Dr. Martens

Dr. Martens' origins date to 1945, when Dr. Klaus Maertens, a 25-year-old soldier and medical doctor at the time, created a unique air-cushioned sole (rather than the traditional hard leather sole) to aid his recovery from a broken foot. Dr. Maertens made a prototype shoe and showed it to a friend and engineer, Dr. Herbert Funck. The two went into partnership and by 1947 they began formal production of their unique shoe. Within a decade they had a booming business. By 1952, sales had significantly grown so much that they opened a factory in Munich. In 1959, British shoe manufacturer R. Griggs Group, owned by Bill Griggs, bought rights to manufacture the shoes in the United Kingdom. Griggs took the sole and created a new boot, which included an altered sole shape, a bulbous but simple upper, a distinctive yellow welt stitch, a grooved sole edge and a new undersole design. The boots were branded as "Airwair" and came complete with a black and yellow heel loop featuring the brand name and the slogan "With Bouncing Soles". Taking its name from the date of its inception, 1 April 1960, the iconic eight-hole 1460 Dr. Martens boot was born. The following year, the 1461 shoe arrived. The 1460 and 1461 remain at the core of the Originals range. Dr. Martens' first few years of existence were that of a 2 pound work boot, selling primarily to Britain's working classes.

Quoted from drmartensplc.com, in Dr. Martens's own words. We have not edited it and we do not vouch for it.