Fashion Synopsis

“These boots are made for walkin’
And that's just what they'll do
And one of these days these boots
Are gonna walk all over you…”

To dance inside a gilded cage perched high above the dance floor was every girl’s fantasy during the swinging 60's, and that fantasy included a swinging miniskirt, a ‘That Girl’ flip hairstyle, and a pair of white go-go boots. And, of course, Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” playing on the jukebox.

During the swinging 60’s, go-go was a term for dancing, and nothing helped get the groove on like a pair of sleek and sexy go-go boots. Mod girls on the street had been wearing knee-high brown and black leather boots with their miniskirts, but in 1964, futuristic designer Courreges sent a model sashaying down the runway in a white mini with matching white, ankle-high boots. This new ultra-sleek, ultra-modern monotone style set the beat for the rest of the mod 60’s.

This new boot did away with the pointy-toe and skinny stiletto heel of the 50’s, instead pairing a square toe with a short, square heel. While the original go-go boots were the short, square-toe style, any boot paired with a mini-skirt or dress became known as a go-go.

The go-go boot capitalized on the new space-age feeling of the psychedelic mod movement. Bold, bright colors and simple geometric shapes were grounded by the square-toed boot. Petite shoes would have faded from the glory of the simple but bold silhouette of the day, and so the clunky but sleek boot was needed to compete with the outrageousness on top.

Nancy Sinatra’s feminist creed asserted the boot’s power over neglectful men, and the catchy song became a feminist chant supporting the new sexual revolution. Watch out boys!

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girl's apparel
shoes

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