Shriver High Fashion Boots

The Shriver is a thoroughly modern boot for the alternative fashion consumer with an extra chunky sole that elevates the wearer. A rugged-heeled boot that gives a feeling of power.

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.