ABeatle bootorBaba boot[1] is a style of boot that has been worn since the late 1950s but made popular by the English rock group the Beatles in the 1960s. 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.[2]
Beatle boots are a direct descendant of the Chelsea boot, but have an even more pointed toe—compare the slightly earlier winklepickers—and a centre seam stitch running from ankle to toe, and the flamenco boot, from which its Cuban heel was derived. Beatle boots originated in 1958, but in October 1961 English musicians John Lennon, George Harrison and Paul McCartney saw Chelsea boots whilst in Hamburg, being worn by a London band, and then went to the London footwear company Anello & Davide to commission 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 late 1950s, but started to decline during the late 1960s. They were worn by subcultures such as teddy boys, beatniks, rockers and psyches etc. 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.[citation needed] During the late 2000s and early 2010s the boots have seen a steady surge in popularity.
^Bassett McCleary, John (2004). Hippie Dictionary: A Cultural Encyclopedia of the 1960s and 1970s. Ten Speed Press. p. 44. ISBN1-58008-547-4.
^Kippen, Cameron. "Beatle Boots". The History of Boots. Department of Podiatry. Archived from the original on 10 October 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2007. The Beatle Boot saw the reintroduction of heels for men.
^Bramwell, Tony (2004). Magical Mystery Tours: My Life with the Beatles. Robson. p. 34. ISBN0-312-33043-X.
^Lawrence, Helen (18 April 2005). "Carl Barât". Popstar Feets. Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 11 October 2007.
^Lejtenyi, Patrick (June 2000). "Back from the Grave". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2007. ...and the Beatle boots...
^Bone, Martyn (2002). "The Rolling Stones". St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
