Making a Statement

           Doc Martens are notorious for those who push the limits and even further. From the anarchist punk band the Sex Pistols, to rock star Marilyn Manson and popstar Miley Cyrus, Doc Martens have being part of the message that the dreamers, thinkers, and misfits are trying to illustrate. The message can often be hidden behind aggressive lyrics and sounds, and lewd costumes, but with open ears and an open mind, teenagers and young adults have found the meaning.

      This message that I keep referring to varies amongst the musicians I have listed above. Marilyn Manson, for example his message is always to be yourself, and it’s okay to think differently and to embrace it. Miley Cyrus’ message is to express yourself in any you feel most confident and it’s okay to show vulnerability. The Sex Pistols’ message is freedom and going against the mainstream.

     Often times when you’re making a statement, it can be misunderstood. The aesthetic choices made by these musicians, often make people feel uncomfortable and carry the presumption that these people are bad. Their look is too far out there, too sexual, too dirty, too grungy and etc. Thus Doc Martens are associated with being ‘bad’.
     However, wearing leather pants, being topless, and wearing big Doc Marten boots, doesn’t make someone a bad person, the aesthetic choices made are based upon self-expression, not morals. The Sex Pistols, for instance, though people in England thought they were reviled, but the band played at charity gigs and raised money on Christmas to give families of underpaid firefighters presents and festivities.  Miley Cyrus has a charity for homeless trans-youth, and is the spokesperson for MAC, where they a have an AIDS fund and have created awareness program. Marilyn Manson works with charities, such as Music for Life and Little Kids Rock, which provide musical instruments and training to low-income children. Also, works with Project Nightlight, which encourages kids and teens to speak out against physical and sexual abuse.

      Perhaps, the real statement being made with the 'villains' of music is not everything looks as it seems. You may associate Doc Martens, dog collars, and ripped skinny jeans to an angsty punk, but that ‘angsty punk’ could also be the thoughtful poet. The girl who wears short tight dresses, Doc Martens, and a lot of makeup could be assumed to be a ditz looking for attention, when in fact, she could be writing a thesis on Astrophysics and be a straight A student. It is often said, that to assume is to make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'. If you feel empowered by what you wear and Doc Martens are part of your statement to the world, lace them up and keep on interrupting presumptions and stereotypes.

From the Factory to Youth Culture: A Brief History of Doc Martens

 

              Sharpen your pencils and break out the notepad, it’s time for a history lesson. Let’s jump back to the 1960’s to a little island that is cold and wet, also known as England. The Griggs family who hailed in England’s boot making capital, Northampton, was a respected, wealthy and established family and company. The Griggs have been making boots since 1901 and what made this family special is their free thinking mind and sense of individuality.

 

        So one day in the 1950’s, after being frustrated with the rigid styles from the magazine Shoe and Leather News, Bill Griggs came across an advert from a German duo looking for an overseas partner to help them produce their revolutionary air-cushioned sole. This German duo was Dr.Maertens and Dr.Funck, maverick inventors and free thinkers. This air-cushioned sole was the response to a foot injury during a ski trip accident. The German duo was looking for partners who shared the same sense of individuality and forward thinking. Bill Griggs simply could not pass up an offer like this, so he called the German duo and on April 1^st, 1960 the legend and icon for individuality was born.

       During this time, the tribe of young people called the Skin Heads began to wear Doc Martens. Skin Heads were ska- music loving and had homage towards the British working class. They would mimic the style of the working man and were detail orientated. Doc Martens were originally sold as reliable working factory man shoes, so to complete the Skins Heads aesthetic DM’s became a necessity.

             Some years later after the Skin Head culture, Pete Townshend from the band The Who, deliberately wore Doc Martens on stage to show the audience he is unashamed of being part of the working class. Pete Townshend most certainly looked different in the music era of psychedelia and flower power. The Who was the ring leader of youth culture, and the ever-growing circus of misfits and free thinkers formed. After The Who’s appearance in Doc Martens, youth flocked and bought them and more subcultures formed. There were punks, psychobilly, grunge, Goth, hardcore, Brit pop, emo, and two tones, and what all of these subcultures shared was the obsession with freedom, creativity, and rejection of societal norms. Doc Martens became a symbol and canvas for the youth to paint and decorate their personality on it. Each pair was different, people would scuff them, decorate them, lace the shoes up differently and styled it to whatever made them happy.

  

 

 

          So as you’re lacing up your Doc Martens to go to class or on a coffee run, you can reflect on the idea of what made these shoes special. You are wearing 55 years of individuality, free thinking and creativity. Maybe you yourself are like Bill Griggs and Dr.Maertens: a maverick, an innovator, and a free thinker.