Product Description Dr. Martens offers their signature contrast stitched air-cushioned boot. Dr. Martens is the stuff of legends. It all began near Munich Germany in 1945 when Dr. Klaus Maertens injured his foot in a skiing accident in the Bavarian Alps. To make walking easier during the healing process he designed a shoe with an air-cushioned sole. Using old rubber tires he constructed soles that had air trapped within closed compartments. He showed his prototype to his engineer/inventor friend Dr. Herbert Funck and together they decided to develop and produce the shoes. Not only did the shoe solve the doctor s immediate problem but it also started to sell well in Germany. By 1959 the two decided that they needed a company to produce and distribute the shoes then called Dr. Maertens in other parts of the world. At first many manufacturers rejected the concept of an air cushioned sole as a short-lived gimmick. However the R. Griggs Group located in the village of Wollaston in England decided to