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Pete's footwear? Must be the Shoes!



To Bjorn and Jess:
Here's an article in today's newspaper that may shed some light on your
footwear enigma about Pete's shoes:

____________________________________________________________________________
Sept. 4, 2000, 6:44PM

Dr. Martens steps in a different path 
New styles, swift changes part of revised strategy 
By ANDY DWORKIN 
Newhouse Service 

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Two pairs of boots in the private fourth-floor showroom of
Dr. Martens' U.S. subsidiary show the new path the Portland-based division
is walking. 

The boots are Doc's classic "eight hole" variety, the chunky-sole, leather
workers with eight pairs of eyelets that remain the company's best seller,
40 years after their introduction by Britain's R. Griggs Group Ltd. It's the
same functional design that Pete Townshend, punkers and grunge kings turned
into a hallmark of the counterculture lifestyle. 

But these eight holes have a twist. One's wrapped in sparkly silver leather.


The other's pink. 

Bright, shiny pink. 

It's not the standard black or brown that made Dr. Martens famous. But Doc's
decided to be driven less by its traditional styles and more by the whims of
fashion. Officials hope it will move Dr. Martens from a cult favorite into a
brand with mass appeal. 

So Doc's is starting to offer new styles and colors, from men's shoes with
purple accents to studded ladies' sandals with cut-outs in a flower pattern.
Starting this year, it will introduce new styles six times a year, instead
of the two annual lines it has previously offered. 

"What we're shifting ourselves toward is more of a market-driven company,"
said David Reimann, the new president of Dr. Martens AirWair U.S.A. 

Doc's plan to more quickly offer bright, fashionable shoes mirrors efforts
at other shoe companies, including Beaverton, Ore.-based Nike. The trend is
being driven by consumers who want shoe brands and stores to respond to
fashion trends more quickly, said Brent Harris, national merchandising
manager for juniors' shoes at Seattle-based Nordstrom. 

"Doc Martens has been pretty slow to that change," he said. "They realized
they've got to be faster. They're putting themselves in a position to be
more nimble." 

The company is pursuing ...major reforms, Reimann said. 

The company is planning to market itself more aggressively as it expands its
styles, Reimann said. The U.S. subsidiary will spend more on marketing in
the next six months than it did in the past 18 months, he said. 

Doc's is moving to six deliveries a year to keep up with fast-changing
fashions. 

Retailers generally applaud Dr. Marten's for its plans. 

"It makes them a fashion thing again," said Sandi Future, president of
Worship Shoes-The Future, a downtown Portland retailer. "We had a lot of
customers crying for something other than the basic black." 

Houston Chronicle Newspaper Online, 5 September 2000

The link is at:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/business/656135

_____________________________________________________________________________

RE:

Bjorn, I think ther Doc Martens, are they kinda close 
to these? 
http://www.drmartens.com/asp/product/product-info.asp?code=8667Z 

I too love Pete's shoes so if you figure out what they 
are can you tell me

Jess in Jersey









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