White Boots

Cheerleader, Amber van Eeghen in retro white boots

Go-go boots - flattish, calf, knee or over-knee high vinyl or leather boots, were a hot item in the 1960s and for a while there, there was a real craze for funky white ones. They stood out on the discotheque floor, looked striking with bright, psychedelic colours, mini-skirts, accentuated good legs, drew unwanted attention to bad ones but worked 'specially well with a tan or flesh-coloured stockings.

Mod look boots were not so much self-consciously sexy (though they were sexy) as deliberately perky. They were also super-comfortable, as they weren't too tight and the wearer didn't have to totter around in high heels.

Moon Girls

Hard to believe but before go-go boots came on the scene, women's boots were generally only worn for specific activities - such as horse-riding or as weather protection and they were almost never white, unless they were ice-skating boots.

It wasn't until 1964, when innovative designer Andre Courrages unwrapped his Moon Girl collection that go-go boots made their world debut. Courrage paired his white, low-heeled plastic footwear with flared mini-skirts and out-there accents on the clothes, such as clear plastic portholes and stripes.

The look was a raging success and it wasn't long before go-go boots were out in the streets. Fashion-wise, Mods were risk-takers and welcomed anything that looked good and at the same time, set them apart from the conservative fashion status quo.


 

Not 60s but still groovy. FLY London white knee boots

White boots have never really regained the swoop of popularity they had in the 1960s, yet with the right outfit (and on the right legs) they can look sensational.

These days the white boot tends to be reserved for the ultra-trendy, who are confident enough to want to stand out amid the browns and blacks.