Dr Martens Boots: 75+ Years of Protection & Style

Dr Martens footwear is so well-known and -loved all over the world that it has undoubtedly acquired legendary status. What is less well-known is how the brand came to be established and so that's what we'll be sharing with you in this edition of the Tiger Safety blog. 

Our story starts more than 75 years ago in 1947 with Klaus Märtens, who was working as a doctor in the German Army during WWII. On being granted a short period of official leave, the doctor excitedly made his way into the Alps mountain range, where he planned to spend some time enjoying his favourite hobby of skiing. Sadly, his enjoyment was cut tragically short when he sustained a painful injury to his ankle. 

The shortcomings of his army-issue boots were made immediately clear to him as soon as he next tried wearing them: they offered nothing in the way of either comfort or protection to his injured ankle. Instead of passively suffering, Dr. Märtens decided to take matters into his own hands. He acquired a few scraps of leather and crafted his own pair of boots, which incorporated the ingeniously-designed air-cushioned soles that are still to this day a defining feature of Dr Martens footwear.

The doctor was immensely satisfied with his creation and soon realised that the boots had potential to be marketed commercially. In collaboration with his friend Hubert Funck, Märtens produced a batch of boots to his new design and began selling them. The batch was made using scrap materials found on Luftwaffe airfields, long before 'sustainability' became the buzzword that it is today. 

Since that original batch was produced and sold, Dr Martens shoes and boots have become popular all over the world. The footwear is chosen as much for its style as for its performance, though both of these aspects are at equally-high levels. Here at Tiger Safety, we proudly supply 27 different styles of Dr Martens boots and shoes. 

At the top of our range of Dr Martens safety boots is the Torrent model. These superlative work boots are 100% metal-free, with their crushproof toecaps and penetration-resistant midsoles fabricated entirely from composite materials. Crafted from heavy-duty full-grain leather and insulated with thermal Thinsulate material, the boots are supremely comfortable thanks to their Smartmask cushioned footbeds along with their padded tongues and collars. 

Please browse the Tiger Safety website to discover our complete collection of Dr Martens footwear and don't forget that shipping to any UK address is provided completely free of charge for orders over £30.00.