Dr. Martens (footwear)

Dr. Martens is a footwear, clothing and accessories brand, and the footwear products are most often known as Doc Martens, Docs or DMs. The footwear is distinct because of its air-cushioned sole, developed by Dr. Klaus Märtens of Germany. The boots and shoes have been especially popular among skinheads, punks, grungers and members of a few other youth subcultures.

The first Dr. Martens boots in the United Kingdom came out on April 1, 1960 with an eight-eyelet, cherry-red, Nappa leather design. Originally Dr. Martens were made by a number of shoe manufacturers in the Northamptonshire area, as long as they passed quality standards.

They were popular among workers such as postmen, police officers and factory workers. By the late 60's, skinheads started wearing Dr. Martens boots. By the late 70's, Dr. Martens boots were popular among some British punk rock and New Wave musicians, and soon many punk fans were wearing them. The boots and shoes then became popular among other youth subcultures.

Dr. Martens sponsored Rushden & Diamonds F.C. from 1998 to 2003. When a new main stand was built at Nene Park in 2001, the stand was named the 'Dr. Martens Stand' in recognition of the sponsorship link. In the 2000, Dr. Martens were sold exclusively under the AirWair name, and came in dozens of different styles, including conventional black shoes, sandals and steel-toed boots.