courts. Dr Martens brand began a number of lawsuits in 2016 based on trademark law primarily[20]
In 2018 Business Insider reported that 10 million pairs of Dr. Martens shoes are produced annually. Of these, only 1% are made in the UK.[21]
Acquisition[edit]
In October 2013, the private equity company Permira acquired R. Griggs Group Limited (the owner of the Dr. Martens brand) for a consideration of £300M.[22]
Gallery[edit]
Distinctive yellow stitching on Dr. Martens shoe.
Inside of pre-2003 Dr. Martens made in England.
Inside of post-2003 Dr. Martens made in Thailand.
Sole of pre-2003 Dr. Martens made in England
Sole of post-2003 Dr. Martens made in Thailand.
Dr. Martens logo stamped on the outer side of a boot.
Floral-patterned Dr. Martens boots
See also[edit]
Solovair (Brand) Footwear made in the original Wollaston, Northamptonshire factory.
References[edit]
^ Jump up to: a b c Manzoor, Sarfraz (31 October 2010). "Dr Martens at 50: these boots were made for… everyone". The Observer. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
Jump up ^ "11 Ways '90s Grunge Influenced StreetwearPearl Jam vs. A$AP Mob". Complex. Retrieved 2017-11-23.
^ Jump up to: a b "Long list unveiled for national vote on public's favourite example of Great British Design". BBC. 18 November 2016.
Jump up ^ Martin Roach: Dr. Martens The Story of an icon, 2003
Jump up ^ "About Dr, Martens". dmusastore.com. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
^ Jump up to: a b c d Mazein, Elodie (2 April 2010). "Dr Martens 50 years old and still an icon to boot". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
Jump up ^ "R. Griggs Group Ltd". www.hoovers.com. Archived from the original on 2010-07-31. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
Jump up ^ Ipsen, Erik (17 November 1994). "Doc Martens to Stomp Into London". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
Jump up ^ Menkes, Suzy (29 November 1994). "London Launch For Hip Shoes: Flagship For Doc Martens". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
Jump up ^ Newman, Andrew Adam (3 December 2007). "An Antifashion Classic Returns". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Muston, Samuel (3 November 2010). "The Timeline: 50 Years of Dr Martens". The Independent. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
Jump up ^ "Dr Martens factories close". BBC News. 23 March 2003. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
Jump up ^ Pyke, Nicholas (26 October 2002). "Dr Martens is on its uppers". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
Jump up ^ "Anger as Dr Martens closure looms". BBC News. 12 December 2002. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
^ Jump up to: a b Browne, David (7 November 2004). "Footwear Darwinism: Doc Martens Evolve". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
Jump up ^ "Increased demand for vintage Dr Martens fuels expansion". BBC News. 29 July 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
Jump up ^ Cochrane, Lauren (19 July 2012). "Dr Martens enjoy comeback with best-selling season ever". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
Jump up ^ "No bovver as Docs make quick profit". Northamptonshire Telegraph. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
Jump up ^ "Dr. Martens launches clothing line". The Independent. 19 April 2011. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
Jump up ^ "The Fashion Law: a Leading Source for Fashion Law and the Business of Fashion".
Jump up ^ Romeo, Claudia (5 June 2018). "US Inside Dr. Martens' only UK factory where its iconic Made In England range has been manufactured since 1960". Business Insider. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
Jump up ^ "Dr Martens owner is bought by Permira", BBC News, London, 24 October 2013. Retrieved on 7 February 2014.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dr. Martens.
Official Dr. Martens website
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dr._Martens&oldid=854567341"
Categories:
Shoe brands
Shoe companies of the United Kingdom
Clothing brands of the United Kingdom
Companies based in Northamptonshire
Clothing companies established in 1947
1947 establishments in England
Skinhead
1980s fashion
1990s fashion
2000s fashion
2010s fashion
Hidden categories:
All articles with unsourced statements
Articles with unsourced statements from August 2012
Use dmy dates from February 2016
Navigation menu
Personal tools
Not logged in
Talk
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Namespaces
Article
Talk
Variants
Views
Read
Edit
View history
More
Search
Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikipedia store
Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page
Tools
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Wikidata item
Cite this page
Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version
In other projects
Wikimedia Commons
Languages
Brezhoneg
Català
Čeština
Deutsch
Español
Euskara
Français
한국어
Հայերեն
Hrvatski
Italiano
עברית
ქართული
Magyar
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk
Polski
Português
Русский
Slovenčina
Svenska
Türkçe
Українська
中文
16 more
Edit links
This page was last edited on 12 August 2018, at 08:25 (UTC).
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Cookie statement
Mobile view
Enable previews

values: mw-page-base noprint

values: mw-head-base noprint

values: firstHeading firstHeading en

values: siteSub noprint

attrs: class href

values: mw-jump-link #mw-head

values: mw-jump-link #p-search

values:
note
hatnote navigation-not-searchable

value: caption

values: 2 logo text-align:center

values:
/wiki/List_of_business_entities
mw-redirect
List of business entities

attrs: class style

values:
nofollow
external text
http://www.drmartens.com

values:
/wiki/Welt_(shoe)
mw-redirect
Welt (shoe)

values:
/wiki/British_culture
mw-redirect
British culture

values: checkbox button toctogglecheckbox toctogglecheckbox display:none

values: This claim needs references to reliable sources. (August 2012)

values:
noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact
white-space:nowrap;

values: -moz-column-width: 30em; -webkit-column-width: 30em; column-width: 30em; list-style-type: decimal;

values: Category:Shoe companies of the United Kingdom

values: Category:Clothing brands of the United Kingdom

values: Category:Companies based in Northamptonshire

values: Category:Clothing companies established in 1947

values: Category:All articles with unsourced statements

values: Category:Articles with unsourced statements from August 2012

values: Category:Use dmy dates from February 2016

values: Discussion about edits from this IP address [ctrl-alt-n]

values: A list of edits made from this IP address [ctrl-alt-y]

values: You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory

values: You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. [ctrl-alt-o]

values:
/wiki/Dr._Martens
View the content page [ctrl-alt-c]
c

values: Discussion about the content page [ctrl-alt-t]

values: p-namespaces navigation vectorTabs p-namespaces-label

values:
p-variants
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-variants-label

values: Past revisions of this page [ctrl-alt-h]

values: p-views navigation vectorTabs p-views-label

values:
p-cactions
navigation
vectorMenu emptyPortlet
p-cactions-label

values:
mw-wiki-logo
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page

values:
/wiki/Main_Page
Visit the main page [ctrl-alt-z]
z

values: Featured content – the best of Wikipedia

values: Find background information on current events

values:
/wiki/Special:Random
Load a random article [ctrl-alt-x]
x

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-br
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-ca
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-cs
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-eu
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-hy
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-hr
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-it
display: none;

values: ד"ר מרטינס – Hebrew

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-he
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-ka
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-hu
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-nl
display: none;

values: ドクターマーチン – Japanese

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-no
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-pl
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-sk
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-sv
display: none;

values:
interlanguage-link interwiki-uk
display: none;

values: All languages (initial selection from common choices by you and others)

values: /static/images/wikimedia-button-1.5x.png 1.5x, /static/images/wikimedia-button-2x.png 2x

values: /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_132x47.png 1.5x, /static/images/poweredby_mediawiki_176x62.png 2x

values: mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Dr_Martens rootpage-Dr_Martens skin-vector action-view