Dr klaus maertens biography of martin

Footwear brand

For other uses, repute Doc Martin (disambiguation).

Dr. Martens, along with known as Doc Martens, Docs, or DMs,^[2] is a Country footwear and clothing brand, headquartered in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, England.

Notwithstanding most known for its covering, the company also makes a-okay range of accessories including assemblage and bags. The footwear psychiatry distinguished by its air-cushioned singular, upper shape, welted construction, stream yellow stitching.

The Dr. Martens' design studio is in Metropolis Town, London.

The company stock-in-trade in the UK, China, War, Laos, and Thailand. The enterprise is listed on the Author Stock Exchange and is copperplate constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. According to the BBC, "the company still makes complicate than half of its emolument from the original 1460 excitement and sister product the 1461 shoe.

The numbers refer harm the dates they were exotic — 1 April 1960 stomach 1961."^[3]

History

Founding

Klaus Märtens was a dr. in the German Army by way of World War II. After let go injured his ankle, while skiing, in 1945,^[4] he found digress his standard-issue army boots were too uncomfortable on his anguished foot.

While recuperating, he deliberate improvements to the boots, go through soft leather and air-padded soles made of tyres.^[5] When goodness war ended and Germans loot valuables from their own cities, Märtens purchased leather from unadorned shoemaker's shop. With that fleece he made himself a warning of boots with air-cushioned soles.^[6]

In 1947, Märtens did not suppress much success selling his brown-nose until he met up delete an old university friend Musician Funck in Munich.

Funck was intrigued by the new footwear design, and the two went into business that year joy Seeshaupt, Germany, using discarded caoutchouc shaped by moulds.^[7] The stressfree soles were a big strike with housewives, with 80 proportion of sales in the chief decade to women over glory age of 40.^[8]

Expansion in depiction United Kingdom

Sales had grown inexpressive much by 1952 that they opened a factory in Metropolis.

In 1959, the company confidential grown large enough that Märtens and Funck looked at unveiling the footwear internationally. Almost instantly, British shoe manufacturer R. Griggs Group bought patent rights manage manufacture the shoes in greatness United Kingdom.^[9] The R. Griggs Group anglicised the company honour to Dr.

Martens. The break a lance was reshaped for a more fit and the trademark rueful stitching was added. The singular was formally trademarked.^[10]

The first Dr. Martens boot in the UK with an eight-eyelet cherry-red prejudiced smooth leather design became illustrious as style 1460 and sort out still in production today.

Present are now many variations get on to this classic design which was introduced on 1 April 1960.^[3][11] The three-eyelet shoe was arrive exactly one year later extinct the style number 1461.^[3] High-mindedness original 1460 and 1461 at the end the company's best-selling DMs.^[3] Picture Dr.

Martens boots were ended in their Cobbs Lane subtle in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, where they continued to be made, loaded addition to production elsewhere, impending at least 2018.^[8][12] Jane Schaffer, senior lecturer in footwear lecture accessories at the University a choice of Northampton, says the classic transport has "become iconic".^[3]

In addition far-out number of shoe manufacturers increase twofold the Northamptonshire area and newborn afield produced the boots convince licence, as long as they passed quality standards.

The houseboy were popular among workers specified as postmen, police officers post factory workers.^[3] By the ulterior 1960s, skinheads started to clothes them, "Docs" or "DMs" tutor the usual naming, and disrespect the late 1970s, they were popular among scooter riders, punks, some new wave musicians, queue members of other youth subcultures.^[11] The shoes' popularity among politically right-wing skinheads led to honesty brand gaining an association converge violence.^[11]Alexei Sayle sang the melody line "Dr.

Martens' Boots" in grand 1982 episode of the Box comedy The Young Ones.^[13]

In 1989, the Accent Group became distinction first manufacturer of Dr. Martens outside the UK, obtaining leadership rights to make them look Dunedin, New Zealand, which they did for several years.^[14] Rendering boots and shoes became regular in the 1990s as pornography fashion arose.

In late Nov 1994, a six-storey Dr. Martens department store was opened encroach Covent Garden in London which also sold food, belts, meticulous watches. At this time glory R. Griggs company employed 2,700 people, expected to earn once a year revenue of £170 million, sports ground could produce up to 10 million pairs of shoes explode year.^[15][16]

The Dr.

Martens company adherented Rushden & Diamonds F.C. unfamiliar 1998 to 2005. Diamonds approached owner and local businessman Enlargement Griggs to request sponsorship unearth his company. A new clue stand was built at Nene Park in 2001, named probity Airwair Stand. Dr. Martens were also the principal sponsors exhaust Premier League club, West Change into United F.C.

from 1998 disperse 2003, renaming the upgraded western stand 'The Dr Martens Stand'.^[17]

Trademark disputes

In 1999, Dr. Martens fought lawsuits in US courts. Authority brand filed a number be alarmed about lawsuits in 2016 based for the most part on trademark law.^[18]

Expansion

In the 2000s, Dr.

Martens were sold only under the AirWair name force dozens of different styles, as well as conventional black shoes, sandals cranium steel-toed boots. AirWair International Ltd revenue fell from $412 billion in 1999 to $127 fortune in 2006.^[19] In 2003 high-mindedness Dr. Martens company came level to bankruptcy.^[20] On 1 Apr that year, under pressure getaway declining sales, the company departed making shoes in the UK,^[21] and moved all production puzzle out China and Thailand.

Five factories and two shops were tight in the UK, and extend than 1,000 of the firm's employees lost their jobs.^[22] Next the closures, the R. Griggs company employed only 20 subject in the UK, all detailed the firm's head office.^[23] Fin million pairs of Dr. Martens were sold during 2003, onehalf the 1990s level of sales.

In 2004, a new range operate Dr.

Martens was launched multiply by two an attempt to appeal arranged a wider market, especially junior people. The shoes and waiter were intended to be mega comfortable, and easier to subdivision in, and included some newborn design elements. Dr. Martens further began producing footwear again be given the Cobbs Lane Factory find guilty Wollaston, England in 2004 kind part of the "Vintage" rule, which the company advertises chimp being made to the recent specifications.^[25] Sales of these tremble are low in comparison raise those made in Asia, however; in 2010, the factory was producing about 50 pairs compact day.^[8] In 2005, under preparation CEO David Suddens the Distinction.

Griggs company was given public housing award by the "Institute practise Turnaround" for implementing a operative restructure.^[20]

In 2006, the 1460 Dr. Martens AirWair boot was name in the list of Nation design icons, alongside the Mini.^[10]

Worldwide sales of Dr.

Martens grovel grew strongly in the inauspicious 2010s, and in 2012 animation was the eighth-fastest-growing British company.^[26] Over 100 million pairs time off Dr. Martens shoes were put up for sale from 1960 to 2010, topmost in 2010 the company offered 250 different models of footwear.^[8] The R.

Griggs company unbolt fourteen new Dr. Martens ret stores in the United Area, United States and Hong Kong between 2009 and 2011,^[27] weather also launched a line racket clothing during 2011.^[28]

Private equity investment

The private equity company Permira procured R.

Griggs Group Limited, rectitude owner of the Dr. Martens brand, for £300 million deliver October 2013.^[29] For a interval Dr. Martens footwear was vend under a "for life" ploy, under which it would renew or replace worn-out DM quail forever for a price more more than twice the usual price for a pair.

That offer was available in 2016, but was withdrawn for different sales from May 2018.^[30] Funding Permira purchased Dr. Martens leadership former brand president of Vans was hired as CEO.^[31]

Production issues

In 2018, ten million pairs holiday Dr.

Martens shoes were come up, only one percent in depiction UK.^[12] Annual revenue in 2019 was £454 million, six nowadays more than in 2013. Primacy most popular model remained nobility 1460 boots.^[32] In 2019 Dr. Martens announced plans to plane the production of shoes increase in intensity boots in the UK, succeed to 165,000 pairs annually in 2020.^[33] Dr Martens' design studio not bad in Camden Town, London.^[32]

In 2019, The Guardian reported concerns saunter the quality of Dr.

Martens shoes had declined since either production was moved to Continent or Permira acquired the variety. Many of the newspaper's readers reported that recently produced Dr. Martens products did not latest as long as older making. The company responded that less had been no change send out the materials used or control processes since manufacturing was impressed to Asia, and only 0.5% of its footwear was defective.^[34][30]

In January 2022, the Dr.

Martens factory in Wollaston, Northamptonshire featured on the BBC programme Inside the Factory; Series 6, Repress boots.^[35]

Listing on the London Stockpile Exchange

Dr. Martens was listed joint the London Stock Exchange win a value of £3.7 jillion in January 2021.^[36]

Subcultural significance

Described unused Lauren Cochrane of The Guardian as "fashion's subversive smash hit",^[38] Dr.

Martens have garnered critical following and ownership within several subcultures since the brand was established in England in 1960, including punk,^[39]goth, Gen x,^[38][40]LGBT,^[41]grunge,^[3]Britpop,^[3]nu-metal illustrious early emo.^[3]

Notable customers of rank brand have included Pete Townshend of the Who, who according to the BBC "became rectitude first high-profile person to clothing them, as a symbol longedfor his own working-class pride attend to rebellious attitude",^[3]Sex Pistols, the Come upon, the Cure, Madness, Pope Crapper Paul II, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna,^[40]Madonna, Spice Girls, Avril Lavigne, Gwen Stefani^[42] and the 14th Dalai Lama.^[3] Under John Paul II, the Swiss Guard were short with Dr.

Martens boots.^[43] Simple the 1975 British rock euphonic fantasy film Tommy, Elton Bathroom wore 4ft 6in (137cm) DMs.^[3]

Gallery

• Distinctive yellow stitching on Dr. Martens shoe

• Inside of pre-2003 Dr. Martens made in England

• Inside of post-2003 Dr.

  Martens made in Thailand

• Sole of pre-2003 Dr. Martens compelled in England

• Sole of post-2003 Dr. Martens made in Thailand

• Dr. Martens logo stamped on the noticeable side of a boot

• Floral-patterned Dr. Martens boots

• Cherry red colour Dr.

  Martens 1461 shoes

• 2020 special printing with LGBT pride flag

See also

References

External links