This was England

The iconic image of Dr Martens boots can be felt around the world. Above a Chinese punk wears them.

This year Doc Martens turned 50. These boots were born from a skiing accident during World War II, when Dr Klaus Martens designed a new boot with air padded soles because army issue boots were too uncomfortable for his injured foot.


He sold the company in 1960 to British manufacture R. Griggs who changed the heel, used yellow stitching, and patented the AirWair soles. They were adopted by the working man, and weren't considered remotely fashionable until Pete Townshend of The Who took them up and DM's where brought into the limelight.

They were soon to be adopted by a variety of youth cultures nameley by skinheads who stereotyped the boot as an aggressive fascist footwear. Then the punks grasped the already bloodstained history of the Dr Martens boot.

Early skinheads

Ironically the police at this time also wore them for practicality and comfort.


Today the aggression of the boot's image has been diluted to become a general fashion item, and now what started off as anti-fashion has become a mere trend.

The Clash