Most people think that Dr Martens main customers were men who bought their boots for work. In reality Dr Martens early clients were practically all German housewives who spent a lot of their day on their feet. The air-padded soles were what made them so comfortable for them.To start with 80% of Dr Marten wearers were women.

The inventor was Klaus Martens who whilst in the German army found that the boots provided aggravated an old skiing injury, so ended up making himself a special pair of boots to ease the pain. After the war he teamed up with Dr Herbert Funck to develop the design and made the first pair of Dr Martens to sell to the public.

By 1959 they were selling shoes and boots in many countries. Their first factory opened in Munich in 1952. R Giggs took over began making and marketing Dr Martens footwear in the UK after buying the patent rights. Soon UK sales overtook sales of those made in Munich.

R Giggs re-branded the soles and gave them the special names of AirWair, they added distinctive yellow stitching and changed the shape of the heel to make them look more solid and sturdy. The first pair of new design DMs was sold on 1 April 1960. They were a remarkable cherry red colour with 8 eye-holes for the laces, a style that are still sold today. At the time they looked radically different yet they were an immediate hit.

At first they were popular only with workers who were on their feet all day like policemen, by the late 60s skinheads were wearing them. Punk Rockers also started wearing them in the late 70s. Nowadays, they are popular with young people from many walks of life.

Dr Martens are still producing many different kinds of footwear as well as still producing boots and safety shoes. Diversifying has once again brought them universal appeal and it looks very much like they are here to stay as they enjoy a whole new wave of fans.

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