Doc Martens are probably the classic among lace-up boots, but how did a shoe become a cult shoe, which scene does it actually belong to and why does it still stand for rebellion today?
Let's start at the very beginning of the company's history with Dr. Klaus Märtens, a German doctor who, shortly after World War II, wanted to develop a sturdy shoe that was lighter and softer than the work shoes that were common at the time.
dr Märtens is said to have gotten the idea from his skiing accident because he was hoping for a faster recovery and relief for his feet.
Rubber had not been used in the fashion industry until then, so the soles of the shoes of the time were hard, heavy and thick. Interestingly, around the same time English soldiers also brought the original variant of the Creeper from North Africa to London, the soles of which are also made of rubber.
As with many other items of clothing, the need for comfort and suitability for everyday use grew.
Together with a friend, he turned his ideas into reality and, out of necessity, made shoes out of old soldiers' uniforms and rubber leftovers from the Luftwaffe, which were much more comfortable than was usual at the time and were also a recycled product.
From today's perspective of the level of awareness and cult of Docs, it is a bit funny that at the beginning most of the interested parties were older housewives who probably appreciated the comfort.
The shoes quickly became popular and the sales figures rose, Dr. Märtens and his friend and business partner Herbert Funck opened the first factory in Munich in the early 1950s and produced hundreds of different versions of the comfortable new shoes on a larger scale.
Bill Griggs, a British businessman, became aware of the revolutionary new, soft rubber sole and acquired the licenses from Dr. martens
The design has changed and become more modern, the typical yellow stitching, which firmly connects the sole and leather of the shoe, and the multi-layered rubber sole became a distinguishing feature. The company name still refers to the inventor of the Dr. martens
Now everything picked up speed rapidly, on April 1st, 1960 the first lace-up boots went into production in England - a date steeped in history, to which the classic 8-hole boots owe their name 1460 to this day.
All occupational groups that walked a lot stocked up on the new shoes with 'bouncing soles'.
Postmen, policemen, milkmen and soldiers were grateful for cheap, comfortable, durable and waterproof leather boots, making Docs a symbol of the working class.
Socialist MP Tony Benn was the first to use this symbol politically to demonstrate his solidarity with workers.
As with all garments that have their origins in the working class, it took Docs a while to become part of the youth movement.