Dr. Martens

Dr. Martens is an invention of the German doctor Klaus Maertens. Maertens had a motorcycle accident when he was sixteen and was left with an injured knee. This happened during the Second World War and at that time shoes were poorly available and of poor quality. The shoes also did not fit well and from that moment on, Maertens decided to make his own shoes. By 1901, the Griggs family had started making shoes in the small village of Wollaston, England. The family was known for making good quality shoes. Then Maertens, together with Herbert Funkeen, came onto the market with their shoe. The shoe stood out because the sole was made of air cushions.

In 1960 Bill Grigs saw the ad for this air-cushioned shoe. From that moment on, he was immediately interested and soon a deal between the two parties followed. On April 1, 1960, the first Dr. Martens work boot produced. It was also during this time that the birth of various subcultures took place. These subcultures also went hand in hand with the emergence of new clothing styles. It was thought that Dr. Martens would not fit in here.

Something surprising happened. A subculture was characterized by wearing British working-class clothes. As a result, young people en masse started Dr. Martin to wear. The boot became so popular that the boots were recognized not only as a work shoe, but also as an essential piece of clothing. The boot became a fashion icon in the next decade.