Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
I’ve never been a fan of DMs but I don’t like shoes with thick rubber soles. DMs, especially the shoes, have always looked like podiatric/medical footwear to me.
What shoes with these?
- Thread starter dessiato
- Start date
dessiato
🇪🇸 españa te quiero
Do they do the pointy hat thing much up north? Here you can hardly move for them.
Baronage-Phase
Well-Known Member
Because that is how they started.
Dr. Klaus Maertens, a 25-year-old soldier. While convalescing from a broken foot he created a unique air-cushioned sole (rather than the traditional hard leather sole) to aid his recovery. Using a salvaged cobbler’s last and a needle, Maertens made a prototype shoe and showed it to an old university friend and mechanical engineer, Dr. Herbert Funk.
The two went into partnership by using disused military supplies to begin producing their unique shoes. By 1947 they began formal production and within a decade had a booming business, mostly selling to older women. In 1959, they decided it was time to advertise their revolutionary footwear invention in overseas magazines.
Back in England, the Griggs company was now being run by the third generation of the family, Bill, along with brothers Ray, Colin and son Max. Whilst scanning the pages of a shoe trade magazine, Bill’s eye was caught by the German’s advert for their innovative air- cushioned sole.
An exclusive license was acquired and a few key changes made, including an altered heel, a bulbous but simple upper, a distinctive yellow welt stitch, a two tone grooved sole edge and a unique sole pattern. The boots were branded as ‘Airwair’ and came complete with a black and yellow heel loop featuring the brand name and the slogan “With Bouncing Soles” (based on Bill Grigg’s own handwriting). Taking its name from date of its inception, April 1st, 1960, the eight-holed 1460 Dr. Martens boot had arrived.
The History of Dr. Martens | Canada
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
Yeah, I know the history but it’s more than that. Back in the 70s it wasn’t uncommon to see people wearing leg braces (frame type things) which were attached to DM type shoes or boots. I think it may have had something to do with polio but could be wrong. There were also charity collection tins with those leg braces on them so there’s that connotation for a lot of people.
Actually I was wrong: when yougov polled red trousers in 2013, while they were widely disliked (but not that widely - a majority either didn't care or liked them), them being clothes posh people wore barely registered - most people thought they looked gay.
Red trousers are officially a fashion faux pas, YouGov poll finds
I don't think I'm going to take my sartorial leads from homophobes tbh.
Red trousers are officially a fashion faux pas, YouGov poll finds
I don't think I'm going to take my sartorial leads from homophobes tbh.
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
That’s probably just because it’s
mainly gay lads who have the dress nouse to pull off the red trousers look. Most of us just look like clowns.
dessiato
🇪🇸 españa te quiero
Someone should redo that poll and see what results we get. It'd be interesting to see what people thought.
Yeah, I'd say looking at the list of words people associated with red trousers, most of it is just general horror at any clothes that aren't contained within the very narrow 'rules' of what men are allowed to wear. I think things have got a little looser in the last few years, and expect people would care even less than they did in 2013. Would be interesting tho.
It's more of a minority, but it happens. I'm up the road from the village of the flagellants.
And this is my town: The anonymous child is waving to their friends or family!
I may well teach those kids
A daring look. What shoes go with it? Pointy ones?
what is it about being gay that makes flamboyant dressing ok, but not ok for straight people do you think?
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
What's that all about then?It's more of a minority, but it happens. I'm up the road from the village of the flagellants.
And this is my town: The anonymous child is waving to their friends or family!
I may well teach those kids
A daring look. What shoes go with it? Pointy ones?
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
That's not what I said, was it now?
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
This is a difficult prejudice for me to totally disentangle in my mind. I think Michael Portillo looks really good in his red trews. Saw him at a train station buying a ticket at the machine recently and he looked very dapper and very very good for a man his age. He'd clearly carefully considered everything he was wearing, including the red jeans he had on. But it also made me think that he is finally embracing his gayness. That thought did pop into my head. It's a rotten prejudice.
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
No idea. But it should be self evident to anyone who's spent time in the company of both, that gay lads often have better dress sense than straight dudes. Now I know you're a bit of a dandy and you're into your gear and whatnot but there's no need to take offence at this. Many straight fellas can put a decent outfit together and you're clearly one of those fortunate souls who don't need to rely on the wife or gay mates to sort your wardrobe out. My comment regarding your Telegraph article was that rather than people thinking red trousers looked gay due to homophobia (as was your suggestion), it's more likely that people who looked good in red strides have been gay, and that's where the association has been made.
dessiato
🇪🇸 españa te quiero
A lot of our students take part in the processions. Some are barefoot and will walk around the town for several hours that way.It's more of a minority, but it happens. I'm up the road from the village of the flagellants.
And this is my town: The anonymous child is waving to their friends or family!
I may well teach those kids
A daring look. What shoes go with it? Pointy ones?
The pointy hats cost about 80€ in the only shop selling them.
Orang Utan
Psychick Worrier Ov Geyoor
That's not what i was doing
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Why would you pose for a photo with Michael Portillo? 
Not sure about that jacket tbf. He was shorter than I expected, as is often the way.
Not sure about that jacket tbf. He was shorter than I expected, as is often the way.
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
Why would you pose for a photo with Michael Portillo?
He was a nice bloke. He chatted to us for ages. They were making one of his railway journeys programmes.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Might not have chatted for ages with me.
'So, Michael, you seem like a nice bloke. How come you've been such a cunt all your life?'
Baronage-Phase
Well-Known Member
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
Crafty built-in heels. Like Tom Cruise.
Baronage-Phase
Well-Known Member
Crafty built-in heels. Like Tom Cruise.
Or maybe Portillo is really standing far away......
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
He didn't strike me as particularly short. Reckon he'd be about 5'10/11".
LBJ's taller than me though.
There are things that were done all across Europe but have hung on in certain places. Like those mad games of football in England. In San Vicente de la Sonsierra they atone for their sins by whipping themselves while in other parts of Spain they carry crosses, which they do here, Some places cruelty is still done to random animals, and to bulls in most places. Often these are things that they think nobody else does: Basques are sure that they alone play a game of bouncing a ball against a building and are quite put out by seeing pictures of fives. Other country sports are very like Highland Games, but if the nearby places don't do it then 'nobody else' does.
The funny thing about San Vicente is that the whippers are supposedly anonymous. But it's a tiny place and if somebody is missing from the watching crowd then they are probably whipping themselves. And then everybody wonders what they might have done to feel so guilty.
Spymaster
Plastic Paddy
Yes, but the pointy hat chaps specifically?
Saul Goodman
It's all good, man
They're hiding the cornettos from the kids.
