Dr. Martens Men’s Ironbridge Wide ST Work Boot Review

This truly rich Dr. Martens safety boot is built to the highest standards with a water resistant leather upper, Smartmask® PU-cushioned footbed, and classic air-cushioned outsole. This is a Goodyear-welted product. The upper and outsole are sewn together, not merely glued, like many footwear constructions. This, together with the Z welt-stitch and heat-sealing process, makes it unique to Dr. Martens. This aggressively cleated PVC sole is heat-sealed and benefits from a wooden shank for improved mid-foot ridgidity. It’s slip-resistant with a high degree of oil and abrasion resistance and has first-class energy absorbing qualities in the heel strike area. Electric hazard protection helps protect the wearer against accidental contact with electrical charge by offering additional insulation from the ground while a steel toe cap adds additional protection. Arduous work days are no match for the Dr. Martens Ironbridge ST 8 Tie Boo.

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 go along with the idea by creating the first work boot with the revolutionary sole. On the first of April 1960, the first cherry red eight-eyelet work boot was produced and named 1460. To sell the brand name better in England, the name was anglicized to Dr. Martens. The range was branded AirWair and the rest is history.