View source for Dr. Martens

{{short description|British footwear brand}}
{{distinguish|Doc Martin (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Dr. Martens
| type = [[Public limited company]]
| owner = 
| logo = Dr. Martens Logo.svg
| logo_size = 220px
| traded_as = {{Unbulleted list|class=nowrap|{{ubl|{{LSE|DOCS}}|[[FTSE 250 Index|FTSE 250]] component}}}}
| ISIN = {{ISIN|sl=n|pl=y|GB00BL6NGV24}}
| foundation = {{start date and age|1947}} in [[Seeshaupt]], Germany (of the shoe sole patent)
| location = 
| hq_location_city = [[Camden Town]], [[London]], [[England]]
| hq_location_country = [[United Kingdom]]
| industry = Footwear
| products = {{hlist|Boots|Bags|Clothing|Shoe care products}}
| founder = Klaus Märtens
| homepage = {{URL|www.drmartens.com}}
| num_employees = 
| key_people = Paul Mason (Chairman)<br>Kenny Wilson (CEO)
| revenue = {{decrease}} [[Pound sterling|£]]877.1&nbsp;million (2024)<ref name=results>{{cite web |url=https://www.drmartensplc.com/application/files/6717/1818/7085/Dr._Martens_plc_Annual_Report_2024.pdf|title=Annual Report 2024|publisher=Dr Martens |access-date=9 February 2025}}</ref>
| operating_income = {{decrease}} [[Pound sterling|£]]122.2&nbsp;million (2024)<ref name=results/>
| net_income = {{decrease}} [[Pound sterling|£]]69.2&nbsp;million (2024)<ref name=results/>
}}

'''Dr. Martens''', also known as '''Doc Martens''', '''Docs''', or '''DMs''',<ref>{{cite web |title=R. Griggs Group Ltd v. Evans 2003 EWHC 2914 (Ch) |publisher=England and Wales High Court (Chancery Division) Decisions via British and Irish Legal Information Institute |page=1 |url=http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/Ch/2003/2914.html |access-date=4 March 2020}}</ref> is a British [[footwear]] and clothing brand. Although most known for its footwear, it also makes a range of accessories, including clothing and bags. The footwear is distinguished by its air-cushioned [[Sole (foot)|sole]], upper shape, [[Welt (shoe)|welted]] construction, and yellow stitching. The company's global head office and design studio is located in [[Camden Town]], London.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dr. Martens UK head office|url=https://jobs.drmartens.com/role-uk-head-office|website=drmartens.com|accessdate=23 February 2025}}</ref> 

Dr. Martens manufactures in the UK (at the brand's historic Cobbs lane factory in [[Wollaston, Northamptonshire]]), China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. The company is listed on the [[London Stock Exchange]] and is a constituent of the [[FTSE 250 Index]]. According to the [[BBC]], "the company still makes more than half of its revenues from the original ''1460'' boot and sister product the ''1461'' shoe. The numbers refer to the dates they were introduced — 1 April 1960 and 1961."<ref name="Enduring">{{cite news |title=What's up, Doc? The enduring appeal of Dr Martens |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-45952572 |access-date=7 January 2025 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>

==History==
=== Founding ===
Klaus Märtens was a doctor in the [[German Army (1935–1945)|German Army]] during [[World War II]]. After he injured his ankle while skiing in 1945,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tatler.com/article/how-doc-martens-became-mainstream-fashion |title=How Doc Martens became mainstream fashion|date=6 February 2019 |publisher=Tatler |access-date=25 August 2021}}</ref> he found that his standard-issue army [[boot]]s were too uncomfortable on his injured foot.  While recuperating, he designed improvements to the boots, with soft [[leather]] and air-padded soles made of tyres.<ref>Martin Roach: ''Dr. Martens The Story of an icon'', 2003</ref> When the war ended and Germans looted valuables from their own cities, Märtens purchased leather from a [[shoemaker]]'s shop. With that leather he made himself a pair of boots with air-cushioned soles.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Dr. Martens |url=http://www.dmusastore.com/t-about-dr-martens.aspx |publisher=dmusastore.com |access-date=8 October 2010 |archive-date=10 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710141801/http://www.dmusastore.com/t-about-dr-martens.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1947, Märtens did not have much success selling his shoes until he met up with an old [[university]] friend Herbert Funck in [[Munich]]. Funck was intrigued by the new shoe design, and the two went into business that year in [[Seeshaupt]], Germany, using discarded [[rubber]] shaped by moulds.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/brexit-news/roger-domeneghetti-on-dr-martens-influence-in-britain-78152 |title=Happy 60th Birthday Dr. Martens |date=16 April 2020 |newspaper=The New European |access-date=28 February 2021 |archive-date=23 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123071036/https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/brexit-news/roger-domeneghetti-on-dr-martens-influence-in-britain-78152|url-status=dead}}</ref> The comfortable soles were a big hit with housewives, with 80 percent of sales in the first decade to women over the age of 40.<ref name="still an icon to boot">{{cite news |last=Mazein |first=Elodie |title=Dr Martens 50 years old and still an icon to boot |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |url=http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/style/dr-martens-50-years-old-and-still-an-icon-to-boot-20100401-ri3n.html#ixzz24MBxAyvs |access-date=23 August 2012 |date=2 April 2010}}</ref>

=== Expansion in the United Kingdom ===
[[File:Dr martens boots.jpg|thumb|Cherry Red and Black 14-hole Dr. Martens boots]]
Sales had grown so much by 1952 that they opened a factory in Munich. In 1959, the company had grown large enough that Märtens and Funck looked at marketing the footwear internationally. Almost immediately, British shoe manufacturer R. Griggs Group bought [[patent]] rights to manufacture the shoes in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=R. Griggs Group Ltd |title= Company profile |url=http://www.hoovers.com/company/R_Griggs_Group_Ltd/cyfhti-1.html |access-date=8 October 2010 }}</ref> The R. Griggs Group [[Anglicisation|anglicised]] the company name to ''Dr. Martens''. The heel was reshaped for a better fit and  the trademark yellow stitching was added. The sole was formally [[trademark]]ed.<ref name="British design icons"/>

The first Dr. Martens boot in the UK with an eight-[[Grommet|eyelet]] cherry-red coloured smooth leather design became known as ''style 1460'' and are still in production today. There are now many variations of this classic design which was introduced on 1 April 1960.<ref name="Enduring"/><ref name=Dr_Martens_at_50/> The three-eyelet shoe was issued exactly one year later with the style number ''1461''.<ref name="Enduring"/> The original ''1460'' and ''1461'' remain the company's best-selling DMs.<ref name="Enduring"/> The Dr. Martens boots were made in their Cobbs Lane factory in [[Wollaston, Northamptonshire]], where they continued to be made, in addition to production elsewhere, until at least 2018.<ref name="still an icon to boot" /><ref name=romeo/> Jane Schaffer, senior lecturer in footwear and accessories at the University of Northampton, says the classic range has "become iconic".<ref name="Enduring"/> 

[[File:Dr Martens, black, old.jpg|thumb|left|A pair of classic black leather Griggs' Dr. Martens boots, with distinctive yellow [[Stitch (textile arts)|stitching]] around the sole]]
In addition a number of shoe manufacturers in the Northamptonshire area and further afield produced the boots under licence, as long as they passed quality standards. The boots were popular among workers such as [[postman|postmen]], [[police officer]]s and factory workers.<ref name="Enduring"/> By the later 1960s, [[skinhead]]s started to wear them, "Docs" or "DMs" being the usual naming, and by the late 1970s, they were popular among [[Scooter (motorcycle)|scooter]] riders, [[punk subculture|punks]], some [[New wave music|new wave]] musicians, and members of other youth [[subculture]]s.<ref name=Dr_Martens_at_50>{{cite news|last=Manzoor|first=Sarfraz|title=Dr Martens at 50: these boots were made for… everyone|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/31/dr-martens-at-50?intcmp=239|access-date=25 July 2012|newspaper=The Observer|date=31 October 2010}}</ref> The shoes' popularity among [[White power skinhead|politically right-wing skinheads]] led to the brand gaining an association with violence.<ref name=Dr_Martens_at_50 /> [[Alexei Sayle]] sang the song "Dr. Martens' Boots" in a 1982 episode of the TV comedy ''[[The Young Ones (TV series)|The Young Ones]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p007yz4l |title=The Young Ones: Dr Marten Boots |publisher=BBC |date=24 May 2010 |access-date=17 August 2020}}</ref>

[[File:17-19 Neal Street, Covent Garden, December 2022.jpg|thumb|upright|Dr. Martens store in [[Covent Garden]], London]]
In 1989, the Accent Group became the first manufacturer of Dr. Martens outside the UK, obtaining the rights to make them in [[Dunedin]], New Zealand, which they did for several years.<ref name="Accent Group - Dr Martens">{{cite web |title=Our Brands > Dr. Martens |url=http://www.accentgr.com.au/our-brands/dr-martens/ |publisher=Accent Group Limited |access-date=15 December 2019}}</ref> The boots and shoes became popular in the 1990s as [[grunge fashion]] arose. In late November 1994, a six-storey Dr. Martens [[department store]] was opened in [[Covent Garden]] in London which also sold food, belts, and watches. At this time the R. Griggs company employed 2,700 people, expected to earn annual revenue of £170 million, and could produce up to 10 million pairs of shoes per year.<ref name="Stomp Into London">{{cite news|last=Ipsen|first=Erik|title=Doc Martens to Stomp Into London|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/17/business/worldbusiness/17iht-doc.html|access-date=22 August 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=17 November 1994}}</ref><ref name="Flagship For Doc Martens">{{cite news |last=Menkes |first=Suzy |title=London Launch For Hip Shoes: Flagship For Doc Martens |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/29/style/29iht-fdoc.html |access-date=22 August 2012 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=29 November 1994}}</ref>

=== Sponsorship ===
The Dr. Martens company sponsored [[Rushden & Diamonds F.C.]] from 1998 to 2005.  Diamonds approached owner and local businessman [[Max Griggs]] to request sponsorship from his company.  A new main stand was built at [[Nene Park]] in 2001, named the Airwair Stand.  Dr. Martens were also the principal sponsors of [[Premier League]] club, [[West Ham United F.C.]] from 1998 to 2003, renaming the upgraded west stand 'The Dr Martens Stand'.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theyflysohigh.co.uk/west-stand/4547764542|title=2001 Dr Martens Stand|publisher=They Fly So High|access-date=28 February 2021|archive-date=23 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123193302/https://www.theyflysohigh.co.uk/west-stand/4547764542|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Trademark disputes ===
In 1999, Dr. Martens fought lawsuits in US courts. The brand filed a number of lawsuits in 2016 based primarily on [[trademark law]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thefashionlaw.com/home/after-getting-the-high-fashion-treatment-dr-martens-amps-up-litigation|title=After Getting the High Fashion Treatment, Dr. Martens Amps up Litigation|publisher=The Fashion Law|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915114504/http://www.thefashionlaw.com/home/after-getting-the-high-fashion-treatment-dr-martens-amps-up-litigation|archive-date=15 September 2017|date=25 February 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Expansion ===
[[File:HK Causeway Bay Hysan Place at Lee Gardens mall shop Dr Martens visitors Aug-2012.JPG|thumb|A Dr. Martens retail store in [[Hong Kong]]]]
[[File:DrMartensVaughanMills.jpg|thumb|Dr. Martens in [[Vaughan Mills]], Vaughan, Ontario, Canada]]
[[File:Dr Martens Dadeland Mall Open.jpg|thumb|Dr. Martens in Miami, Florida]]
In the 2000s, Dr. Martens were sold exclusively under the AirWair name in dozens of different styles, including conventional black shoes, sandals and [[steel-toed boot]]s. AirWair International Ltd revenue fell from $412 million in 1999 to $127 million in 2006.<ref name=Antifashion_Classic_Returns>{{cite news|last=Newman|first=Andrew Adam|title=An Antifashion Classic Returns|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/business/media/03adcol.html|access-date=25 July 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=3 December 2007}}</ref> In 2003 the Dr. Martens company came close to [[bankruptcy]].<ref name="50 Years of Dr Martens">{{cite news|last=Muston|first=Samuel|title=The Timeline: 50 Years of Dr Martens|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/the-timeline-50-years-of-dr-martens-2123443.html?origin=internalSearch|access-date=21 August 2012|newspaper=The Independent|date=3 November 2010}}</ref> On 1 April that year, under pressure from declining sales, the company ceased making shoes in the UK,<ref>{{cite news|title=Dr Martens factories close|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2896307.stm|access-date=8 October 2010|newspaper=BBC News|date=23 March 2003}}</ref> and moved all production to [[China]] and [[Thailand]]. Five factories and two shops were closed in the UK, and more than {{formatnum:1000}} of the firm's employees lost their jobs.<ref name=on_its_uppers>{{cite news |last=Pyke |first=Nicholas |title=Dr Martens is on its uppers |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2002/oct/26/manufacturing?INTCMP=SRCH |access-date=25 July 2012 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=26 October 2002}}</ref> Following the closures, the R. Griggs company employed only 20 people in the UK, all in the firm's head office.<ref name="Dr Martens closure looms">{{cite news |title=Anger as Dr Martens closure looms |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2568757.stm |access-date=26 August 2012 |newspaper=BBC News |date=12 December 2002}}</ref> Five million pairs of Dr. Martens were sold during 2003, half the 1990s level of sales.<ref name="Footwear Darwinism">{{cite news |last1=Browne |first1=David |title=Footwear Darwinism: Doc Martens Evolve |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/07/fashion/07DOCS.html |access-date=22 December 2014 |work=The New York Times |date=7 November 2004}}</ref>

In 2004, a new range of Dr. Martens was launched in an attempt to appeal to a wider market, especially young people. The shoes and boots were intended to be more comfortable, and easier to break in, and included some new design elements.<ref name="Footwear Darwinism" /> Dr. Martens also began producing footwear again at the Cobbs Lane Factory in [[Wollaston, Northamptonshire|Wollaston]], England in 2004 as part of the "Vintage" line, which the company [[advertise]]s as being made to the original specifications.<ref name=vintage_Dr_Martens_expansion>{{cite news|title=Increased demand for vintage Dr Martens fuels expansion|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-14341237|access-date=25 July 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=29 July 2011}}</ref> Sales of these shoes are low in comparison to those made in Asia, however; in 2010, the factory was producing about 50 pairs per day.<ref name="still an icon to boot" /> In 2005, under turnaround CEO David Suddens the R. Griggs company was given an award by the "Institute for Turnaround" for implementing a successful restructure.<ref name="50 Years of Dr Martens" />

In 2006, the ''1460'' Dr. Martens AirWair boot was named in the list of British design icons, alongside the [[Mini]].<ref name="British design icons">{{cite news  |title=Long list unveiled for national vote on public's favourite example of Great British Design |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/01_january/27/culture.shtml |publisher=BBC |date=18 November 2016}}</ref>

Worldwide sales of Dr. Martens shoes grew strongly in the early 2010s, and in 2012 it was the eighth-fastest-growing British company.<ref>{{cite news|last=Cochrane|first=Lauren|title=Dr Martens enjoy comeback with best-selling season ever|url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2012/jul/19/dr-martens-comeback-best-selling?INTCMP=SRCH|access-date=22 August 2012|newspaper=The Guardian|date=19 July 2012}}</ref>  Over 100 million pairs of Dr. Martens shoes were sold from 1960 to 2010, and in 2010 the company offered 250 different models of footwear.<ref name="still an icon to boot" />  The R. Griggs company opened fourteen new Dr. Martens retail stores in the United Kingdom, United States and Hong Kong between 2009 and 2011,<ref>{{cite news |title=No bovver as Docs make quick profit |url=http://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/community/local-information/no-bovver-as-docs-make-quick-profit-1-3729701 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130421044722/http://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/community/local-information/no-bovver-as-docs-make-quick-profit-1-3729701|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 April 2013|access-date=22 August 2012 |newspaper=Northamptonshire Telegraph |date=13 April 2012}}</ref> and also launched a line of clothing during  2011.<ref>{{cite news|title=Dr. Martens launches clothing line |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/dr-martens-launches-clothing-line-2270131.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925034436/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/dr-martens-launches-clothing-line-2270131.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 September 2015 |access-date=21 August 2012 |newspaper=The Independent |date=19 April 2011}}</ref>

=== Private equity investment ===
The private equity company [[Permira]] acquired R. Griggs Group Limited, the owner of the Dr. Martens brand, for £300 million in October 2013.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24653563 "Dr Martens owner is bought by Permira"], BBC News, London, 24 October 2013. Retrieved on 7 February 2014.</ref> For a time Dr. Martens footwear was sold under a "for life" scheme, under which it would repair or replace worn-out DM shoes forever for a price somewhat more than twice the normal price for a pair. This offer was available in 2016, but was withdrawn for new sales from May 2018.<ref name=life>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/aug/18/dr-martens-for-life-pledge-has-left-me-worn-out |title=Dr Martens' 'for life' pledge has left me worn out |newspaper=The Guardian |author=Miles Brignall |date= 19 August 2020}} Article also with many readers' comments on the fall in quality of Dr. Martens footwear</ref> After Permira purchased Dr. Martens the former brand president of [[Vans]] was hired as CEO.<ref>{{cite web |title=Steve Murray named CEO of Dr. Martens |url=https://shop-eat-surf.com/2014/08/2014-08-steve-murray-named-ceo-of-dr-martens/ |publisher=eatshopsurf.com |date=18 August 2014}}</ref>

=== Production issues ===
{{multiple image
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| image1 = Pumarosa at Dr Martens Camden (27699729918).jpg
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| caption1 = Dr. Martens Boot Room in [[Camden Town]], London. The company's global head office, including the design team, is located in Camden.
| image2 = Doc Martens Street art in Shoreditch London... (23426812493).jpg
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| caption2 = Dr. Martens street art in [[Shoreditch]], London
}}
In 2018, ten million pairs of Dr. Martens shoes were produced, only one percent in the UK.<ref name=romeo>{{cite news |last1=Romeo |first1=Claudia |title=Inside Dr. Martens' only UK factory where its iconic Made In England range has been manufactured since 1960 |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/dr-martens-uk-factory-cobbs-lane-where-iconic-made-in-england-range-is-made-2018-6|access-date=13 June 2018 |publisher=Business Insider |date=5 June 2018}}</ref>  Annual revenue in 2019 was £454 million, six times more than in 2013.  The most popular model remained the 1460 boots.<ref name="Oh so pretty Guardian" />  In 2019 Dr. Martens announced plans to double the production of shoes and boots in the UK, to 165,000 pairs annually in 2020.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dr Martens invests £2m in Northampton site |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-47392240 |access-date=14 March 2019 |publisher=BBC News |date=27 February 2019}}</ref>  Dr Martens' design studio is in [[Camden Town]], London.<ref name="Oh so pretty Guardian">{{cite news |last1=Wood |first1=Zoe |title=Oh so pretty … political upheaval credited for Dr Martens sales boost |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/aug/17/oh-so-pretty-political-upheaval-credited-for-dr-martens-sales-boost |access-date=26 December 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=17 August 2019}}</ref>

In 2019, ''[[The Guardian]]'' reported concerns that the quality of Dr. Martens shoes had declined since either production was moved to Asia or Permira acquired the brand.  Many of the newspaper's readers reported that recently produced Dr. Martens products did not last as long as older production.  The company responded that there had been no change in the materials used or production processes since manufacturing was moved to Asia, and only 0.5% of its footwear was defective.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Collinson |first1=Patrick |last2=Smithers |first2=Rebecca |title=Dr Martens: are things going wrong with the UK's beloved brand? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/nov/30/are-things-going-wrong-with-the-uk-beloved-dr-martens-brand |date=30 November 2019 |work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref name=life/>

In January 2022, the Dr. Martens factory in Wollaston, Northamptonshire featured on the [[BBC]] programme ''[[Inside the Factory]]''; Series 6, Leather boots.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0013pfp |title=Inside the Factory, Series 6, Leather Boots |publisher=BBC Two |access-date=16 May 2022}}</ref>

=== Listing on the London Stock Exchange ===
Dr. Martens was listed on the London Stock Exchange at a value of £3.7 billion in January 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sweney |first1=Mark |title=Dr Martens will make stock market debut at value of £3.7 billion |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jan/29/dr-martens-stock-market-debut-ipo |work=The Guardian |date=29 January 2021 }}</ref>

== Subcultural significance ==
[[File:Shopfront.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[British Boot Company]] shopfront, advertised as "London's original Doc shop", which ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' states became a favourite haunt for punk bands like the [[Sex Pistols]] in the 1970s<ref>{{cite news |title=British Boot Company: Shopping in Camden Town, London |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/shopping/british-boot-company |access-date=7 January 2025 |work=Time Out}}</ref>]]
Described by Lauren Cochrane of ''[[The Guardian]]'' as "fashion's subversive smash hit",<ref name="Subverise"/> Dr. Martens have garnered significant following and ownership within various subcultures since the brand was established in England in 1960, including skinhead, [[Punk subculture|punk]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.journeys.com/articles/history-of-dr-martens-and-the-punk-scene |title=A History of Dr. Martens and the Punk Scene |publisher=Journeys |access-date=18 December 2022}}</ref> [[goth subculture|goth]], [[Gen x]],<ref name="Subverise">{{cite news |last=Cochrane |first=Lauren |title=Carpe DM: 60 years of the Dr Martens boot – fashion's subversive smash hit |url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/apr/01/carpe-dm-60-years-of-the-dr-martens-boot-fashions-subversive-smash-hit |work=The Guardian |date=1 April 2020}}</ref><ref name="Quartz">{{cite news |last=McDuling |first=John |title=How Dr. Martens boots used counter-culture to defy the punishing fashion cycle |url=https://qz.com/139938/139938 |publisher=Quartz |date=27 October 2013}}</ref> [[LGBT]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.capilanocourier.com/2021/10/19/how-doc-martens-became-a-staple-in-lesbians-closets/|title=How Doc Martens Became a Staple in Lesbian's Closets|publisher=Capilano Courier|date=19 October 2021 |access-date=18 December 2022}}</ref> [[grunge]],<ref name="Enduring"/> [[Britpop]],<ref name="Enduring"/> [[nu-metal]] and early [[emo]].<ref name="Enduring"/> Holts shoe shop in Camden Town was the first retailer of DMs in the UK, and on its impact beginning in the 1970s [[Madness (band)|Madness]] lead singer [[Suggs]] writes: "Holts became a mecca for alternative types from around the world. It's still there, as the British Boot Company, serving each new generation of Airware devotees".<ref>{{cite book |first=Graham|last=McPherson|authorlink=Suggs |title=That Close |date=2013 |publisher=Quercus|quote=Holts became a mecca for alternative types from around the world.}}</ref>

Notable customers of the brand have included [[Pete Townshend]] of [[the Who]], who according to the BBC "became the first high-profile person to wear them, as a symbol of his own working-class pride and rebellious attitude",<ref name="Enduring"/> [[Sex Pistols]], [[the Clash]], [[the Cure]], Madness, [[Pope John Paul II]], [[Miley Cyrus]], [[Rihanna]],<ref name="Quartz"/> [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]], [[Spice Girls]], [[Avril Lavigne]], [[Gwen Stefani]]<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kay|first1=Karen|title=Dr Martens: The bovver boot that became respectable|date=9 April 2010 |url=http://www.express.co.uk/expressyourself/168088/Dr-Martens-The-bovver-boot-that-became-respectable|publisher=The Express|accessdate=18 May 2015}}</ref> and the [[14th Dalai Lama]].<ref name="Enduring"/> Under John Paul II, the [[Swiss Guard]] were provided with Dr. Martens boots.<ref>{{cite news |title=ITALY/UK: POPE JOINS FASHION CONSCIOUS IN CHOICE OF FOOTWEAR |url=https://newsroom.ap.org/editorial-photos-videos/detail?itemid=789dc5b9fd0f3460c56783437143ba1c |publisher=Associated Press |date=6 March 1996}}</ref> In the 1975 British rock musical fantasy film ''[[Tommy (1975 film)|Tommy]]'', [[Elton John]] wore 4ft 6in (137cm) DMs.<ref name="Enduring"/> On 30 September 2020, British [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] pioneers [[Black Sabbath]] announced a Dr. Martens shoe collection to mark the 50th anniversaries of the band's ''[[Black Sabbath (album)|Black Sabbath]]'' (1970) and ''[[Paranoid (album)|Paranoid]]'' (1970) albums, with the boots depicting artwork from the band’s eponymous debut album.<ref>{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Sam |title=Black Sabbath announce new Dr. Martens shoe collection |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/black-sabbath-announce-new-dr-martens-shoe-collection-2764342 |date=29 September 2020|accessdate=23 July 2025 |agency=NME}}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:DM stitching.jpg|Distinctive yellow stitching on Dr. Martens shoe
File:DM inside old.jpg|Inside of pre-2003 Dr. Martens made in England
File:DM inside new.jpg|Inside of post-2003 Dr. Martens made in Thailand
File:DM bottom old.jpg|Sole of pre-2003 Dr. Martens made in England
File:DM bottom new.jpg|Sole of post-2003 Dr. Martens made in Thailand
File:Dr.Marten side stamp.JPG|Dr. Martens logo stamped on the outer side of a boot
File:Dr. Martens à fleurs.JPG|Floral-patterned Dr. Martens boots
File:Laced Dr Martens Oxblood Made in England 1461 shoes.jpg|Cherry red colour Dr. Martens 1461 shoes
File:Dr Martens Pride.jpg|2020 special edition with [[LGBT]] pride flag
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Solovair]]
* [[Totectors]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Dr. Martens}}
* {{Official|https://www.drmartens.com}}

{{Authority control}}
{{FTSE 250 Index constituents}}

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