Dr. Martens Winter Sale

Posted in Best Brands on 04. Jan, 2012

One of the UK’s most recognisable footwear brands, Dr. Martens celebrated its 50 year anniversary in 2010 and have continued to go from strength to strength ever since, launching a new advertising campaign towards the end of 2011. They have also now launched their 2011/12 winter sale, which can be accessed online at www.drmartens.com. It started in stores on Boxing Day, so if you are lucky enough to have a local DM retailer in your area, you can head over there to take advantage of discounts of up to 50% on all this season’s top styles. With heavy utility boots and footwear returning to fashion for both men and women over the past couple of years, Dr. Martens have been adopted by a new generation of celebrities and models worldwide as they take over yet another period in the history of youth culture. Defined by their iconic shape, unique air-cushioned soles and bright yellow stitching, DMs have come a long way since the launch of the flagship 1460 boot on April 1^st, 1960.

The pioneering cushioned soles of the Dr. Martens we know and love were originally developed by a German, Dr. Märtens, who invented them for orthopaedic purposes following a foot injury he suffered when skiing. After first joining forces with his university friend Dr. Funck, the duo took their burgeoning business overseas where they encountered the Griggs family, shoemakers based in Wollaston, Britain, who had been making boots since 1901. In 1960 the Dr. Marten brand was born and the classic 1460 style launched from the Griggs factory on Cobb’s Lane, although these revolutionary shoes were originally designed as industrial footwear. The utility boot of choice, Dr. Martens were worn by the working class as they laboured in factories and on the streets, worn by workmen, postmen, and even policemen. It took some time for the boots to attract the attention of the youth subcultures with which they are generally associated.

The bright yellow stitching of DMs is part of their iconic look.

It was not only the working public who recognised the comfort and practicality that Dr. Martens presented. Pete Townshend, guitarist of The Who fame, chose to wear a pair on stage around 1966. Martin Roach, author of Doctor Martens: The Story of an Icon, attributes the sudden explosion in popularity of the Dr. Martens brand to this particular decision. Teenagers in the 50s and 60s had been gradually rebelling against the traditions of their parents, and suddenly a generation of youth subculture had a physical representation of that defiant attitude. The boots were adopted first and foremost by skinheads, but one group after another appropriated the brand for their own purpose; punks, goths, two tone, Britpop; every crowd had a way to wear Dr. Martens that set them apart from every other. The official Dr. Marten website identifies the reason for this widespread adoption of their boots, claiming “they all have one common denominator, a primal urge to be different.”

Townshend claims he originally wore DMs on stage for function over fashion.

With the media coverage of the Dr. Martens 10^th anniversary, followed by their newest campaign, blogs and writers have been quick to label the brand’s “return” or “comeback”. Yet the simple truth is the Dr. Martens never went away; they have sold over 100 million pairs since 1960, and a spokesman from retailer Schuh, who have stocked and sold the brand for years, explains, “the iconic eight-tie boots is a naturally ‘cool’ product, looks good, is great quality and has served its customers faithfully over the years, handling whatever they wish to throw at it from festival mud to mosh pits.” The list of Dr. Martens wearers goes from the music industry, with bands such as the Sex Pistols, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Foo Fighters, to figures in film, TV and fashion, including Kate Winslet, Daisy Lowe and Alexa Chung, all having been pictured in the iconic footwear. With many variations on the original boot design, available in different materials, cuts, and colours, Dr. Martens call their products “a blank canvas on which a generation can paint their personality.”

That brings us neatly to Dr. Martens in the modern day and 21^st century youth culture. With the 50^th anniversary in 2010, Dr. Martens recruited 10 contemporary bands and 10 film makers to reinterpret classic tracks of the last 50 years and create a celebration of both the footwear and the accompanying culture. The timing couldn’t have been better, with grunge and punk filtering into the world of fashion and heavy duty work boots suddenly back in demand. Then, in autumn 2011, Dr. Martens launched their #FirstandForever marketing campaign, playing on the dual ideas of a first pair of Dr. Martens and a first moment in one’s life, e.g. a first kiss, first crush, or first heartbreak. Starring models Agyness Dean and Ash Stymest, the campaign brings Dr. Martens firmly back to their British roots in terms of atmosphere and iconography. Shot by Gavin Watson, famous for his portrayals of British youth and subculture, the adverts capture the essence of rebellious youth in which the brand first found success.

Models Agyness Dean and Ash Stymest feature in this traditionally British ad campaign.

Unfortunately, as with many things, the production of Dr. Martens has become unsustainable in the UK and the majority of production was moved to Asia in 2002. However, the original Cobb’s Lane factory in Wollaston is still fully functional and ships around 50 pairs of Dr. Martens every day. The Vintage collection of footwear is made entirely in England, handcrafted by cobblers using the original construction techniques of 1960 and producing classic designs. The original 1460 boot is still in production and remains the brand’s most popular product. The 14-hole black leather boot won two fashion awards in April 2010 at a New York fashion show, winning the titles of “most popular men’s footwear in latest fashion” and “best counter-culture footwear of the decade”. Yet possibly the most interesting aspect of this side of Dr. Marten’s success is that, in the words of designer Wayne Hemingway, “they have reached iconic status and the joy of Dr Martens is they weren’t designed to be a fashion item.”

Hemingway, now famous as the founder of the Red Or Dead brand, began his career repairing worn Dr. Marten boots and selling them on in Camden. The popularity and profits of this enterprise allowed for his later success. Jean Paul Gaultier worked with Dr. Martens to create a unique keyhole design boot in black or white, and a white pair was exhibited at the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery in their celebration of the Dr. Martens brand, alongside the oversized boots worn by Elton John in his rock opera, Tommy. Dr. Martens have extended far beyond the usual boundaries of a brand, becoming famous worldwide for the freedom, independence and rebellion that they have represented for over fifty years. Mainstream fashion may think that it has adopted Dr. Martens and somehow “made” them stylish, but the truth is that the brand has simply added yet another generation of youth culture to its extensive fan base.