Nathan Clark, who died on June 23 aged 94, created the Clarks Desert Boot, a bestseller since it was launched in 1949.

Clark, a great-grandson of James Clark, who co-founded the Quaker footwear company in 1825, was serving in Burma during the Second World War when he noticed some servicemen wearing rough suede boots with crepe soles, of a type made by local tradesmen in Cairo’s Old Bazaar for British officers of the Eighth Army…

To read more: Source: Telegraph

Dr. Martens is a traditional British footwear brand, which also makes a range of accessories – shoe care products, clothing, luggage, etc. In addition to Dr. Martens, they are known as Doc Martens, Docs or DMs. The footwear is distinct because of its unique air-cushioned sole (dubbed Bouncing Soles), upper shape, welted construction and yellow stitching. They are one of the most popular and well-known footwear brands in the world, and are iconic to the fashion industry.
Klaus Märtens was a doctor in the German army during World War II. While on leave in 1945, he injured his ankle while skiing in the Bavarian Alps. He found that his standard-issue army boots were too uncomfortable on his injured foot. While recuperating, he designed improvements to the boots, with soft leather and air-padded soles. When the war ended and some Germans looted valuables from their own cities, Märtens took leather from a cobbler’s shop. With that leather he made himself a pair of boots with air-cushioned soles.

Cherry Red and Black 14-hole Dr. Martens bootsMärtens did not have much success selling his shoes until he met up with an old university friend, Dr. Herbert Funck, in Munich in 1947. Funck was intrigued by the new shoe design, and the two went into business that year in Seeshaupt, Germany, using discarded rubber from Luftwaffe airfields. The comfortable and durable soles were a big hit with housewives, with 80% of sales in the first decade going to women over the age of 40.

Sales had grown so much by 1952 that they opened a factory in Munich. In 1959, the company had grown large enough that Märtens and Funck looked at marketing the footwear internationally. Almost immediately, British shoe manufacturer R. Griggs Group Ltd. bought patent rights to manufacture the shoes in the United Kingdom.Griggs anglicized the name, slightly re-shaped the heel to make them fit better, added the trademark yellow stitching, and trademarked the soles as AirWair.

The first Dr. Martens boots in the United Kingdom came out on 1 April 1960 (known as style 1460 and still in production today), with an eight-eyelet Ox Blood Smooth leather design. Originally Dr. Martens were made in their Cobbs Lane factory (which is still working today). In addition, a number of shoe manufacturers in the Northamptonshire area also produced DM’s under license, as long as they passed quality standards. They were popular among workers such as postmen, police officers and factory workers. By the early 1970s, skinheads started wearing them, and by the late 1980s, they were popular among punks, some New Wave musicians, and members of other youth subcultures.

Dr. Martens sponsored Rushden & Diamonds F.C. from 1998 to 2003, and when a new main stand was built at Nene Park in 2001, it was named the Airwair Stand.
In the 2000s, Dr. Martens were sold exclusively under the AirWair name, and came in dozens of different styles, including conventional black shoes, sandals and steel-toed boots.

On 1 April 2003, under pressure from declining sales, the Dr. Martens company ceased all production in the United Kingdom,[3] with production moved to China and Thailand. With this change also came the end of the company’s vegan-friendly non-leather products, which were produced since the early 1990s. In 2007, the company began producing footwear again in England, in the Cobbs Lane Factory in Wollaston. These products are part of the « Vintage » line, which the company advertises as being made to the original specs.

In April 2010, the Doc Martens 14-Hole black leather boot won two fashion awards at the 2010 Fashion Show in New York City; one for the ‘most popular men’s footwear in latest fashion’ and the other for ‘best counter-cultural footwear of the decade’.

Go-go boots are a low-heeled style of women’s fashion boot worn since the mid-sixties when fashion silhouettes focused on accentuating the leg. They first appeared in the 1960s.
Nowadays « go-go boot » is often used to describe any style of knee-high boots regardless of heel height, but this article mainly describes the original boot of that term.

The term Go-Go is derived from the French expression à gogo, meaning « in abundance, galore », which is in turn derived from the ancient French word la gogue for « joy, happiness ». The term « go-go » has also been explained as a 1964 back construction of the 1962 slang term « go », meaning something that was « all the rage »; the term « go-go dancer » first appeared in print in 1965.

In 1958, the first Whisky a Go-Go in North America opened in Chicago, Illinois, on the corner of Rush Street and Chestnut Street. It has been called the first real American discothèque. In Paris, the original accented Whisky à Go-Go opened in 1947.

Go-go boots are either calf-, knee- or above knee-high boots with a low or flat heel. The style is a very simple shape with a chiseled, rounded or pointed toe. The boot was usually fastened onto the foot by a side or back zipper, although by the Seventies it was not uncommon to find lace-up versions which accommodated a wider variety of calf sizes. Heel height ranges from flat to low 1″ shaped, with the occasional two-inch Cuban heel also known as the « kupfer or Trani » (as on Beatle boots).[citation needed]Materials were either synthetic or natural, i.e., anything, with the oldest designs being made from plastic or vinyl of various colors, the most popular being white. Women’s styles tended to be taller, tighter and with a slightly higher heel than girl’s styles.

The idea of a woman’s mainstream fashion boot was revolutionary. Before the introduction of go-go boots, women’s boots were generally worn during only inclement weather, rugged activities, or horseback riding, but not as street shoes.This new style of footwear was designed for to complement the shorter hemlines of the new, modern look.

Go-go boots drew attention to the legs, accentuated the simple A-line silhouettes but also offered some modest coverage for the less daring but fashion-minded women.André Courrèges is often cited as the originator of the fashion go-go boot: a low-heeled, calf-high boot made of white plastic with a clear cut-out slot near the top was featured as part of the « Moon Girl » look featured in his Fall 1964 collection.

Manufacturers began mass-producing runway knock-offs in contemporary colors and materials. These knock-offs were extremely popular with teenagers, who could be seen wearing go-go boots on both the street and television dance shows. They were often seen worn by « Dolly Birds » in London during the 1960s. The boots usually had a zipper in the back although some styles featured the zipper on the side or with no zipper at all.

Girl dancers on the TV shows, « Hullabaloo » and « Shindig » also wore the short, white boots. As such, those came to be called Hullabaloo Boots and Shindig Boots.
Nancy Sinatra’s 1966 number-one pop hit « These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ » helped popularize go-go boots, and the Space Age boots worn by Jane Fonda in 1968′s science fiction film Barbarella were a nod to their erotic past.

Other designers (including Mary Quant) designed their own versions of go-go boots. As hemlines rose, so did the height of the boot, and the heel height dropped proportionately, culminating in a pair of thigh-high garter boots designed by Yves Saint-Laurent which clipped up underneath the tiniest of skirts. Fashion trends progressed and as women’s trousers and maxi-length skirts where only the foot showed became popular, legs were de-emphasized. By the early seventies, go-go boots were referred to simply as boots, and the emphasis shifted to the height of the heel and the development of the platform. Many women also wore them in the 70s.

Go-go boots share some history with the UK’s « kinky boots », a style of calf- to knee-length pull-on black leather boots with 3-4 inch heels and pointed toes. The term kinky boots referred to the style’s Dominatrix and fetish origin and alludes to the perception that women in boots are powerful (i.e. like a Dominatrix.) Kinky boots broke into mainstream UK fashion in the early sixties and were seen on Honor Blackman and Diana Rigg in the original « Avengers » television series.

Many versions of go-go boots are still worn today, although « go-go boot » is often used to describe any style of knee-high boots worn with a dress or miniskirt regardless of heel height. in the USA NFL Cheerleaders, including the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Scottish Rockettes and the Oakland Raiderettes often wear go-go boots as part of their squad’s uniform; high-heeled versions of go-go boots are still worn by exotic and go-go dancers; and reproductions are available from many costume and specialty stores.

IKON draws inspiration from the 60’s British music and fashion scene, through to modern day. Let music be food to the soul. Let your soles be fed by wearing Ikon.
The past decade has seen IKON develop its own blend of dapper and smart formal footwear along with a unique mix of casual and summer wear. IKON products are designed, developed and produced with passion, flair and a commitment to style, quality and functionality. IKON produces collections around the structure of traditional seasons but maintains a fluid approach and introduces many new styles throughout the year.

Fashion comes from the street and is for the street – everyone must feel great in what they wear. « MOD for it », « I Know One Name » and « Fanatical about Footwear » are registered trademarks used in marketing the IKON brand. Original Ikon: British music has influenced fashion, and fashion has inspired music for many years and their relationship spawns a fascinating blend of both the sublime and the ridiculous.

It draws on key themes from British subcultures such as the mighty Mod Scene, Northern Soul classics, Ska&Scooter boy, Jazz-Dandy, Glam Rock and New Romantics… fuses together their influences and delivers a heady cocktail of classic patterns using modern materials… Authentic, Original Heritage a brand of footwear for the music aficionado who knows and appreciates the unique British music scene.