The Dr. Martens “Made in England” products are manufactured in the Cobbs Lane factory, Wollaston, England which has been making footwear for the Griggs family since 1901. It is the home of the original Dr. Martens boot and within this small factory works a close knit team of people schooled in traditional shoe making and the unique process that makes Dr. Martens like no other shoe on earth.
This is the factory where it all began; where the first pair of Dr. Martens boots rolled off the production line on April 1st 1960. The manufacturing process has been fine tuned and perfected ever since from the cutting of the leather hides to the heat sealing with a blade of fire that welds the air cushioned sole to the upper.
This is first time for everything and for many people their first pair of Dr. Martens is a memorable moment in time, an opening statement of rebellious self-expression and creativity. Over the past 50 years Dr. Martens boots and shoes haven’t changed the original styles are still simple, versatile, functional and stylish all at the same time.
Dr. Martens air-cushioned sole, designed by German inventor, Dr. Klaus Martens, was engineered primarily to meet the specific need of providing additional support and comfort for his broken foot.
The Dr. Martens boot, manufactured by R Griggs and Co, British boot makers, with its trademark yellow stitch, grooved sole and heel-loop, was a boot for workers; comfortable, durable and lightweight in comparison to its competitors at the time.
Initially worn by postmen, policemen and everyday workers, the boots were adopted, customized and used across decade after decade, as a tribal emblem by successive subcultures, each twisting and subverting the boots and shoes to meet their own individual identity.
In 2003 Dr. Martens was forced to stave off bankruptcy by closing all of its factories except the original Cobbs Lane factory. The hope was that, one day; this factory could manufacture small runs, one-offs or customized boots and shoes for those prepared to pay the extra cost of being “Made in England”.
In 2011 this small factory is ready to grow once again and Dr. Martens is looking to expand its UK capacity to 70,000 pairs of boots and shoes a year, sourcing components locally wherever possible to ensure that the “Made in England” range remains true to Dr. Martens authentic heritage. With this expansion comes the possibility of recruiting and training new workers, both young and old, to keep shoe making skills, in general, and Dr Martens know how, in particular, alive in Northamptonshire.
These same craftsmen also travel the world to ensure that all Dr. Martens products wherever they are manufactured are made not only using the right methods but also respecting the art of industrial manufacturing.
