Solovair (, "Sole of air"[2]) is a brand of British-made boots and footwear, produced by NPS Shoes Ltd., which was established in 1881. The NPS factory is based in Wollaston, Northamptonshire, an area known for its shoe industry.[3] NPS shoes are known for their Goodyear welt technology which is used in all their shoe production. This particular technique is needed to fix the Solovair sole onto "Soft Sole Suspension" boots and shoes.
History
Solovair was originally founded in 1881 as a cooperative known as the Northamptonshire Productive Society (NPS),[3] which is the name of the parent company of Solovair.
Shoe manufacturer R. Griggs Group Ltd. had the patent to produce Dr. Martens boots but not the technology. In 1960 Griggs and NPS collaborated to create a boot using a Solovair sole and a Griggs upper, and the result was the now iconic Dr. Martens boot.