Scottish Boys' Clothes: Personal Experiences in the 1950s and 60s--Footwear

For most of the time at school I wore black leather lace-up shoes. In my very early years some boys wore black leather ankle length boots, often heavily studded to save wear and tear, but this fashion was already dying out and by the time I reached Secondary school it had disappeared completely. As a younger boy, during the summer, I would normally change into sandals. I never had a problem with wearing sandals as I found them comfortable and cooler to wear in the warmer weather but, once again, I suppose that was because all the other kids of my age also wore them and we never thought anything of it. As I grew older though, we began to regard sandals as slightly juvenile and went off them. In wet weather we usually wore black wellington boots. For "gym" at school, and for general play in summer, we had what were known variously as gym shoes, sand shoes or rubbers.

Lace-up Shoes

For most of the time at school I wore black leather lace-up shoes. In my very early years some boys wore black leather ankle length boots, often heavily studded to save wear and tear, but this fashion was already dying out and by the time I reached Secondary school it had disappeared completely. I never had a pair but would have liked them - with their studs, or "tackets" as we called them, they were great for sliding.

Sandals

As a younger boy, during the summer, I would normally change into sandals. I never had a problem with wearing sandals as I found them comfortable and cooler to wear in the warmer weather but, once again, I suppose that was because all the other kids of my age also wore them and we never thought anything of it. As I grew older though, we began to regard sandals as slightly juvenile and went off them. I remember the first summer that I was into long trousers my mother bought me a pair of sandals and we had a row about me wearing or not wearing them. I made the point that sandals might be OK for kids in shorts but looked stupid when worn with longs. My mother soon shot down that argument by suggesting that if I wanted to go back into shorts she had no objection and I decided that it was not a line of argumentthat I would be wise to persist with. I think they must have been adult style sandals similar to ones my Dad wore because I wore them without attracting much derisory comment from my peers.

Wellington Boots

In wet weather we usually wore black wellington boots. They were made of shiny black rubber, lined with a white flannel or felt type material and we used to fold down the tops two or three inches to stop them chafing the backs of our legs. They weren't very comfortable, particularly when worn with shorts, and were absolutely useless for kicking a ball about in so I was often reluctant to wear them.

Gym Shoes

For "gym" at school, and for general play in summer, we had what were known variously as gym shoes, sand shoes or rubbers. They were canvas shoes with rubber soles and came in either black or white. They were perfect for most activities and we got through two or three pairs per year. An alternative was baseball boots. These, too, were made of canvas with a rubber sole but they came up over the ankle. I remember that they always had a rubber disc attached at the ankle supposedly to protect the ankle bone. They were very popular and I had several pairs over the years.






Christopher Wagner




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Created: December 19, 2001
Last updated: December 19, 2001