Doc Marten Exhibition: Northampton Museum

Northampton Museum is hosting an exhibition to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dr Marten’s Boots. Invented by Dr Klaus Martens after he could not find a suitable pair of boots to support ankle injury caused after a skiing accident in Bavaria. In 1947 he came up with the idea of combining soft leather and air-padded soles into a pair of boots. He and a friend Herbert Funck went into partnership selling 1461 boots. Dr Martens boots have experienced various transitions across the decades and become firm favourites of policemen to punks; clergymen to high fashion divas. The new exhibitions tells the story of the boots from the first production line in East Northamptonshire, to their current cult status among youth culture. The iconic boots have come to represent both fashion and anti-fashion which no other shoe has. On show will be the famous DM stilt boots worn by Sir Elton John in the film of the rock opera, ‘Tommy’ by Pete Townsend among many other exhibits. Admission is free.