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Tuesday 11 August 2015

Desert


One of my favourite stories of musical cross cultural pollination is Jamaica giving us ska and reggae and in return Jamaican rude boys taking back multiple pairs of Clarks Desert Boots (and Wallabies and Desert Trek). It's a story that goes back to at least the early 1970s when they were adopted by various Jamaican musicians. Dillinger's 1976 hit CB200 describes him getting his Honda CB200 motorbike, riding into Kingston and getting himself a new pair of trousers and some Clarks Desert Boots. During police raids on sound systems in the 70s the police would pull all the rude boys wearing the Somerset shoes, assuming they must be criminals- how else would they be able to afford such expensive footwear? Natty dread and natty footwear.



Like the other mainstays of British street style- Harrington jackets, Fred Perry polo shirts, Dr Martens- the price has sky rocketed in recent years. Gone are the days when you could go shopping in town, buy the above and still have change for the bus home and a bag of chips.

7 comments:

drew said...

Try finding replacement laces the right colour for the navy blue ones, nigh on impossible!

C said...

Well I didn't know any of that, brilliant!
I regularly wear my little desert boots. Weird to think I had a pair very similar in 1979. So does that make me old-fashioned... or bang on trend?!

Anonymous said...

Both!
I've had and got several pairs. They look great for ages and then suddenly go knackered
Swiss Adam

George said...

I had a pair in the mid 1970s, they just didn't cope with that scottish weather. It was Tuf shoes after that I'm afraid.

Walter said...

The desert boots are timeless and comfortable. During the last years I bought a few pairs of them. When one pair is damaged I get me the next one. Nice to hear Dillinger again.

The Swede said...

Magnificent selection.

Craig said...

I've lived in desert boots since I was a teenager. You cannae beat them! I didn't know that about the natty dreads - great post!