Boxing Boots
Not sure why these became MOD, if at all!
Again, popular around our way and I think because of a few pictures of The Jam. Were they a Northern Soul thing?
Rick Buckler can be seen wearing some red ones on the front of The Snap compilation. And at the time Weller was wearing a lot of Lonsdale, so perhaps it was a ‘I will give these a go’. I await an answer on this one.
From Steve Overbury
In fact some of the lads used to wear Lonsdale boxing boots on the street, but they had Rizla-thin soles and wore out very fast – still stylish uppers, but nothing twixt foot and floor – and since they cost more than Monkey Boots they were a short-lived and expensive fashion statement.
Moccasins
Type Moccasin into Google image search and you will see lots of comfy slippers. In the early 80’s they were little tan slip on shoes, worn by casuals. But start researching back further and you will see some smart but very casual shoes.
Gucci made very nice moccasins. Loake make some very nice moccasins. Their style is different again, the soft leather makes this a very comfortable shoe for casual occasions. The good ones don’t come cheap, but they exude class.
Below are some examples of 80’s style moccasins along with what I think are actually classic shoes.
Cycling shoes
I see Cycling Shoes as an extension of the sports look. Fred Perry is the obvious sports look for the aspiring MOD, casual but smart. I always thought the cycling shirts had a splash of MOD about them. Loads of variations, small runs on the clothing made them very desirable for a smart but casual look.
The Cycling Shoe has the cool look of different lines, little breathing holes and unique styling, much like the Bowling Shoe.
Bowling Shoes
In Richard Barnes MODS book he mentions that he had a friend that walked out with his Bowling Shoes still on after going bowling. The story implies that a chance accident started a MOD fashion, whether it is true or not I can see why the style is liked.
The multi-colour style of the Bowling Shoe works in the MOD environment, slightly flash. The only pair I have had were lovely and soft, but were instantly useless in the rain. Countless people have brought out variations on the theme since the 60s.
Again, they were massive in the MOD revival which I suspect because Melandi and Shellys made it very easy to buy via mail order. Adverts in music mags such as Melody Maker, NME and Sounds mean that outside of London you could access a pair. Again Weller and The Jam can be clearly seen wearing Bowling Shoes on The Snap cover, which is a clear endorsement.
“I just used to go with them to Carnaby Street on Saturdays and it was there where we used to buy our clothes, especially for school. I bought a pair of Jam Bowling Shoes (chisel toe of course) from Shellys and the worst trousers money could buy, just because we thought Paul Weller wore them.”
SUPER CORSA’S WORLD
I seem to recollect that you could get just about any colour combinations. The shoes did deem to be a lot more flat looking and a chisel toe.
The pairs that are available now are pretty good. Mate of mine here in boro wears an ikon pair and they look pretty good.
The Jam Stage Shoes
When “Going Undeground” got to number 1 in 1980 the UK was in full MOD Revival swing. And there on Bruce Foxtons feet in the video was a pair of Jam Stage Shoes.
I believe Shellys were the suppliers of said shoe. I wonder if they sponsored The Jam at the time. Like Bowling Shoes and the Jam Stage Shoes you could buy them mail order and in a variety of colours. Red White and Blue was a fav colour for any young MOD. Now I think they look look a little dated but I do like the fact they stand out a mile.
See on a few websites these being referred to as badgers ! There are few people that make and sell these now.
Pete Townsend in The High Numbers wearing Monkey Boots
Monkey Boots
Often thought as a Skinhead fashion, the Monkey Boot creeps on to the MOD stage for couple of reasons.
1. Hard MODS, basically late 60’s MODS becoming skins would wear them
2. Weller and Ian Page can be seen wearing some in a few pictures on MOD revival.
I have had a few pairs. Once worn in, they are really comfortable. The elusive brown ones have been really hard to get hold of for years but are now being re-made. Some the traditional skins I know say that their stitching is not the same. I only have seen one true old pair of browns, which were bought on a car boot sale here in Peterborough and they were a girls size!
The tread of the Monkey Boot has a distinctive tractor tyre design and the composite material they are made from is durable. Monkey Boots can last a lot longer than DMs and mile for mile they are better value. They were the standard issue Czechoslovakian army boot of WW2. Monkey boots are available in most towns in the UK.
There are variations of monkey boots, Trickers make a very nice boot, leather sole and the detailing is amazing, but they are not cheap, and you normally have to order and wait 6 months.
There are currently several kinds of monkey boots for sale, the ones we had made , shown below, to be very well made and a quality item at a reasonable price, throw in that they are made in the UK, adds to the offering.
PICTURES:
Pete Townsend in The High Numbers wearing Monkey BootsI think he may have needed some new boots ! Monkey Boots again !
Chelsea Boots
I am not sure about Chelsea Boots. Why? Because I see them more a fashion thing, than a pure MOD thing. I know you can say the same about loafers, but everyone wore Chelsea Boots. Goths wear them now and they suffer a little from being what people think of 60’s MOD imagery.
According to the advertising this is “MODS”� Mid-60′s customers queue for Anello’s shoes, Drury Lane, London WC
Also, and as much as I love them, The Beatles wore Chelsea Boots. So are they MOD?
There are many variations of the Chelsea Boots, but the iconic 60’s look is the thin, but very pointed boot, with a Cuban heel.
“We all dressed in that look” said Granny Takes A Trip founder Nigel Waymouth, then a blues-mad student. “Pea jackets, very tight jeans and pointed Anello & Davide shoes. Probably a matelot shirt. I’d go to the Railway Hotel in Richmond and the Gee Club in Ealing to see Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies.”
In terms of these days, there are loads of Chelsea Boots to be had. These boots look pretty good. http://www.scorpioshoes.com/mens-2/shoes-5/formal-slip-ons-50/paolo-vandini-veer3-mens-leather-chelsea-32695.htm These boots look good, but I think they are a little Austin PowersMOD! http://fantasyshoe.com/mod-60s-retro-boots-shoes/fur-cuban-heel-winklepicker-beat-boots not for me, but perhaps you?
Trainers
Are trainers MOD? And why are they on MOD Shoes. Well I suppose as much as early skinheads were a MOD extension so I see that some of the Casuals were as well.
Adidas is a very well known make and has literally 1000’s of variations. Collectors of the trainers are as obsessive as record collectors.
David Walker, on the MOD culture website, mentions these are his favourite makes: Patrick Arendal trainers; Onitsuka Tiger Nippon 60 trainers; Gola; Adidas and Walsh Bazley trainers. I think he is right.
Puma are of course old school too and certainly all the trainers have been worn by MODS. On the MOD Male website the author mentions that the trainer is very much the casual side of MOD. Certainly you see a lot of lads wearing them, me included.
More by accident than design I have had a couple of pairs of rare Adidas trainers and have several people ask me were I bought them! Certainly during the Brit Pop days trainers came through. Oasis certainly wore them a lot and Italian MOD band Kick Start looked amazing in their Adidas look. Another band that were just before Brit Pop were These Animal Men. Their look of short hair, white jeans and Adidas trainers was very MOD.
So I include Trainers on MOD shoes for that reason, but I await comments below.
I know very little about Cord Shoes. The style can look really cool on some people, but has to be carried off well to look cool.
There are lots of pictures of The Small Faces in this style and I get the feeling it was a 65 onwards MOD fashion. More a nightclub shoe? Certainly Marriott and co look very good in them.
