>>18440428they were an british workwear brand way back in the day. i don't know how it is now, but british police issued shoes were doc martens for a long time, that kind of shit. because they were workwear the british punk movement wore them as well, and famously the skinhead nazi punks adopted them as part of their uniform. from the punk movement they spread into the general alt music world through the 80s and 90s.
i had an english made pair back in the 90s as a teenager. ended up giving them to my sister because they got too small. between the two of us they lasted about 8 years of usage and that included about three years of me wearing them nearly every day. so they used to be worth the price. i doubt that's the case these days.