Figure 1.--Here we see Cubs wearing the Doc Marten low-cut shoes. The company brought these outs after schools began banning the boots. They became popular for schoolwear. |
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Doc Martens would seem suitable footwear for youth groups. This is especially true for outdoor activities like hiking and camping. In fact they were not at all popular with youth groups or the parents of the children. This is probably because of the military-look and the association with skinheads. Dr. Martens were adopted by one youth group--the Belgian VNJ. Actually, I am not sure that they wear Doc Martens, but they wear black, military-style boots that look like them. Boys in other groups wore them, but they were not approved footwear. We note some British Cubs wearing them, but the type they usually wore were the low-cut shoe the company made for schoolwear.
Doc Martens would seem suitable footwear for youth groups. This is especially true for outdoor activities like hiking and camping. In fact they were not at all popular with youth groups or the parents of the children. This is probably because of the military-look and the association with skinheads. The image that youth groups want to project is that of clean-cut orderly youth. Of course this was just the opposite of the skinhead image.
We have noted boys in some youth groups wearing Doc Martens are at leasrt boots looking like Doc Martens. More popular proved to be the low-cut Doc Martens shoes.
Doc Martens were adopted by one youth group--the Belgian VNJ. Actually, I am not sure that they wear Doc Martens, but they wear black, military-style boots that look like them. A British reader reports, "The VNJ photographs show the boys wearing more rugged army type boots - Doc Martens were not worn like that. The VNJ is the youth group of the Flemish independence movement. The uniform and appearance of the boys is somewhat edgy. The group not only wears black boots, but somey of the boys have extremely close-cropped hair. This has varied over time.
Boys in other groups wore them, but they were not approved footwear. School sandals are commonly associate with British Cubs. Many Cubs began wearing trainers in the 1970s. Cubs would never have allowed boots at pack meetings, although they may have been allowed boots on hikes. We note some British Cubs wearing them, but the type they usually wore were the low-cut shoe the company made for schoolwear. The Cubs here are wearing Doc Martens shoes (figure 1). I've never seen Cubs wearing Doc Marten boots. Neither have I seen British Scouts wearing them. The other thing is that cubs and so on only started wearing the shoes later -
A British reader writes, "You never saw scouts wearing boots (except on hikes and then rarely Doc Martens) in the U.K. whereas I have seen that in other countries Scouts do wear boots routinely. I think that skinheads made wearing boots subversive - which is quite an acheivement!"
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