Doctor Martens

Patent leather docs

I remember about 20 years ago....the only people that wore Dr Martens were skinheads. The only people who knew what they were were skinheads. Now most alt fash people (at least) know what they are, and many people have bought a pair....or have at least considered

Sydney in 1985. Spending $70 on a pair of boots was unheard of. But we did. Our parents couldn'
t believe it. And that was just the ordinary 8 hole ones. You could only buy them in one or two disposal stores in the city, who imported them and sold them to Skinheads. Then Rude boys got in on it, then a few mods, and then they seem to generally get out into the alt community. Punks I think started switching over from GPs eventually.


Standard Cherry reds

The concept of a group of rough and ready Skinheads or punks wearing $90 imported English footear, at the time when $90 was a lot of money, was pretty contradictory. Dr Martens were the rough and ready, working class, boot. In the UK they were anyway, they were an affordable, attainable, workboot. In Australia they were expensive, but they were the cool thing to wear, so we did..and we liked them.

Originally Dr Martens came in 8 and 10 holes, and usually were black or Cherry red. People wore white or red shoelaces in them. Some said this meant something about racism or something, but I think most people weren't too fussed. I (I was a rude boy) had one pair of 10 hole boots, black with white laces. Some "normal" friends thought they were wrestling boots.
We would wear doc shoes to work, and people would assume we were wearing our shoes leftover from school.

I wore these for years. Hmmmm *rubs chin* Actually, may be I will get some new ones for work....damn, writing this blog can be expensive!


Slowly by the 90's they became general alternative footwear. My mate was going travelling through Europe - I was suprised to see him wearing a pair of the new ones, without the traditional sole, but with a big chunky hiking sole...some kind of Doc-hiking boot hybrid thing.
Heresy.



The variation of docs got wider. Doc shoes. Doc sandals. Doc shoes with polished steel caps on the outside. Union Jack Docs. PurpleFelt docs. Patent leather docs. Green docs.
Some people would paint them or do their own mods on them.

Purrple leapard skin felt


Docs have air wear soles. So they have little compartments of air in the soles. The standard of docs seem to vary, some people had had them for years. Sometimes the leather would crack. Sometimes they would wear down too quickly.

I remember I used to think Docs were the big clumpy boot. Until I saw New Rocks.

I paint in an old pair of mine now, when I do my home renovations. Must be getting old :-)