Doc Martens boots have become a notable part of many different subcultures, since it’s beginning back in 1947. Kurt Cobain wore dr martens during the grunge movement in the 90s, Morrisey wore them in the 80s, Sid Vicious in the 70s, and skinheads in the 60s. Believe or not, however, Doc Martens first big demographics were housewives. It is said that during their first decade of sales in Germany, 80% of their sales were to women over the age of 40. Grandma’s always know the cool trends before anyone else.
Dr martens are as much a symbol of punk rock as the mo-hawk, but doc martens were around long before Sid Vicious wore them. Who knew that one of the largest influences of punk rock fashion would be…..skiing? So just how does anything skiing relate to punk rock fashion? Well, it was a skiing accident by Doctor Klaus Maerten that sparked the idea to develop the boots in the first place. At the time Klaus Maertens was a doctor in the German army during WWII. When he came back from his leave with a bum ankle, Klaus decided It was time to say, “Avedazane!” to his clunky, uncomfortable army boots. His new boots had a softer leather and an air-padded sole. But it wasn’t until he met up with an old college friend, Dr Herbert Funck, that he decided to go into business making the shoes. By 1952 the two opened a factory in Munich.
A few years later in 1959, they decided to go international and began manufacturing in the United Kingdom. This is when Doc Martens as we know them today really took form. They trademarked the soles as AirWair, but more importantly they developed the trademark yellow stitching. On April 1, 1960 the first Dr. Martens boots came out in the United Kingdom. They were popular by factory workers and the working class that spent long days on their feet. One particular group of working class youths during that time kept their hair close-cropped and became known as skinheads. The boots have been a part of the punk rock uniform ever since. But it’s not just punk as I mentioned earlier. The fashion has become popular amongst all types of genre music alike. But it was the resurgents of grunge and punk in the 90s they kept Doc Marten thriving. The punk rock band, Bouncing Souls, from New Jersey were named after the shoes, which often advertise the comfort of boots due to their bouncing souls.
Unfortunately as the two music scenes declined, so did the sales for the Dr. Martens company. On April 1, 2003,Forty-three years to the day that they began being manufactured in the UK, the company stopped all production in the United Kingdom. Production now moved to China and Thailand. Perhaps Doc Martens were unaware of the loyalty the customers held onto due to the boots being manufactured in the UK. I personally saw it’s effect first hand. During this time I worked in an independent punk rock clothing store in Southern California. I can’t count how many times I had customers walk out once they saw the shoes were no longer produced in UK. Doc Martens would soon come to understand this loyalty, and in 2007 they began producing again in England. They began offering a “vintage line” at a higher price, but found that there still were customers willing to pay for quality manufacturing. The company is still a big part of music fashion today and can even be seen on characters of the newly released Guitar Hero 5.
