In the Beginning:

For over fifty years

the  production of iconic footwear brand

Doc Martens

has been managed by the Griggs,

a prominent British cobbler family from Northhamptonshire.

…

  The design and functionality of Doc Martens

was the brainchild of two German inventors-

Dr.  Martens and Dr. Funck.

 In the 1950s, they partnered with the Griggs family

uniting an innovative shoe concept

with the know how of shoe manufacturing.

…

Originally, a simple black leather lace up boots with

thick rubber soles and yellow stitching,

designed for work comfort –

the collaboration would give rise to  shoe wear

which came to symbolise:

a self expression, tied to a group identification

challenging the status quo.

During the 1980s wearing Docs

singled the wearer as

‘free to be me’.

…

Docs became the shoe wear for those of

 counter-culture, anti-establishment sentiments.

…

 Peter Townsend

songwriter and guitarist of the rock band ‘Who’

was  credited with the christening of

the shoe as “rebellious cool”

when, as legend goes …

After performing in concert,

he went to bed exhausted  with

only a bottle of cognac in hand and Docs on his feet.

(You get the visuals.)

…

Docs were the

marching shoes of various

 ‘styled tribes’

whose attire were expressions

of their demand to introduce a new social agenda.

…

…

Punks,  Goths,  Grunge,

Mods,  Britpop,   Glam rockers

all paid sartorial homage to the label.

 

…

Docs have now become mainstream.

In addition to the original Black leather boot and yellow stitching

there are various shapes, colours, patterns

from which to choose.

They are a statement maker for the wearer

…

Simply,

Docs are required footwear for those

who are cool, with an irreverent bit of edge.

…

(images from the dailymail.co.uk):

 

Wearing Docs:

 Jean Woods,  Septuagenarian

fashion-forward-forever

…

 From

teens

To

pensioners

…

From

creatives

To

corportates

…

From

ladies

To

Gents

…

Sooner or later –

everyone needs a Doc.

…

 

(images from chictopia.com):

Candy floss pink from head to toe

…

Black/white and a pop of red

…

All white brights

…

Biker

…

Serious business

…

Subdued

…

Vegan shoes

…

…

 

Fashion News Flash:

The End of the Old

The Start of the New 

On Thursday, 24 October 2013

the Griggs family concluded a deal with

private equity firm Permira, which

saw the Dr. Martens concern sold

for 300 million pounds.

…

Perimra hopes to continue with brand expansion

into the Chinese retail market and a initiation

of a children’s wear range.

…

What’s next for the Doc?

Hopefully continued innovation, which

manages to stay true to what the

label has come to represent …

trying something new

without sacrificing what is

tried and true

…

Watch/Listen:   a brief history and commentaries from

aficionados of  the Doc Martens shoe

(Warning advisory:   some usage of colourful language)

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