Usually the older you get, the less fuss you want when your birthday rolls around. But with “heritage” being the Slow-friendly fashion word of the moment, celebrating your age is all the rage.
Dr Martens, the versatile footwear beloved by everyone from punks to preppies, is no exception. On April 1, 1960 the telltale black boot with yellow stitching began production in the UK. Since then it has gone from the feet of police and postmen to become the stuff of fashion and musical legend.
From a Slow perspective, what really appeals about Dr Martens is that like t-shirts and jeans, they belong to everyone and no one. They are fashionable, yet forever (literally – if you look after your shoes properly Dr Martens offers a lifetime “repair or replace” guarantee on every pair from their For Life range).
Adopted by skinheads in the mid 1960s, they famously were taken over by the punks of the ‘70s, who interestingly often went “toe to toe” with “the man” – and both wearing same boots.
The contradictions didn’t end there. In the ‘80s they’d be purchased from a tiny Camden shop, while by the late ‘90s they were snapped up by preppy American teenagers from suburban malls. In between of course were Goths and grunge, followed by the fashion stamp of approval in the form of Vogue spreads, design collaborations with Vivienne Westwood and Jimmy Choo along with regular catwalk appearances for Jean-Paul Gaultier.
Made in the original factory in Wollaston, Northamptonshire and still partly family-owned, Dr Martens has history that actually reaches back over a century, when Benjamin Griggs and Septimus Jones set up their boot business in 1901, which later became R. Griggs & Co. Over 50 years later, Bill Griggs of the company discovers German-made, air-cushioned soles invented by Dr Maertens and Dr Funck in 1945. They meet and voila (or perhaps ja!), the modern-day DMs are born.
To celebrate their heritage, Dr Martens has asked 10 bands to cover 10 cover versions of cult classics from the last 50 years, complete with videos made by cutting-edge directors.
There also are limited editions of the classic 1460 boot (only 1460 available in each colour) also for sale. Visit www.drmartens.com to download and find out more, or take a look at the documentary, 50 Years Of Dr Martens below… please feel free to comment. When did you buy your first pair of Docs?
Happy birthday Dr Martens! The doctor is definitely in.
