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Dr. Martens, also known as Doc Martens, Docs, or DMs,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> is a British footwear and clothing brand. Although most known for its footwear, it also makes a range of accessories, including clothing and bags. The footwear is distinguished by its air-cushioned sole, upper shape, welted construction, and yellow stitching. The company's global head office and design studio is located in Camden Town, London.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Dr. Martens manufactures in the UK (at the brand's historic Cobbs lane factory in Wollaston, Northamptonshire), China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. According to the BBC, "the company still makes more than half of its revenues from the original 1460 boot and sister product the 1461 shoe. The numbers refer to the dates they were introduced — 1 April 1960 and 1961."<ref name="Enduring">Template:Cite news</ref>
HistoryEdit
FoundingEdit
Klaus Märtens was a doctor in the German Army during World War II. After he injured his ankle while skiing in 1945,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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 tyres.<ref>Martin Roach: Dr. Martens The Story of an icon, 2003</ref> When the war ended and Germans looted valuables from their own cities, Märtens purchased leather from a shoemaker's shop. With that leather he made himself a pair of boots with air-cushioned soles.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 1947, Märtens did not have much success selling his shoes until he met up with an old university friend Herbert Funck in Munich. Funck was intrigued by the new shoe design, and the two went into business that year in Seeshaupt, Germany, using discarded rubber shaped by moulds.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The comfortable soles were a big hit with housewives, with 80 percent of sales in the first decade to women over the age of 40.<ref name="still an icon to boot">Template:Cite news</ref>
Expansion in the United KingdomEdit
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 bought patent rights to manufacture the shoes in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The R. Griggs Group anglicised the company name to Dr. Martens. The heel was reshaped for a better fit and the trademark yellow stitching was added. The sole was formally trademarked.<ref name="British design icons"/>
The first Dr. Martens boot in the UK with an eight-eyelet cherry-red coloured smooth leather design became known as style 1460 and are still in production today. There are now many variations of this classic design which was introduced on 1 April 1960.<ref name="Enduring"/><ref name=Dr_Martens_at_50/> The three-eyelet shoe was issued exactly one year later with the style number 1461.<ref name="Enduring"/> The original 1460 and 1461 remain the company's best-selling DMs.<ref name="Enduring"/> The Dr. Martens boots were made in their Cobbs Lane factory in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, where they continued to be made, in addition to production elsewhere, until at least 2018.<ref name="still an icon to boot" /><ref name=romeo/> Jane Schaffer, senior lecturer in footwear and accessories at the University of Northampton, says the classic range has "become iconic".<ref name="Enduring"/>
In addition a number of shoe manufacturers in the Northamptonshire area and further afield produced the boots under licence, as long as they passed quality standards. The boots were popular among workers such as postmen, police officers and factory workers.<ref name="Enduring"/> By the later 1960s, skinheads started to wear them, "Docs" or "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.<ref name=Dr_Martens_at_50>Template:Cite news</ref> The shoes' popularity among politically right-wing skinheads led to the brand gaining an association with violence.<ref name=Dr_Martens_at_50 /> Alexei Sayle sang the song "Dr. Martens' Boots" in a 1982 episode of the TV comedy The Young Ones.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In 1989, the Accent Group became the first manufacturer of Dr. Martens outside the UK, obtaining the rights to make them in Dunedin, New Zealand, which they did for several years.<ref name="Accent Group - Dr Martens">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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 also sold food, belts, and watches. 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.<ref name="Stomp Into London">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Flagship For Doc Martens">Template:Cite news</ref>
SponsorshipEdit
The Dr. Martens company 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. from 1998 to 2003, renaming the upgraded west stand 'The Dr Martens Stand'.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Trademark disputesEdit
In 1999, Dr. Martens fought lawsuits in US courts. The brand filed a number of lawsuits in 2016 based primarily on trademark law.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
ExpansionEdit
In the 2000s, Dr. Martens were sold exclusively under the AirWair name in dozens of different styles, including conventional black shoes, sandals and steel-toed boots. AirWair International Ltd revenue fell from $412 million in 1999 to $127 million in 2006.<ref name=Antifashion_Classic_Returns>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2003 the Dr. Martens company came close to bankruptcy.<ref name="50 Years of Dr Martens">Template:Cite news</ref> On 1 April that year, under pressure from declining sales, the company ceased making shoes in the UK,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and moved all production to China and Thailand. Five factories and two shops were closed in the UK, and more than 1,000 of the firm's employees lost their jobs.<ref name=on_its_uppers>Template:Cite news</ref> Following the closures, the R. Griggs company employed only 20 people in the UK, all in the firm's head office.<ref name="Dr Martens closure looms">Template:Cite news</ref> Five million pairs of Dr. Martens were sold during 2003, half the 1990s level of sales.<ref name="Footwear Darwinism">Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2004, a new range of Dr. Martens was launched in an attempt to appeal to a wider market, especially young people. The shoes and boots were intended to be more comfortable, and easier to break in, and included some new design elements.<ref name="Footwear Darwinism" /> Dr. Martens also began producing footwear again at the Cobbs Lane Factory in Wollaston, England in 2004 as part of the "Vintage" line, which the company advertises as being made to the original specifications.<ref name=vintage_Dr_Martens_expansion>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="still an icon to boot" /> In 2005, under turnaround CEO David Suddens the R. Griggs company was given an award by the "Institute for Turnaround" for implementing a successful restructure.<ref name="50 Years of Dr Martens" />
In 2006, the 1460 Dr. Martens AirWair boot was named in the list of British design icons, alongside the Mini.<ref name="British design icons">Template:Cite news</ref>
Worldwide sales of Dr. Martens shoes grew strongly in the early 2010s, and in 2012 it was the eighth-fastest-growing British company.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Over 100 million pairs of Dr. Martens shoes were sold from 1960 to 2010, and in 2010 the company offered 250 different models of footwear.<ref name="still an icon to boot" /> The R. Griggs company opened fourteen new Dr. Martens retail stores in the United Kingdom, United States and Hong Kong between 2009 and 2011,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and also launched a line of clothing during 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Private equity investmentEdit
The private equity company Permira acquired R. Griggs Group Limited, the owner of the Dr. Martens brand, for £300 million in October 2013.<ref>"Dr Martens owner is bought by Permira", BBC News, London, 24 October 2013. Retrieved on 7 February 2014.</ref> For a time Dr. Martens footwear was sold under a "for life" scheme, under which it would repair or replace worn-out DM shoes forever for a price somewhat more than twice the normal price for a pair. This offer was available in 2016, but was withdrawn for new sales from May 2018.<ref name=life>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} Article also with many readers' comments on the fall in quality of Dr. Martens footwear</ref> After Permira purchased Dr. Martens the former brand president of Vans was hired as CEO.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Production issuesEdit
Template:Multiple image In 2018, ten million pairs of Dr. Martens shoes were produced, only one percent in the UK.<ref name=romeo>Template:Cite news</ref> Annual revenue in 2019 was £454 million, six times more than in 2013. The most popular model remained the 1460 boots.<ref name="Oh so pretty Guardian" /> In 2019 Dr. Martens announced plans to double the production of shoes and boots in the UK, to 165,000 pairs annually in 2020.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Dr Martens' design studio is in Camden Town, London.<ref name="Oh so pretty Guardian">Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2019, The Guardian reported concerns that the quality of Dr. Martens shoes had declined since either production was moved to Asia or Permira acquired the brand. Many of the newspaper's readers reported that recently produced Dr. Martens products did not last as long as older production. The company responded that there had been no change in the materials used or production processes since manufacturing was moved to Asia, and only 0.5% of its footwear was defective.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=life/>
In January 2022, the Dr. Martens factory in Wollaston, Northamptonshire featured on the BBC programme Inside the Factory; Series 6, Leather boots.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Listing on the London Stock ExchangeEdit
Dr. Martens was listed on the London Stock Exchange at a value of £3.7 billion in January 2021.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Subcultural significanceEdit
Described by Lauren Cochrane of The Guardian as "fashion's subversive smash hit",<ref name="Subverise"/> Dr. Martens have garnered significant following and ownership within various subcultures since the brand was established in England in 1960, including punk,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> goth, Gen x,<ref name="Subverise">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Quartz">Template:Cite news</ref> LGBT,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> grunge,<ref name="Enduring"/> Britpop,<ref name="Enduring"/> nu-metal and early emo.<ref name="Enduring"/>
Notable customers of the brand have included Pete Townshend of the Who, who according to the BBC "became the first high-profile person to wear them, as a symbol of his own working-class pride and rebellious attitude",<ref name="Enduring"/> Sex Pistols, the Clash, the Cure, Madness, Pope John Paul II, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna,<ref name="Quartz"/> Madonna, Spice Girls, Avril Lavigne, Gwen Stefani<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and the 14th Dalai Lama.<ref name="Enduring"/> Under John Paul II, the Swiss Guard were provided with Dr. Martens boots.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the 1975 British rock musical fantasy film Tommy, Elton John wore 4ft 6in (137cm) DMs.<ref name="Enduring"/>
GalleryEdit
- DM stitching.jpg
Distinctive yellow stitching on Dr. Martens shoe
- DM inside old.jpg
Inside of pre-2003 Dr. Martens made in England
- DM inside new.jpg
Inside of post-2003 Dr. Martens made in Thailand
- DM bottom old.jpg
Sole of pre-2003 Dr. Martens made in England
- DM bottom new.jpg
Sole of post-2003 Dr. Martens made in Thailand
- Dr.Marten side stamp.JPG
Dr. Martens logo stamped on the outer side of a boot
- Dr. Martens à fleurs.JPG
Floral-patterned Dr. Martens boots
- Laced Dr Martens Oxblood Made in England 1461 shoes.jpg
Cherry red colour Dr. Martens 1461 shoes
- Dr Martens Pride.jpg
2020 special edition with LGBT pride flag
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
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