DR. MARTENS
STORY SO FAR
The Griggs family had been making boots in Wollaston, Northamptonshire since 1901. The AirWair air-cushioned sole was originally designed in Germany in 1945 by Dr Klaus Märtens, an army doctor recovering from a skiing injury who fitted his boots with soft leather and tyre-rubber soles. Bill Griggs, a third-generation Northamptonshire bootmaker, licensed the patent for the UK in the late 1950s, anglicised the name to Dr. Martens, and added the distinctive yellow welt stitching, grooved sole edge and 'AirWair / With Bouncing Soles' heel loop. The first 1460 boot rolled off the line at the Cobbs Lane factory in Wollaston on 1 April 1960; the 1461 three-eye shoe followed exactly a year later. Once a workwear staple, the boots were adopted by skinheads, mods, punks, goths and indie scenes in turn, becoming a global cultural icon. Listed on the LSE since 2021.
DESIGNED BY
Dr. Martens — design HQ in Camden, London, UK; original last and silhouette from Wollaston, Northamptonshire
MADE BY
Dr. Martens runs a single UK factory at Cobbs Lane, Wollaston, Northamptonshire — in operation since 1960 — which makes the premium 'Made in England' / Vintage line (approximately 100,000–165,000 pairs a year). This represents around 1% of total global output. The other ~99% of the brand's volume — including the standard 1460 / 1461 / 2976 lines — is made under contract in China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.
TO BUY
Further information
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Martens
Further research reading
Region Made
Cobbs Lane, Wollaston, Northamptonshire (Made in England line, ~1% of total)
