Dr Martens sales take a kicking

THE Dr Marten boot empire is in financial danger after decades of being a 'must-wear' for punk rockers, police officers, models, actresses and millions of other Britons. Plummeting sales have prompted the company to call in consultants to draw up a rescue plan. It is to shut one of its three British factories and may shift production abroad in a bid to revive its fortunes.

The brand started in 1945 when German doctor Klaus Maertens injured his foot while skiing and designed the air-cushioned creations. During their heyday, the boots were worn by generations of Britons, many keen to emulate their punk or rock star heroes.

Singer Sinead O'Connor's DMs now take pride of place in Dublin's Hall Of Fame and Rock Museum. The boots were part of the uniform for successive waves of youth movements, from anarchists to anti-capitalists. But since the rise of dance music culture, young people have replaced the boots with trainers, apart from a slight revival that coincided with mid-Nineties 'grunge' music.

However, many foreign tourists annually visit the flagship store in Covent Garden. More than 80% of production is now exported, with two-thirds sold in America, but fewer than five million pairs were sold last year and sales this year are expected to be even lower.

As well as changing fashions, the company faces stiff competition from cheaper south-east Asian factories. The company has tried to branch out with clothing ranges and increasingly imaginative versions of the boot, which can bought in 150 styles. It is also planning to introduce a 'lighter' range of footwear.

The closure of the factory in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, will reduce capacity by 10% and more than 100 of the 1,400 staff will be axed. The Somerset factory closed last December.

William Johnson, company secretary of R Griggs, the family-owned group behind the brand, said: 'In the past, we thought we were a brand that transcended normal rules of competition, but I don't think that is true any more, if ever it was. Current trading conditions remain difficult, but we have a new management team in place and we are conducting a global review to ensure that the unique Dr Martens brand remains strong.'

The company will continue to manufacture from its two largest shoe factories and its component production complex in Northamptonshire and Leicestershire. KPMG has been appointed to conduct a ' fundamental' review with the possibility of more cuts.