These days, a pair of Made in England boots could set you back 225 USD.

而現在，一雙英國製的馬丁靴卻要價 225 美元。

So, what has changed?

到底是什麼改變了？

And why are these shoes now so expensive?

為什麼這些鞋子現在如此昂貴？

Doc Martens are a style icon that has endured for over 50 years.

馬丁靴是個屹立不搖超過 50 年的時尚指標。

They've been worn by everyone from Kanye West and Cardi B to the Dalai Lama and even Pope John Paul II, when the Vatican placed an order for the famous eight-eyelet boot in black, white, and navy leather.

每一位名人都穿過，從饒舌歌手坎爺、卡蒂 B 到達賴喇嘛，甚至連梵蒂岡的教宗望保祿二世也曾下訂單購買黑色、白色及海軍藍的有名八孔皮靴。

While a pair of Docs may not be the most expensive boot out there, their price and use has gone through a pretty radical transformation.

雖然馬丁靴不一定是世界上最昂貴的靴子，但是它們的價格及用途已經徹底改變。

And the company producing them has shifted dramatically too, from a family-owned local factory to an international fashion brand owned by a private-equity firm.

而且出產馬丁靴的公司也經歷了巨大的移轉，從在地的家庭工廠轉為私募股權公司的國際名牌大廠。

Since 2014, the price of boots has risen by almost 25 percent.

馬丁靴的價格自從 2014 年起提高了幾乎 25%。

Sales have grown year and year, and profits were up 70 percent in 2018 to '19.

銷售量年年增長，且 2018 年到 2019 年的收益上升了 70%。

So how did the company go from its humble beginnings to producing 7 million pairs of these shoes each year?

這間公司是如何從默默無名的小工廠成長到每年生產七百萬雙靴子大廠的呢？

Before they got their punk image, Doc Martens weren't quite so cool.

在他們有了龐克形象以前，馬丁靴其實沒那麼潮。

The patented technology behind the boots, the air-cushioned sole, was invented in 1945 by Dr. Klaus Maertens.

這種靴子背後的專利科技「氣墊鞋底」，是 Klaus Maertens 醫生在 1945 年發明的。

A German army doctor who injured his ankle in a skiing accident and was looking for a comfortable alternative to hard leather-sole boots.

他是位德國軍醫，因滑雪意外傷到腳踝後便一直在尋找硬底皮靴較為舒適的替代品。

The market for this new shoe technology wasn't the punks or skinheads you might associate with the history of these shoes, but older women in need of comfortable and practical footwear.

當時這項新技術的客群其實不是會和馬丁靴過往聯想在一起的龐克人或光頭黨，而是對舒適且實用的鞋子有需求的中老年女性。

They were even advertised as perfect gardening shoes at one point.

曾經它們還廣告標榜為「完美的園藝鞋」。

It was when this technology was brought over to the U.K. in 1960 that the iconic shoe you might recognize was first made.

現今常見的經典馬丁靴直到這項技術在 1960 年首次被引進英國時才首度被製造出來。

The air-cushioned sole was licensed to the Griggs company in Northampton, and the 1460 boot was created.

北安普頓的 Griggs 公司得到了氣墊鞋底技術授權，接著 1460 號靴便問世了。

The iconic stitching and recognizable heel loop were added, and the boots were sold to factory workers across England.

加上了招牌的車縫和辨識度高的鞋跟紋路後，馬丁靴在全英國工廠工人間十分受歡迎。

At the time, these boots cost only 3 USD a pair.

那時候，一雙那種靴子只要 3 美元。

Even with inflation, that's just over 50 USD.

就算經過通貨膨脹，換算後也只是 50 美元。

They were cheap, hard-wearing, and perfect for postmen, policemen, and workers on their feet all day.

它們便宜又耐穿，非常適合郵差、警察和工人整天工作時穿著。

The boot was quickly adopted by any countercultural movement that appeared, and they became a mainstay in glam, punk, skinhead, ska, and goth style, among many others.

馬丁靴很快地就被當時出現的所有反主流文化運動接納，於是成了魅力、龐克、混混、斯卡、歌德及其他風格的主要象徵。

Doc Martens' fashion status wasn't always guaranteed, though.

然而，馬丁靴的時尚地位也不是從未動搖。

After the boom in the 90s, the boots dipped out of fashion, and the company struggled, almost going bust in the early 2000s.

九零年代的潮流過後，這種靴子退流行了，而當時公司經營困難，差點在 2000 年代初期倒閉。

As the industry shrank, the cost of manufacturing shoes in England also got more expensive.

產業式微的同時，英國的產鞋成本也變得更高。

And by 2002 it already cost around 87 USD for a pair of Doc Martens.

到了 2002 年，一雙馬丁靴的價格已經漲到了大約 87 美元。

That's around 140 USD with inflation.

換算通貨膨脹之後大約是現在的 140 美元。

Northamptonshire was once the home of shoemaking in England.

北安普頓曾經是英國的產鞋重鎮。

In the mid-19th century there were over 2,000 shoemakers working in the region.

19 世紀中葉，那個地區大約有兩千家運行中的製鞋廠。

But as many of these shoemakers struggled, the majority went under or moved production abroad, and now there are just over 30 left.

由於那裡許多製鞋廠都陷入困境，後來大部分都倒閉了或是將生產轉移至海外，現在大約只剩 30 多間鞋廠。

Doc Martens followed suit, moving their production to Asia.

Doc Martens 也照著做，將生產基地移到亞洲。

The company still makes shoes in its Northamptonshire factory, but now this is only around 2 percent of its total production.

他們在北安普頓的公司還是有生產鞋子，但是現在只佔了總產量的 2% 左右。

Doc Martens says this relocation hasn't changed the way its shoes are made at all.

Doc Martens 表示，它們製作馬丁靴的方式並未因遷移工廠而有任何改變。

We wanted to see if there actually was a difference between the new Asian-made boots, the more expensive Made in England variety, or a vintage pair from before the move.

我們想知道亞洲製造的靴子、較貴的英國製靴子以及生產轉移前的舊式經典靴子是否真的有所差異。

We spoke to someone who's torn down multiple pairs of these shoes to find out.

我們訪問了拆解過多雙靴子的人來找出答案。

I'm Weston Kay, I'm a professional leatherworker, and I cut boots and shoes in half on YouTube.

我是 Weston Kay，是名專業皮匠，我常在 YouTube 上把靴子和鞋子切半。

Yeah, I would say the production methods are really similar between the Asian-made boots and the Made in England boots.

對，我覺得亞洲製和英國製的馬丁靴製法非常相似。

A lot of the same features on the inside of how they stitch their boots are identical.

兩種靴子內部的許多車縫特色都一模一樣。

Their construction's really similar.

結構也都非常相似。

They still heat-sew the sole to the welt.

鞋底和沿條以熱壓方式接合。

I think a lot of the big differences between the vintage boots and the newer ones...

我認為舊式鞋款和新版的主要差異...

It's stuff that you would only notice if you cut it in half, almost, or if you wore them for (a) long enough time.

幾乎要切半來看才會注意到，或是穿夠久的時間才會發現。

The vintage Doc Martens had a way better midsole that adds a lot of comfort, they had a wooden shank, and the leather was just a lot better.

舊式馬丁靴的中底好很多，加強了舒適性，中間有木質腰鐵，而且皮革的品質好很多。

So they lasted longer, they're more comfortable, they have the support you need.

所以舊式靴子比較耐久也比較舒服，可以提供所需的支撐力。

The newer ones just have worse versions of the old ones' materials.

新版本的靴子材料和舊式的一樣，只不過品質較差。

I wouldn't describe them as a super-durable or long-lasting boot, but a lot of people are just buying these boots because they're Doc Martens anyway.

我不會說它們特別持久或耐穿，不過很多人都因為它們是馬丁靴就買了。

And they're gonna be comfortable, they're gonna last a decently long time, so most people are gonna be happy with them.

它們確實蠻舒服的，也有一定的耐久度，所以大部分的人還是會滿意。

We contacted Doc Martens about these comments.

我們向 Doc Martens 聯絡詢問這些評語。

And their spokesperson told us:

他們的發言人回應道：

We have not altered any materials or manufacturing processes that would jeopardise the quality of our products.

我們並未對材料或製程做出任何會損害產品品質的改變。

And where specification changes have occurred they have been made to enhance our iconic products and to ensure we improve the wearers' experience.

而規格上的改變是為了改進我們的招牌產品，並且確保提升客戶體驗。

We removed the shank in 2000 after realising it did not improve the structural integrity of our boots.

我們發現木質腰鐵並無助於產品的完善性後，便在 2000 年將其移除了。

In 2005, our internal filler was changed from felt to a better-quality material.

2005 年，我們將內部填料由毛氈換為品質更佳的材質。

The 90s boot being referenced along with our current Made In England range have a leather thickness of 1.8 millimetres, whereas our main range has a thickness of 1.6 mm.

被提出比較的九零年代舊式靴子和現今英國製系列，皮革厚度都是 1.8 毫米，而我們主要生產的靴子皮革厚度則是 1.6 毫米。

Regardless of the materials, Doc Martens' style has endured.

無論材質如何，馬丁靴的時尚風格還是歷久彌新。

And since 2002, the brand's popularity has skyrocketed.

自從 2002 年起，這個品牌的人氣就一飛沖天。

The countercultural image that made it so famous is something that has stuck to this day, despite the expansion from small-town British-made boot to international icon.

就算從英國小鎮製造的工靴擴展為國際名牌，令馬丁靴成名的反主流形象至今都還存在。

And for fans of the boot, this can be an obsession.

對於馬丁靴的粉絲而言，這可能是種狂熱。

Over the years, the company's evolved from producing one boot in 1960 to producing around 250 styles each year.

許多年來，Doc Martens 從在 1960 年只製造一隻靴子，演變成每年生產超過 250 種類型的鞋子。

And as its popularity has grown, so has the competition.

此外，隨著人氣攀升，競爭也愈來愈激烈。

Over recent years, Doc Martens has filed lawsuits against Urban Outfitters, Vans, Boohoo, and others in an attempt to protect its iconic boot design.

近幾年間，Doc Martens 曾對 Urban Outfitters、Vans、Boohoo 和其他品牌提告，試著保護自己經典的靴子設計。

In 2014, the company was sold by the family and bought by private-equity firm Permira.

2014 年，Doc Martens 公司被 Griggs 家族賣給了私募股權公司 Permira。

Since this takeover, the price of boots has risen by almost 25 percent, and profits were up 70 percent in 2018 to '19, in large part due to the newfound success of their vegan range.

被收購之後，馬丁靴的價格上漲了快 25%，收益也在 2018 到 2019 年間成長了 70%，一大部分是因為它們新的純素皮革系列大獲成功。

And while the boots have transitioned from an English worker's boot into a global fashion icon, their style has endured, and their devoted fan following isn't going anywhere.

雖然它們從英式工靴轉為全球時尚標的，馬丁靴的風格歷久不衰，死心塌地的粉絲也會繼續買單。