The History of Dr. Martens: From Innovation to Subculture
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- Опубліковано 27 сер 2024
- This is the history of Dr. Martens. From innovative air-cushioned sole to countercultural icon.
Dr. Martens was created by the Griggs family in Northamptonshire in the English midlands: a fusion of German innovation with English industrialism. It was a boot for workers. Initially worn by postmen and policemen for its comfort and durability. The utilitarian silhouette was soon adopted by musicians and subcultures: worn by skinheads and punks as countercultural uniform. Over the decades of movements and tribes, one thing has remained the same: the Dr. Martens boot.
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Thank you for watching. For over six decades, Dr. Martens footwear has been adopted and subverted by musicians, subcultures and bold individuals. These people stand out from the crowd - and a pair of DM’s boots or shoes has always accompanied their journey of self-expression.
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In the early 90s I was an angsty 24 year old who got tired of trying to look the way society expected women to look so I shaved my head and wore Docs with girly little dresses. I got fired when I walked into work without hair. My family thought I was a closet lesbian coming out. My boyfriend didn't dump me though. He said I was badass and we got married. Good times 😀
denise fletcher definitely bad ass & brave!
Much love and respect. Truly badass
Your family thought you were a closet lesbian ? Not a Skinhead Girl ?
That’s what I’m talking about!
haha god for you. hope that you and your husband are well and happy
i remember last summer, someone stopped me on the street because we both had on docs and we had a full on 30 minute conversation and now we're still friends to this day c:
***** lol good comeback mate! Oi! Oi!
Embcii Bee This why they cost 200 quid for a pair made in England these days ffs, Solovair are better and cheaper! Skinhead skinhead skinhead skinheads.
Lucky
WOW Amazing
@Kaydee Dunn And then everybody clapped
Interesting video. Found myself in it at 6:28 banging my head to DOA in 1989 (on the left with blonde mohawk). Still love Dr. Martens and still wear them.
What song was it?
@@frogdude2150 DOA - The prisoner
Pretty sure its. The stone roses: I wanna be adored
I got my first pair of Dr Martens In 1971 when I was 11 years old.
I have always had a pair since then.
Great boots
What reason did you buy them? That was early glam period.
@@2degucitas I was 12 years old 1986 my cousin visited his brother from the UK, when he came back to America, he gave me my first pair of Dr martens, I'd wear them every day and all season every year till my junior year high school 1991 all beaten up, every kid and teen would call me a Nazi wannabe skinhead, Ironicly those same kids and teens later on wearing Dr martens themselves,lol
@@chrisbano9216
They were popular then
Have you noticed any difference in the docs made now and back then in the 70s and 80s ?
@@martinsmith1525 solovair still makes the old doc marten boots new doc martens sucks
im kind of disapointed that martens are "hip" or "trendy" now... it feels less rebellious...
tbh tho after the trends end all of us that find the style and aesthetic that we like will still be wearing them while others mover on. For me I have a mixture of punk, grunge, with aspects of modern streetwear. It I trying to look nicer then something smarter casual but yeah just wear what you want and don't worry about the sheep lol
Rebellion for the masses
Sander Krijstman Nothing is unique and edgy anymore. Now dweebs wear Doc Martens, cons and have tattoos.
Dr.marten will always be in style no matter what’s trendy now days
No one cares
I love you all so much. Thank you for making my feet Zombie-Apocalypse proof while still looking smashing at the same time.
The teenage mutant ninja turtles edition boots will be the final nail in the coffin of what once was a truly great symbol.
OMFG this it true!!! ='O_O'= ua-cam.com/video/ayYufz-qLLA/v-deo.html
I was going to like this but it’s got ‘69 likes already
Anthony Lazcano same
I bought a pair for work, as I needed a tough boot that I wouldn't slip around in. I had no idea there was so much behind them though.
Me too, and suddenly got everyone's attention unintentionally. Everyone likes them and asks me about my boots.
Wish they where made as good as they use to be. These new ones just don't last like the OG ones. I normally look around on eBay and find the ones made in England. I did just buy some industry docs yesterday . I wore today and feel good . Just have to see ho the hold up . I kicked a pallet today and a nice piece of leather cam off . So Cambodia made Martins but it's no holiday .
+kevin roulette I bought a pair 3 years ago and they're still just as good as new. I think buying them off of the actual Doc Martens website is the best thing to do though as there are quite a few fakes around that look very similar
I've been wearing my chinese pair everyday since 2014 and they're holding up fine. I think with boots not made in england just become a hit or miss
Haha,like the DK pun. Unfortunately nothing is made with the same quality as the originals.
Official doc martens sell the made in England ones, very good quality just like the 70's
What's the difference in the made in England boots
Im a working class factory worker in the states and a proud owner and wearer of Dr. Martens
glad i wear my dads cherry red boots he wore back when he was a skinhead
I have Dr. Martens since I'm 15 (I'm 40 now). I bought my last pair 10 years ago. Still wearing them a lot. :-)
Great shoes. Very confortable. And yes, it means something to wear them.
No other footwear in the known world shares the iconic history of Doc Martens boots! So
Incredibly amazing! I only have 8 pair now!
its a shame that there is no more subcultures like punks and mods and skins and teddyboys because its fucking boring without them
If you come down to long beach California U.S. This scene is still holding on, bunch ddifferent punks, thrashers nd phsyco billy people all around Southern California by scene I mean backyard/garage or indoor/outdoor gigs
Jose Donis the U.S is to far for a gig unfortunatley however i know a few people my age that are in to a lot of old things i espaically like Morrissey
opie griffin there's a lot of punks in Manchester England and a few skins are still around
opie griffin fuck skins
Love punk
Animetag 2074 you're too young to understand the concept of oi and non racist skins
A united world of individuals... In the boot, not under it.
FREEDOM.
FREEDOM IS SO GAY.
elijah washington washington hahaha - what and the f~~k?
The Dr. Martens were developed by the German doctor Klaus Märtens, to whom they owe their name. Klaus Märtens, who had served as a doctor in the Wehrmacht, constructed the first prototypes in 1945, a few weeks after the end of the Second World War. He wanted to develop sturdy shoes with a less hard shoe sole than the conventional safety boots that he had to wear as a worker. Märtens and his fellow student Herbert Funck, who was born in Luxembourg and was not affected by the trade restrictions in post-war Germany, entered into a partnership and began in 1947 in Seeshaupt near Munich to manufacture soles with rubber from the disused German Air Force. The other components of the first shoes also consisted of army remains. The shoulder pieces (epaulettes) of the uniform jackets, the leather of the trousers of the officers' uniforms, served as inserts. According to the inventor, the time was perfect to manufacture comfortable safety boots after the war. The shoes became popular very quickly, so Märtens and Funck opened a factory in Munich in 1952. During the 1950s, they sold 200 different styles of shoes. In 1959, the team first advertised the idea in international magazines..An advertisement in Shoe & Leather News, a UK catalog for shoes and leather clothing, caught the attention of Bill Griggs, managing director of shoe manufacturer R. Griggs & Co. The UK shoe market was fierce, with Tuf boots as the market leaders, and how many others looked to Griggs for an innovative new product. Griggs acquired a production license from Märtens and Funck to manufacture safety boots. However, lacking the technology and tools to make and attach the soles, Griggs worked with Northamptonshire Productive Society Ltd. (NPS) a shoe that consisted of a Solovair sole and Griggs' upper material. [1] He changed the design of the shoes to a more conservative style as he wanted to produce and market the shoes as durable work boots. There was also the domed leather cap on the toes and a yellow sewing thread, which is still the trademark of Dr. Martens is. On April 1, 1960, the Dr. Martens as a boot with eight holes for the laces in production.😉
21 years later and I still have my boots. And they still look great. Bought them with my first pay check.
when I put the docs and play the music, it's more energy and having punk feeling.
Back in 1980 I got a pair of black Dr Marten boots for school. Times were tuff back then so ur shoes had to do u not just for school but also for every other time. Most kids oni had 1 pair of shoes as unemployment was so high. My parents bought me them because they were built to last & not only did they last the full school year but usually got 18 months outta them ( which was pretty good as id only 1 pair of boots n walked everywhere as we had no car ). I still wear DM boots today.!!!!
Just bought my first pair, hope they'll live up to their reputation after watching this.
My mom once passed me her old pair of short Dr. Martens, which I was wearing for another 10 years. Still my favorite shoes. Still can't find better.
Got a new-in-box pair for $25 on craigslist because I needed a boot for work in an auto garage. After about a year the soles were worn down to almost no tread. However they were one of the most comfortable work boot I had ever owned. 9 hour days on concrete flooring & no pain or fatigue. Considering getting them resoled after watching this vid.
Docs are expensive now so working class cant really afford them
Yep, the irony! 🙁
I was hoping to see a documentary on the history of Dr. Maertens including the man himself, production techniques, materials, factory tour and so on. This was just about kids who thought boots meant revolution. Misleading title.
When I was 11 I saw my aunt wear a pair with jeans and a Metallica shirt and talking about how she was going surfing.... man her outfit was so cool.... this was like... 2008?? When baby phat was cool lol Ive wore a pair since then lol
DID THAT GUY JUST SAY THAT POLICE ARE WORKING CLASS??? BLOODY HIPSTER, DOESNT DESERVE DOC MARTENS
Are you dumb
I just want them because there built to last, have a tough look and the burgundy is crazy cool.
Awesome doc Doc.
TIG welder/fabricator here checking in after a new cherry 1460 purchase. Fukn stoked. Wearing them to bed tonight cause they're not coming off.
I Bought My first pair back in 97 its an 8 eyelets 1460
This is a bit laughable at this point. Solovairs mops the floor with them. They're no longer boots, they're trendy alt sneakers shaped like boots.
I want black dr martens for christmas , Santa pleaaase
Did you get them?
Well, did you?
did yah?
I think most American Gen-Xers cringe when someone says "doctor" instead of DOC Martens. That's what our parents called them. LOL
Back in high school early 90s we called them dms, My uncle bought me a pair from fathers and sons shoe store, I wore them to school, I’m been called a skinhead a nazi! Lol,
Got my first pair, I love them...!
Bought me my first pair when I turned 13yo. I saved up a month's worth of allowance (my dad gave me a nice hefty "domingo" - this was 1989). Anyway, I hauled my ass to "The Village" in NYC. I went to a second story store where all things Skin Head were sold. The only worker there, of course a Skin Head sold me my pair. And as he handed them to me he says, "These are the last if their kind. These are the only female Doc Martens you will ever be able to buy. They have been discontinued." What was sold to me were these gorgeous non rounded Martens. The outer front went inwards. They were truly one of a kind. I wore them daily all throughout High School. I wore them down so much that the ankle bone area had a tiny hole. The sole was worn down where you can see the small cubes that provided the air soles. I was blessed to have had one of the originals. The new ones ain't got shit on the originals.
When I’m a designer I want to be just as revolutionary as this
>working class >make them really expensive >???
Just got my first dr martens, love em!
Quality. Freedom. Statement. Dr Martens in 3 words
China Vietmam Laos on the feet of every saccharine s head who would hate the story if they knew it. Bunch of kids who listen to Abba, Nsynch and Taylor Swift
Had them since I was a kid and I always will have them!
I’m not a hipster, just a red blooded blue collar American. I guess I’ll get a pair of Red Wings.
Docs symbolize unity and rebelship to me...
I just started wearing docs. I don’t wear them cause their trendy I simply wear them cause the look. I’m thinking about getting some creepers or some type of low tops from Docs
Same
Best shows ever I wanted the steel toe cap version
I bought my first pair of DMs in 1994 as a teen, and I'm wearing the very same pair right now, and they're still good.
I was born in 1994. And just got my first pair two days ago 😹
@@legendsofmyself Congrats! Hope you enjoy them.
@@mountainpeakcloud8442 Thank you 🙂. And keep enjoying yours too OG
at first when i saw dr.martens i didnt know the meaning behing them but its like u just know theres something special about them like if its ur style or personalty u feel like pull to want to get them. and i did and i love them but knowing the history and finding out wht they mean to these people really changes my opinion like theres so much value in meaning in just a show i love my dr.martens soo much more now
SOMEONE WHO FINALLY SHARES MY VIEW! THANK YOU SO MUCH
Stone Roses!
same can be said for the Vancouver Canada's classic Dayton.. they started out as boots for loggers and ranchers and went through all the same stages.. now like Doc Martens, they're focus is on fashion rather than work footwear but it's cool that teens today can get the same kick ass boots they're great grandpa had..
Well I love my Dr. Martens because they make me feel strong. They are boots that you can wear with everything and make it look and feel bad ass. Because they are so heavy and hurt so much when you hit someone they make you feel save, and they make a statement about freedom and being true to yourself, I adore my Dr. Martens and I wouldn't give them up for anything. I am sorry for my poor english I am from Chroatia
in the 90s we call it dokmar, yes it's about quality, and one other thing, comfort when we wear it
Love My Docs. Watching from London.
Oi! Oi! Oi! I love my docs! Best boot a person could buy, honestly.
Oi! skins for life!
Big Hits Oi Oi
Big Hits oi from Canada sharp for life
And punks oi
The leather is meh, the sole is comfortable but wears out fast.
Overall you get an ok boot that's not worth its 170 bucks price tag.
OI! Campinas- SP- Brazil
I was definitely excited when I got my first pair of Dr. Martens! Although by that time they had had their reputation somewhat a little tarnished by Skinheads (the fascist ones) but nevermind, I wasn’t about letting those a-holes dictate what I could wear! Anyway one of the most durable pair of shoes I ever owned!! And I very much liked your description of Punks, the most acceptable and inclusive people I met were Punks! It always surprised me after having heard so much crap about them from people who didn’t have a clue and only knew about Punks from their establishment newspapers and clean-cut news anchors.
my first pair I got when i was a skinhead too., I had a Brit get me them in 82 off Kings road in London ., The N.Y,. skins had some and I got the first pair in Boston ., I got 2 more pirs and had my local punk shop sell them and it was off to the races
just cos someones rich doesn't mean they cant wear them, and just cos they think it'll make them cool doesn't mean they don't deserve to wear them.
anyone can wear whatever the fuck they want for whatever reason and none of us can say anything against it, if someones wearing for the materialistic values then it'll show when they wear them cos they won't look right. Why is it such a big deal that things like this remain alternative, they're such an iconic look they'll always look different.
Poor/working class kids can't afford them, they are pretty expensive, so it's kind of ironic. At least that's how it is here in Croatia.
I could never in my lifetime watch this video too often! 😎 🌈 ❤️ 🎸 🎸 🎸
0:29 you are all gonna ignore the best punkrock band The Clash
that was so beautiful
I’m 64 and I’ve bought my first three pairs 🎉
Just landed a pair of brand new new old stock 1980’s originals still in their box! 🎩
Today after a good effort working in a summer camp, I got my first pair of Dr. Martens! I love them so much and it was worth every single penny. I got me the 1460 :D
Did you enjoy them?
I want a pair. I want a pair to look cool, but I also want a pair because of what Dr Martens symbolize. Finding yourself, being different, rebelling, and a long lasting shoe with tons of history. Definitely worth it.
Appreciate your effort!
Wow Ron Asheton and Niagara in destroy all monsters very cool
Getta Grip boots make Dr. Martens look like house slippers.
I've worn Docs for many years because they are the most comfortable shoe to wear and they last for many years. The only problem is they don't grip well on ice, snow or wet leaves in Autumn. The tread wears out quickly and can't be replaced. I just can't think what other shoe I should replace them with.
WHAT A BRILLIANT VIDEO! Doc Martens is just another way of saying: FUCK YOU To the Establishment and looking really good in the Process! I love my Doc Martens 👍👍👍❤❤❤
its not an fashion its a way of life
I wanted a pair of these SO bad when I was 13. But my mom refused to pay $110 for them. She also said, and I quote, "Those are the most god-awful, hideous looking things I've ever seen." A month later, we were shopping for back-to-school stuff and I ended up with shoes that looked EXACTLY like Doc Martens, but they only cost $40. They were so similar, nobody could tell that they weren't the real thing...lol.
Besides everything they say in the video they are literally the most perfect work shoes. I have worked 15 hour shifts in the kitchen, on my feet with only one break, and at the end of the day my feet feel fine. They are oil proof which is very important as a chef and if your drop your knife you got nothing to worry about.
I have:1460, 1461,1490
From Russia with love(Saint-Petersburg)
I wanna be adored by stone roses
Best boots ever
The singer featherweight of shoes.
Now they sold themselves to China like cheap whores and now they're worn for sensitive hipster tumblr fucks cause they're "cute" adventure time ninja turtle fucks
stevie price somehow thats true but they still look nice
stevie price Yh true do you know we're you can get dms made like they used to
everybody wears them not just hipster types, theyre trendy as hell at the moment
michael yeah but it's hipsters that ruined it
Mambo Jambo docs have been "alternative" for decades now, every single relevant subculture has used them
So are you not allowed to wear them if you just think they look fucking badass because that's what it seems like in these comments
I love Dr martens !
Joey Shithead DOA is a politician these days.. He is a city councillor in BC, Canada.. wtf no mention of Joe Strummer and The Clash!!!! oh love the little music interlude of the Stone Roses :) memories!
I had ten hole docs In 1978 , I was 13 shaved head wrangle jeans , wrangler jacket then harington jacket , then adidas Mamba ,then white stay press , then red jeans , then green flying jacket ,loafes , brogues , then 1980 Arrived it was a wedge, kickers , slagzer jumpers , then pringle , fila, tachin, lois , lee, bleached out pale blue , Samba , Adidas Wimbledon, Nastai trainers , funny im 53 , last year brought a 10 hole oxo blood boots , from oxford st , still cool , I wear then with normal kit , every one stares like ive dun sum ting out of order, its just dat look , was in ZARA , I had a kathreen hamlet trousers with skirted front a, motor head tshirt a designer biker jacket ,wot a great day
Odd how not one of the presenters in the video stated that the greatest plus for D.M.'s is their lightweight and the fact that walking / working on concrete or steel all day, doesn't "kill" the old dog's....in comparison to other boots "back -in-the-day. I had the "honour" of owning the first ever high top D.M.'s, before the factory made them. Just had a cobbler / shoe-maker make, fit and colur (Ox-Blood) extension pieces to a standard pair. Brilliant job, they looked factory made. .
I really want some Docs!
i wear drM since 1989 , but i stop buying them since the quality drop, and the price get up ,,buy my last pair in 2005 and thee start making them in thailand
So glad I got my 14 hole docs back in 97. Sole is worn out and I am unable to find a place that will resole them where am.
My Dad's work boots. 30 years later it became a fashion statement.
When they went mainstream..... crying.
Everything theysaid in this video is true.... except that the boots were made in UK and now they're made in vietnam... sucks though
Deaf w Headphones They still make them in the UK, but they're of much greater cost. I live a few miles from the factory in Woolaston and you can pick them up pretty cheap there.
@@tomspencer7307 how much?
Boggi Irawan Like £50-£100 last time I went. I got a pair for £60 but that was a few years ago
I wonder how good they are any against the early and later 2000s military combat boots? I have worn military Bellville combat boots and they were much better than any boot that I was issued with in the military. The next one I was impressed with was Georgia Boot Company for wear and comfort as a civilian work boots but unfortunate was the soles wore out smooth. The Bellville summer and winter desert style boots had Neoprene soles that was much tougher than synthetic rubber. The quality is great and had no problems with them in combat and walking miles on patrol. Now I would like to try out something different and be comfortable. I know that these were the boots that everyday people would wear either as fashion or work. I wonder how they would work with me under extreme conditions like I have back in military service. The boots I wear now are over 25 years old and are late 1980s style US Military style black boots. They are beat to shit and the leather is cracking. I hope Dr.Marten's will help me in the future.
“Dr.Marten is symbol of freedom.”
Shuya Okino/ Kyoto Jazz Massive
after looking at all these wirdeos limeys i'll throw mine in the trash
It was 1970 and I was standing in Upper Street surrounded by a cluster of baby skins.
I guess they mistook me for a stray hippie on account of my long hair and blue steel toed and heeled
cowboy boots. They were being territorial, asking where I lived.
"Above Andersons, up by the Green there..."
"Who do you support?"
"Terry Reid."
"Who's he play for?"
"Himself, all of us..." clicking my heel on the pavement. "You want something?"
At least they weren't middle class tossers waxing misty eyed about the social significance of adopting a work boot.
My friends were want to be Skin Heads. They wore the boots laced up a certain way, the jeans legs inside the boots with an Anarchy T shirt , shaved heads and an Earring. They looked intimidating at the time, but if anyone challenged them they would have peed all over their just shined Doc Mertens.
Meno Passini the original skinheads were multi cultural both black and white working class lads. Even the music was Ska and reggae influenced, but changed in the 80s
I was a fan in the early 90’s through the early 2000’s. The quality has really dropped off in my opinion. I think even the new made in England offerings are substandard.
NPS Solovair was contracted to make Dr Martens up until the mid 90's, they still make Dr Martens like boots to this day (and cheaper than the MIE Docs)
I just bought my first pair in Camden Town ! ;-)
I love dr martens
just got my first pair:)
Got my 1914 made in england online.. It's been my third pair of DM's and a good investment too.. It last long..!!
The last comment about the boots being uncomfortable until they're "broken in" is a huge misconception.
If any footwear feels painful or severely uncomfortable to wear it isn't fitted properly. Improperly fitted footwear can lead to all sorts of problems. Especially when you consider ultimately everything is connected to your spine, including your feet.
That was my only gripe, everything else was interesting and informative. I honestly wasn't aware of the full history of Dr. Martens.