Shoes with airbags on their heels were invented by the German doctor Dr. Klaus Märtens, who suffered an ankle injury while skiing in the Bavarian Alps. He developed a type of shoe that would prevent foot shocks. ¹⁾

In 1959, the production rights were bought by the British company R. Giggs Group Ltd. The English manufacturer gave the shoes a distinctive look by adding a yellow thread to the soles. ²⁾.

The first pair of British martens appeared on the market in 1960. It was an eight-eyelet cherry red-colored smooth leather design known as style 1460. It is still in production today. ³⁾.