LONDON, Sept 15 Reuters Dr Martens plans to launch a shoe repair service in Britain next month as it seeks to polish its sustainability credentials, encourage customers to extend the life of their boots, and create a new revenue stream.

The Londonlisted maker of leather boots, shoes and sandals is currently testing the service with its employees, CEO Kenny Wilson said in an interview. The British launch is a pilot, with a view to expanding the service to continental Europe.

Even if the repair service displaces some demand as people opt for repairing their boots over buying a new pair, Wilson said the service would bring benefits overall.

Could it potentially lose us some business short term? Yes, but we think about it longterm, therefore we think it will breed customer loyalty, and it39;s the right thing to do, he said.

I get letters from people every week saying can I get my DMs repaired, he added.

Dr Martens is working with The Boot Repair Company in the northern English city of Leeds to offer repairs.

To replace wornout soles on a pair of boots a procedure that requires taking the whole boot apart customers would pay 81 pounds 100.50, Wilson said, while other repairs would likely be less expensive. That compares with 169 pounds 209.68 for a new pair of Dr Martens 1460 boots.

Overall, Wilson said he sees a big opportunity in the secondhand market for Dr Martens, with the potential to grow to a tenth of group revenue. In May last year, the company launched a…