Beatle boot

A Beatle boot is a style of boot that has been worn since the 1960s—made popular by the English rock group the Beatles, for whom they were originally made. The boots are a variant of the Chelsea boot: they are tight-fitting, Cuban-heeled, ankle-high boots with a sharp pointed toe. The style can feature either elastic or zipped sides.[1]

Not to be confused with The Beatles bootleg recordings.

A pair of Beatle boot replicas.

Beatle boots saw the reintroduction of high-heeled footwear for men.[2]

History

The Beatles, seen here in 1963

Beatle boots are a direct descendant of the Chelsea boot, but have an even more pointed toe and a centre seam stitch running from ankle to toe, and the flamenco boot, from which its Cuban heel was derived.[3] Beatle boots originated in October 1961, when English musicians John Lennon and Paul McCartney saw Chelsea boots whilst browsing in the London footwear company Anello & Davide, and consequently commissioned four pairs (with the addition of Cuban heels) for the Beatles, to complement their new suit image upon their return from Hamburg.[4]

Beatle boots were very popular with rock bands and artists during the middle 1960s but started to decline during the 1970s. The boots saw a surge of popularity during the punk movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s but again started to decline throughout the 1990s. During the late 2000s and early 2010s the boots have seen a steady surge in popularity.

Notable wearers

Non-fictional

• Carl Barât[5]
• The Beatles[3]
• Michael Jackson
• The Dave Clark Five
• The Monkees
• Michael Kueppers
• Elvis Presley
• James Brown
• Roy Orbison
• Jimi Hendrix
• Claude François
• Neil Tennant
• The Doors
• MC5
• The Kinks
• The Zombies
• The Sonics
• The Yardbirds
• The Byrds
• The Beach Boys
• Steve Lukather
• Ryan Ross
• Daedalus Howell
• Iggy Pop
• The Kills
• Russell Brand
• Ahmet Thefa
• Jonny Ivey[6][7]
• Bob Dylan[8]
• The Gruesomes[9]
• The Rolling Stones[10]
• Alex Turner
• Richey Edwards
• Andy Warhol[11]

Fictional

• Riff Raff from The Rocky Horror Picture Show[12]
• Austin Powers, from the Austin Powers series[13]
• Ned Flanders, from The Simpsons[14]
• Sid from Hey Arnold![15]

References

1. Bassett McCleary, John (2004). Hippie Dictionary: A Cultural Encyclopedia of the 1960s and 1970s. Ten Speed Press. p. 44. ISBN 1-58008-547-4.
2. Kippen, Cameron. "Beatle Boots". The History of Boots. Department of Podiatry. Retrieved 2007-10-11. The Beatle Boot saw the reintroduction of heels for men.
3. "The Beatle Boot". Bespoke Shoes. Anello & Davide. Archived from the original on 23 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-11. The traditional Chelsea Boot was adapted for the Beatles by Anello & Davide in the early 1960s with the addition of a higher Cuban heel from the Flamenco Boot.
4. Bramwell, Tony (2004). Magical Mystery Tours: My Life with the Beatles. Robson. p. 34. ISBN 0-312-33043-X.
5. Lawrence, Helen (2005-04-18). "Carl Barât". Popstar Feets. Archived from the original on 2008-09-07. Retrieved 2007-10-11.
6. Li-Chou Han, Sara (October 2007). "Suited and Booted". Style. Your Fridge Door. Archived from the original on 13 November 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-11. ...Brands favourite style, the Zip Boot...
7. "Episode 5". The Russell Brand Show. Season 1. Episode 5. 2006-12-22. Channel 4.
8. "Bob dylan". The Independent. 2007-04-17. p. 2. Retrieved 2008-02-03.
9. Lejtenyi, Patrick (June 2000). "Back from the Grave". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2007-12-29. ...and the Beatle boots...
10. Bone, Martyn (2002). "The Rolling Stones". St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
11. "Warhol's foot fetish". Brisbane Times. The Daily Telegraph. 2007-11-19. p. 2. Retrieved 2007-12-29.
12. "Riff Raff: Costume List".
13. Myers, Mike (1996-07-17). "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery script". We start on a pair of BEATLE BOOTS...
14. ""Treehouse of Horror X"". I've resisted these for thirty-five years. Why did I wear them today?
15. Hey Arnold!