Dr. Martens
Dr. Martens was started in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, England, by the R. Griggs Group, which licensed an innovative design for air-cushioned soles created by German doctor Klaus Märtens. Their initial product launched on April 1, 1960. It was called the 1460 (for the date of its debut) and was a cherry-red, smooth-leather boot with eight eyelets and yellow stitching that retailed at the time for 2 pounds (or $3). The 1460 remains one of the company’s most popular styles and won the FN Shoe of the Year award in 2019.
Early on, Dr. Martens boots (called “Docs” or “DMs”) were adopted by British workers, such as postmen and police officers. Then in 1969, Pete Townshend of The Who wore a pair of Dr. Martens at the Isle of Wight music festival to represent his working-class roots. From that point on, they have been associated with the counterculture youth movements of almost every generation — from punk-rock and goth to grunge and Harajuku — as a symbol of empowerment and rebelliousness.
On Jan. 29, 2021, Dr. Martens went public on the London Stock Exchange. It earned a $5 billion valuation in its initial public offering, despite it being the height of the pandemic. The offering was eight times oversubscribed, marking a major win for Dr. Martens’ majority owner, private-equity firm Permira, which bought the company in 2014 for $485 million.
Dr. Martens
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