Who doesn’t own a pair of Dr. Martens? The iconic boots will certainly give you blisters, but there’s more to say about this brand. We’ll tell you 10 things you didn’t know about Dr. Martens.
#1 Dr. Martens as a racist word
Dr. Martens is still on the racist skinhead glossary of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Back in the days, Dr. Martens were mainly worn by members of extreme subcultures, like skinheads. Even though Dr. Martens is no longer related to a specific subculture and lots of people now own a pair (or two), the name Dr. Martens still remains on the racist glossary.
#2 Dr. Martens models are named after their release date
The popular 1460, which were the very first pair of Dr. Martens boots, owns its name to its release date. No joking, Dr. Martens 1460 were born on April 1 1960. Lots of models that were released after this date were also given the release date as a name, like 1461 (April 1 1961) en 2976 (September 2 1976).
#3 Pope John Paul II owned a white pair of Dr. Martens
A letter pope John Paul II wrote proved not only labourers loved Dr. Martens. In this letter he thanked Dr. Martens for his customized white pair he enjoyed wearing. Charlotte Hagan, the administration manager, started collecting everything that had to do with the brand in the early Nineties. The pope’s letter was considered as the showpiece of the exhibition. Without any hesitation we jump to the conclusion that we all love Dr. Martens!
#4 Dr. Martens still produces in the old Wallaston factory
Until early 2000 all Dr. Martens shoes were produced in the factory in Wallaston, UK, but nowadays the boots are produced in Asia. The old Wallaston factory is still in use for producing customized editions. These rare series represent only 1% of all the boots the brand yearly produces!
#5 Dr. Martens has a vegan collection
Dr. Martens may be know for its use of quality leather, but for those who prefer not to use or wear any animal products vegan Dr. Martens are available. Instead of the leather upper Dr. Martens uses synthetic polyurethane (PU) and Polyvinylchloride (PVC). And guess what: the vegan version is just as comfortable as all other Dr. Martens!
#6 Dr. Martens has had many collaborations
Dr. Martens loves to collaborate with the greatest artists and designers. Special editions have been released, like Commes des Garçon, Yohji Yahimoto and even Hello Kitty collaborated.
#7 Dr. Martens releases 12 limited editions to celebrate its 60th birthday
In 2020, Dr. Martens had been around for sixty years and that was a good reason to throw a party. To celebrate this anniversary, the brand released 12 limited editions in association with several brands. Dr. Martens asked the brands they had collaborated with before to remake the popular 1460. For example: the 1460 Bape was launched in association with streetwear label A Bathing Ape.
#8 Celebs love Dr. Martens
Dr. Martens is a brand for everyone. You see the boots all around the UK and even celebs wear them. Rihanna and Pharrel Williams wore the boots to a NYU graduation ceremony, but many celebs have been seen wearing them in everyday life, like Gwen Stefani, Miley Cyrus and Jessica Alba. No wonder, because Dr. Martens are so easy to style.
#9 Dr. Martens has a unique production process.
The production process of a pair of Dr. Martens is unique within the shoe industry. The upper is mingled with the sole instead of stitching it together and the process among the AirWair sole is extraordinary.
#10 Dr. Martens first gained popularity among housewives and women over 40
After WWII, Dr. Klaus Maertens developed a comfortable shoe for labourers as an alternative to the army-boots everybody wore during the war. The very first boot the doctor developed was under the name Dr. Maertens and gained popularity among housewives and women over 40 due to the comfort the boots offered. Years later the boots were embraced by labourers.
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