Dr. Martens

Dr. Martens is a British footwear and clothing brand, which also makes a range of accessories – shoe care products, clothing, luggage, etc. In addition to Dr. Martens, they are also commonly known as Doctor Martens, Doc Martens, Docs or DMs. The footwear is distinguished by its air-cushioned sole (dubbed Bouncing Soles), upper shape, welted construction and yellow stitching.

History

Klaus Märtens was a doctor in the German army during World War II. While on leave in 1945, he injured his ankle while skiing in the Bavarian Alps. He found that his standard-issue army boots were too uncomfortable on his injured foot. While recuperating, he designed improvements to the boots, with soft leather and air-padded soles made of tires. When the war ended and some Germans recovered valuables from their own cities, Märtens took leather from a cobbler's shop. With that leather he made himself a pair of boots with air-cushioned soles.

Märtens did not have much success selling his shoes until he met up with an old university friend, Dr. Herbert Funck, a Luxembourger, in Munich in 1947. Funck was intrigued by the new shoe design, and the two went into business that year in Seeshaupt, Germany, using discarded rubber from Luftwaffe airfields. The comfortable soles were a big hit with housewives, with 80% of sales in the first decade going to women over the age of 40.

Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters, Inc. is an American multinational clothing corporation headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It operates in the United States, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, United Kingdom and Spain. Its inventory primarily consists of women's and men's fashion apparel, footwear, beauty and accessories, activewear and gear, and housewares, which largely draw from bohemian, hipster, ironically humorous, kitschy, retro, and vintage styles. Their targeted group is young adults aged 18 to 28. The company has additionally collaborated with designers and luxury brands on several occasions. Urban Outfitters manages five separate brands, including its namesake, Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain, and BHLDN; together, the brands operate over 400 retail locations worldwide. Today, it sells its product to approximately 1,400 specialty stores and select department stores. Other than that, merchandise is sold directly to customers through websites, mobile applications, catalogs and customer contact centers. As of January 31, 2015, total of 238 Urban Outfitters stores are operating, in which 179 are located in the United States, 16 are located in Canada and 43 are located in Europe.