Dr. Martens hands back furlough cash as revenue soars

Dr. Martens has repaid the money it received for the furlough scheme after revealing revenue has soared by 48 per cent.

The iconic Northamptonshire brand - which still makes its sturdy boots from its factory in Wollaston - put its retail staff and UK manufacturing teams on furlough in March and topped their workers' salaries up from 80 per cent to fully pay.

They stopped using the scheme at the end of June when the Covid-19 lockdown eased and they went back to work.

But given their resilience in trading and the financial strength of the business the firm's board has decided to hand the taxpayer funds back to the Government.

It comes after they revealed their financial results for the year to March 2020 which saw revenue grow by 48 per cent to £672m with new worldwide stores opening in locations including France, Miami, Las Vegas.

Chief executive Kenny Wilson said: "The last few months have been a very challenging time for everyone and I am extremely proud of the resilience and commitment our teams have shown, which has enabled us to continue delivering for our customers throughout the pandemic.

"Looking ahead, while we are currently in a volatile and uncertain trading environment, we have a very clear strategy in place supported by a strong brand and consumer connections, and I am confident in the outlook for the business."

The 60-year-old footwear brand, started as a collaboration between a German doctor and a Northamptonshire footwear maker

The Griggs family had been making boots for six decades before the Dr. Martens boot was born.

Dr Klaus Maertens, a 25-year-old solicitor in Munich, got the ball rolling when he created an air-cushioned sole to help his recovery from a broken foot.

He made a prototype and went into partnership with an old university friend and mechanical engineer Dr Herbert Funk. The pair used disused military supplies to begin producing their shoes and by 1947 they began formal production.

Within a decade, business was booming and in 1959 they decided to advertise their footwear invention in overseas magazines.

Back in England in 1960, the Griggs company was now being run by the third generation of the family, Bill, with brothers Ray and Colin and son Max, and they spotted the advert in a shoe trade magazine. After getting an exclusive licence and making a few key changes, 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 – April 1, 1960 – the eight-holed 1460 Dr. Martens boot had arrived and despite tweaks and additions over time as trends come and go, the boot itself has hardly changed and still continues to be one of the main players in the footwear field.

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