THE BRAND

Dr. Martens stands for a bold style. Worn by musicians, artists, punks, goths and more subcultures all over the globe. The shoes have always been a part of grunge culture and expressed a certain feeling of not wanting to be part of the mainstream. The boots are distinguished by its air-cushioned sole, upper shape, and yellow stitching on the welt. Over the past years, the famous leather boot became part of the fashion industry more and more. After the brand had to close nearly every british factory in 2000, high fashion designers from around the world such as Yohji Yamamoto and Marc Jacobs re-interpreted and customized the 1460 classic boot. The company moved the production to China and Thailand and got back on track. Nowadays Dr.Martens are sold all over the globe again and bring the subculture feeling to a wide range of fashion savvy individuals.

HISTORY

The story of Dr. Martens is bound to the 25-year-old german army doctor Dr. Klaus Märtens, who suffered from a broken foot. His standard-issue army boot was uncomfortable and not helpful to cure his injury so he decided to invent something new. He designed a soft leather boot with an air-padded sole made from tires. After finishing the prototype, he showed it to an old university friend and mechanical engineer Dr. Herbert Funk. From then on they started producing their unique shoes by using disused military supplies. After they decided to advertise their invention to magazines overseas, the British boot company Griggs caught an eye on this new, more comfortable boot. An exclusive license was acquired, and after a few key changes, like the yellow stitching and a unique sole pattern, were added - the iconic 1460 Dr. Martens boot was born. They branded the shoe as 'Airwair' and came complete with a black and yellow heel loop featuring the brand name and slogan ''with bouncing soles''. From that day Dr. Martens was sold as a classic work-wear boot. But then suddenly multi-cultural, ska-loving skinheads started to wear them. The boots became a symbol of working-class pride and a rebellious attitude. The work-wear boot was changed into a subcultural essential.

COLLABS

Dr.Martens is one of the brands who don't lack on collaborations. They also worked with brands like Supreme, Neighbourhood, Colette, Beams, Lazy Oaf, Vetements, Engineered Garments, Undercover and many more. But every single collection is successful because they always reach out to different subcultures and fans.