Whether you call them Docs, DM’s or plain old Dr. Martins, they are a shoe which has united many a youth tribe over the years. Skinheads, Punks, Goths, Grunger’s, students – chances are if you have ever dabbled in a little fringe culture, you will already have bought at least one pair. Of course any DM aficionado will tell you that DM’s are nigh on indestructible, so they will probably still be kicking around in the back of the wardrobe somewhere. So where did it all start for Dr. Martins? Its time for a history lesson, so put up your 14-hole Cherry Red’s and get comfortable.
DM Boots were the brainchild of Dr. Klaus Märtens. When he got injured, he found that the standard issue German army boots were just too uncomfortable for him to wear. Since there were no other options available, he set about making his own boots with soft padded leather and air-cushioned soles.
It took the help of the grooviest doctor he could find – Dr. Herbert Funck – to bring DM’s to the masses. Dr. Funck found a way of cheaply manufacturing the boots. Despite protests, Klaus Märtens point blank refused to call them Dr. Funcks, which is a great shame.
Dr Funcks used rubber from the tyres of grounded Luftwaffe planes and old army tyre rubber for the soles. Interestingly enough, Dr. Martin’s boots were most popular with housewives over 40 when they were first launched in Germany. Go figure.
For the British market however, they were a tad too German for post war tastes; R. Griggs & Co took up the mantle and started to manufacture a more anglicised boot and changed the heel, added contrasting orange stitching, downed the 16-holes to 8, and branded the soles as AirWair. He changed the name from the German Dr. Märtens, to Dr. Martens, and launched them at the unsuspecting sixties. Skinheads adopted these bovver boots, due to them offering the delicate toes protection when kicking the living daylights out of anything within range.
Nowadays, Dr. Martens have taken their boots a step further. A new leather, termed Hardlife, has been utilised which should see each pair lasting well into the 2100’s, and quite possibly longer and are now guaranteed to last for life with Dr. Martens committing to repair or replace them free of charge should they only last 60 odd years.  A nation of tattooed, DM sporting OAP’s will be a sight to be seen!
Of course it’s not just indestructible boots these days; oh no. Indestructible shoes are produced too, along with the rest of the line of virtually indestructible shoes and boots including the 2-eye Chakka range, 8-hole monkey boots, and a 20-hole range.
If you are after pure practicality and the ultimate protection for your feet and toes, DM’s are there to protect even the clumsiest worker and they remain one industry’s brands of choice for health and safety footwear.