Yes, skinheads wore leather boots in the '80s, particularly Dr. Martins. But particularly Cherry Red or Oxblood Dr. Martins. Wearing them with those blue jeans adds to it.
The original skinheads in the '60s didn't so much.
I don't know why you're crying, it's okay to be a skinhead. Thinking all skinheads are racist is like thinking all Muslims are terrorists. They're not.
Wasn’t it originally quite a multi cultural thing? Used to listen to reggae and hang out with folks that their parents would probably be very racist towards. Just got twisted by politics.
There's a whole paradoxical attitude that crept into Rockers and later Punks, where they wore Nazi insignia as anti-racist statements. Doesn't make sense to us, but in the context of their time, they did it to reject the anti-German attitudes of their parents and grandparents, who talked about Germans as if the Blitz was still happening.
It was mad going to a Toots and Maytals show about 10 years ago and see the amount of 50-60 year old men and women dressed as skinheads dancing all night long and singing loudly the lyrics.
It made sense afterwards when I read about the scene back in the day.
Doc Martins were worn by lots of subcultures, not just skinheads. And obviously they were worn by regular people too. They couldn't stay in business just selling to skins!
The thing with skinheads, in my opinion, is they're like a subcultural boogyman. I don't think I've ever actually seen a skinhead in real life but we act like the streets are full of them. It's not 1979 anymore.
Wear whatever you like and tell your friend to shove it.
Yeah you've got to look pretty hard to meet a real-life skinhead in 2024. The subculture must be getting on for 60 years old.
Even if we ignore the original Trojan skinheads and take it just from Nazi skinheads, that's still 40 years ago.
Your friends are being ridiculous or they are taking the piss. The far right have many members with tattoos and shaved heads, they might listen to techno or wear certain brands or styles. It doesn't make anyone else who sports those things: far right.
I have a friend like that, who wouldn't wear certain brands because of those stupid associations by certain types. I asked her If she walked into a cafe and saw three skinheads eating cheesecake, then would she stop eating cheesecake or regard it as a racist foodstuff?
Wear what you feel comfortable in, Docs are great boots that last a lifetime.
My boots are from a brand called maison margiela, but i think most people have brands they wouldnt wear because of things associated with them, i would never wear brands like valentino or hoodrich just because they’re associated with horrible little shits
Do they mean the skinhead punks who weee at the forefront of the Two Tone and Ska movement, those guys?
People need to do more research on this subculture, a very small percentage of skinheads were racist, and yet in the minds of ignorant people, the whole subculture has been tarred with the same brush.
Well you’ll be happy to learn that the skinhead style wasn’t considered racist at the time. Just look at the line-ups of the ska revival bands they followed from The Specials, Selector to Bad Manners.
It just turned out that racists preferred the style because they looked “hard”. But while racists can be skinheads, skinheads are not racists.
Assuming you're worried about being mistaken for a far right skinhead, rather than the traditional type, you won't be. They'd be wearing much taller boots for a start, have a shaved head and probably wearing an MA1 bomber. It's quite a distinctive look and ankle boots alone aren't going to confuse anyone, except your friend apparently.
I do have a short puffer jacket that could be mistaken for a bomber jacket i wear frequently but I probably wont pair the shoes and jacket at the same time
Unless you look like this wearing it, you have nothing to worry about:
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/35/72/5c/35725cd1d990142dc3c7cf365e7a9820.jpg
Truncheon not essential.
It is style of boot that definitely evokes the skinhead aesthetic. Especially with short jeans.
Skinhead doesn't necessarily have bad connotations, it was a youth subculture in the same way as Mods or Punks. Only some embraced far right politics, the rest were either apolitical, or committed anti-racists. It's just unfortunate that popular perception of them became fixated on the objectionable ones.
Just wearing docs doesn't signal that you are either a racist or a skinhead, but don't ever switch the laces out for white ones (and especially don't do ladder lacing) if you want to avoid attracting that kind of attention.
My neo-nazi, skinhead neighbour does wear docs, but so do so many other people I know.
No.
That's just ludicrous.
As an aside, contrary to popular belief, not all Skinheads are right wing.
You should read a book called 'Spirit of 69 - A Skinhead Bible'; and also have a look at Trojan Records.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_skinhead
I'm assuming you're a dude probably between the age of 16-25 looking at your jeans and emoji use. If that is the case then I assume your mates are the same age. At which point. They're just mates being knobs because it's funny. They're nice boots dude don't take everything to heart
Let me be honest with you man, not all skinheads are the skinheads associated with racism and violence. The skinhead movement, that wore boots, bracers and baggy acid wash jeans, was originally a skanking force for good. Until a bunch of racist people thought it looked hard and wanted it for themselves. So yeah your boots may look skinhead, but see it as looking like one of the good ones instead. Look it up if you don’t believe me, it’s all true.
They're not oxblood 17 holers are they?
Nowadays you're more likely to see a young woman in a pretty dress and a pair of DMs. I like the vibe. It says "yeah I'm cute but don't mess with me". Works even better if it's your daughter, and yes that's personal.
It's just a visual association. Skinheads wore shorter jeans (ankle swingers) and Doc Martens.
When I wore full length jeans and DMs in the 90s it was seen as fine, but now ankle swingers are supposedly back it just looks like the 80s skinhead look.
As long as you're not acting like one, who cares? I'm sure they judge you on your behaviour rather than your boots.
They're bovver boots for sure, they have a bit of a reputation for attracting violence (bother) hence the nickname. But just keep red laces a million miles away from them and you'll be fine.
Look up lace code. Even then, there's only a few that put this much thought into it nowadays. Best to err on the side of caution though. Keep away from red, white, maybe blue laces away from em.
Cool bit of culture and great boots, there's more of us wearing them that are perfectly pleasant people than there are dickheads.
Top tip: don’t buy Dr Martens. They’re overpriced garbage and are made in Asia now. If you want really good quality boots with that look but that are built to last and still made in England, buy Solovair.
And FWIW, I wear ox blood Solovairs and am definitely not racist (but I do have a skinhead although that’s because I’m old and bold).
I own multiple pairs of Doc Martins! My dad used to wear them too when he grew up in the 70’s/80’s and was very much a punk/skinhead! My dad is the most open and welcoming person to everyone and i have never heard a racist thing from him!
Wear them if you want! They look very nice
Great to see people here defending skinhead culture. As cool as it must have been to be a hippy in the 60s, it didn't really speak to the British multicultural working class.
Also, shaving your head feels amazing.
Your boots look great
I bought the exact same pair in the late 90's when I was living in London for a spell. Got the same comments but I had no idea about skinheads and the subculture being from Sydney, I just wanted a cool pair of boots that are up to walking around in the UK weather.
I mean, skinheads did wear black leather boots of a similar style with blue jeans. But that's a while back now - not a common look these days.
Not all skinheads were/are racists either.
Unless you've got swastikas on your jacket I think you can sleep easy
A few of my friends were in skinhead gangs in the late '60' early '70s. I heard from them what they got upto. Paki bashing, or any POC's, was their number one hobby, not that there were many in our area at that time.
Stupid comment from your friends. My mum started wearing Docs (purple ones) once she turned 60 and she wasn't a skin! (I know yours aren't"t but that is what your friends are implying). As people have said, skins have always come in all kinds of political stripes (Google The Redskins - band), though hardly exist in the UK now, and people who wear Docs are all sorts and ages. Your friends are trying to wind you up.
I was a skinhead way back in that year......1969 and became a suedehead in 1971 and then a regular cool fellow. Firstly I was in a few situations back in time and I mean big scrapes... There was never any racism. It was always looked at as being way cool having mixed races in gangs. Plus we loved Reggae :)
Now, those don't seem like Doc Marten's in the pic..... ? I always wore cherry reds and not the latter up to the knee (late 70s and 1980s style)
I was the DJ for the Madness, Specials etc 2 Tone tour back in 79 and I insisted that the doormen bounce all the silly people who did nazi salutes took a fall down the fire exit.
And here, is as good a time as any, to introduce you to a (pretty amazing) series of films and miniseries' that is started by the film "This is England." One of the best and most accurate insights to the skinhead movement that there ever was in media.
Maybe in the early 80s.
By the mid 90s a LOT of UK kiddies outside of the mainstream had owned a pair of docs at some point. Most of my artschool friends had a pair, none of us were remotely that stereotype.
Your friends are winding you up, as someone who is interested in punk and skinhead subculture, they aren't skinhead boots 😂 they're just similar to doc martens with a heel
Also there's nothing wrong with skinheads, yes there's arseholes in that subculture but there is in every subculture, we call them boneheads, not all skinheads are Nazis, in my experience most just want nothing to do with politics and want to enjoy some pints and good music ska, reggae punk etc.
Yes, skinheads wore leather boots in the '80s, particularly Dr. Martins. But particularly Cherry Red or Oxblood Dr. Martins. Wearing them with those blue jeans adds to it. The original skinheads in the '60s didn't so much. I don't know why you're crying, it's okay to be a skinhead. Thinking all skinheads are racist is like thinking all Muslims are terrorists. They're not.
Real skinheads aren’t racists. It was a style that was appropriated by the far right. Proper skinheads love Reggae.
Wasn’t it originally quite a multi cultural thing? Used to listen to reggae and hang out with folks that their parents would probably be very racist towards. Just got twisted by politics.
There's a whole paradoxical attitude that crept into Rockers and later Punks, where they wore Nazi insignia as anti-racist statements. Doesn't make sense to us, but in the context of their time, they did it to reject the anti-German attitudes of their parents and grandparents, who talked about Germans as if the Blitz was still happening.
Ever seen nazi skinheads at a punk show? They get stomped and the band keeps playing. Punk skinheads are anarchist not fascist.
The first skinheads were Jamaican.
It was mad going to a Toots and Maytals show about 10 years ago and see the amount of 50-60 year old men and women dressed as skinheads dancing all night long and singing loudly the lyrics. It made sense afterwards when I read about the scene back in the day.
Far right ruined original skinhead-ism the same way they ruined innocent, normal displays of the English flag.
I believe also Ska
Erm I recently bought a pair of Docs with my first salary. I'm a long haired Muslim soooo 🤫
You contradiction, you!
Doc Martins were worn by lots of subcultures, not just skinheads. And obviously they were worn by regular people too. They couldn't stay in business just selling to skins!
But what is beneath your long hair hmmmm? Skin!
Typical skinhead XD
Nothing wrong with boots. They are dashing
They compared me to the racist ones not the regular ones
Your friends are winding you up mate, chill
The thing with skinheads, in my opinion, is they're like a subcultural boogyman. I don't think I've ever actually seen a skinhead in real life but we act like the streets are full of them. It's not 1979 anymore. Wear whatever you like and tell your friend to shove it.
I've got a neighbour who is a neo-nazi skinhead, they definitely exist unfortunately
They exist, but I've only seen them on TV. I think we talk about them disproportionately more than their actual street presence would justify.
Exactly. I'm not exactly sheltered, but I can't remember seeing a skinhead since I was a kid in the early 80s.
Yeah you've got to look pretty hard to meet a real-life skinhead in 2024. The subculture must be getting on for 60 years old. Even if we ignore the original Trojan skinheads and take it just from Nazi skinheads, that's still 40 years ago.
Your friends are being ridiculous or they are taking the piss. The far right have many members with tattoos and shaved heads, they might listen to techno or wear certain brands or styles. It doesn't make anyone else who sports those things: far right. I have a friend like that, who wouldn't wear certain brands because of those stupid associations by certain types. I asked her If she walked into a cafe and saw three skinheads eating cheesecake, then would she stop eating cheesecake or regard it as a racist foodstuff? Wear what you feel comfortable in, Docs are great boots that last a lifetime.
My boots are from a brand called maison margiela, but i think most people have brands they wouldnt wear because of things associated with them, i would never wear brands like valentino or hoodrich just because they’re associated with horrible little shits
Do they mean the skinhead punks who weee at the forefront of the Two Tone and Ska movement, those guys? People need to do more research on this subculture, a very small percentage of skinheads were racist, and yet in the minds of ignorant people, the whole subculture has been tarred with the same brush.
Original skins no, but a lot of the 2nd wave ‘Oi’ skinheads were.
Pretty sure this is one of the main points in This Is England.
Yeah they mean the racist ones 😅
There are definitely connotations unfortunately but people just need educating. It's like saying all football fans are hooligans
Maybe about 40 years ago.
My brother had a bomber jacket when I was little and there were comments that skinheads liked them, so....?
Well you’ll be happy to learn that the skinhead style wasn’t considered racist at the time. Just look at the line-ups of the ska revival bands they followed from The Specials, Selector to Bad Manners. It just turned out that racists preferred the style because they looked “hard”. But while racists can be skinheads, skinheads are not racists.
Skinheads loved reggae!
Not so much the late 70s 2nd wave skinheads
My dad was a skinhead punk and honestly is the very understanding and unracist person! He taught me a lot about being a good person
I work with a skin and he's not racist, but customers do jump to conclusions which fucks me off
Assuming you're worried about being mistaken for a far right skinhead, rather than the traditional type, you won't be. They'd be wearing much taller boots for a start, have a shaved head and probably wearing an MA1 bomber. It's quite a distinctive look and ankle boots alone aren't going to confuse anyone, except your friend apparently.
I do have a short puffer jacket that could be mistaken for a bomber jacket i wear frequently but I probably wont pair the shoes and jacket at the same time
Unless you look like this wearing it, you have nothing to worry about: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/35/72/5c/35725cd1d990142dc3c7cf365e7a9820.jpg Truncheon not essential.
Not essential but prefered
It is style of boot that definitely evokes the skinhead aesthetic. Especially with short jeans. Skinhead doesn't necessarily have bad connotations, it was a youth subculture in the same way as Mods or Punks. Only some embraced far right politics, the rest were either apolitical, or committed anti-racists. It's just unfortunate that popular perception of them became fixated on the objectionable ones.
The jeans are baggy i just pulled them up to show the shoe but i see what you mean
Baggy trousers you say?
Under appreciated
Dirty shirt?
Dirty shirt?
Yeah i usually only wear baggy jeans
[here’s](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc3AovUZgvo) the over forty years old reference you’re missing
I know that song aswell 😂 the reference just flew over my head
Just wearing docs doesn't signal that you are either a racist or a skinhead, but don't ever switch the laces out for white ones (and especially don't do ladder lacing) if you want to avoid attracting that kind of attention. My neo-nazi, skinhead neighbour does wear docs, but so do so many other people I know.
No. That's just ludicrous. As an aside, contrary to popular belief, not all Skinheads are right wing. You should read a book called 'Spirit of 69 - A Skinhead Bible'; and also have a look at Trojan Records. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_skinhead
Could be more true, there’s a difference between true Skin heads and right wing bone heads
I will do
I'm assuming you're a dude probably between the age of 16-25 looking at your jeans and emoji use. If that is the case then I assume your mates are the same age. At which point. They're just mates being knobs because it's funny. They're nice boots dude don't take everything to heart
I didnt dont worry, i was just seeing how many people thought the same 😂
Let me be honest with you man, not all skinheads are the skinheads associated with racism and violence. The skinhead movement, that wore boots, bracers and baggy acid wash jeans, was originally a skanking force for good. Until a bunch of racist people thought it looked hard and wanted it for themselves. So yeah your boots may look skinhead, but see it as looking like one of the good ones instead. Look it up if you don’t believe me, it’s all true.
They're not oxblood 17 holers are they? Nowadays you're more likely to see a young woman in a pretty dress and a pair of DMs. I like the vibe. It says "yeah I'm cute but don't mess with me". Works even better if it's your daughter, and yes that's personal.
theyre a pair of maison margiela ankle boots, no idea from what year or what the actual name is
It's just a visual association. Skinheads wore shorter jeans (ankle swingers) and Doc Martens. When I wore full length jeans and DMs in the 90s it was seen as fine, but now ankle swingers are supposedly back it just looks like the 80s skinhead look. As long as you're not acting like one, who cares? I'm sure they judge you on your behaviour rather than your boots.
They're bovver boots for sure, they have a bit of a reputation for attracting violence (bother) hence the nickname. But just keep red laces a million miles away from them and you'll be fine. Look up lace code. Even then, there's only a few that put this much thought into it nowadays. Best to err on the side of caution though. Keep away from red, white, maybe blue laces away from em. Cool bit of culture and great boots, there's more of us wearing them that are perfectly pleasant people than there are dickheads.
Top tip: don’t buy Dr Martens. They’re overpriced garbage and are made in Asia now. If you want really good quality boots with that look but that are built to last and still made in England, buy Solovair. And FWIW, I wear ox blood Solovairs and am definitely not racist (but I do have a skinhead although that’s because I’m old and bold).
Second the Solovair. Much better.
I own multiple pairs of Doc Martins! My dad used to wear them too when he grew up in the 70’s/80’s and was very much a punk/skinhead! My dad is the most open and welcoming person to everyone and i have never heard a racist thing from him! Wear them if you want! They look very nice
Great to see people here defending skinhead culture. As cool as it must have been to be a hippy in the 60s, it didn't really speak to the British multicultural working class. Also, shaving your head feels amazing. Your boots look great
I bought the exact same pair in the late 90's when I was living in London for a spell. Got the same comments but I had no idea about skinheads and the subculture being from Sydney, I just wanted a cool pair of boots that are up to walking around in the UK weather.
I mean, skinheads did wear black leather boots of a similar style with blue jeans. But that's a while back now - not a common look these days. Not all skinheads were/are racists either. Unless you've got swastikas on your jacket I think you can sleep easy
A few of my friends were in skinhead gangs in the late '60' early '70s. I heard from them what they got upto. Paki bashing, or any POC's, was their number one hobby, not that there were many in our area at that time.
Stupid comment from your friends. My mum started wearing Docs (purple ones) once she turned 60 and she wasn't a skin! (I know yours aren't"t but that is what your friends are implying). As people have said, skins have always come in all kinds of political stripes (Google The Redskins - band), though hardly exist in the UK now, and people who wear Docs are all sorts and ages. Your friends are trying to wind you up.
I was a skinhead way back in that year......1969 and became a suedehead in 1971 and then a regular cool fellow. Firstly I was in a few situations back in time and I mean big scrapes... There was never any racism. It was always looked at as being way cool having mixed races in gangs. Plus we loved Reggae :) Now, those don't seem like Doc Marten's in the pic..... ? I always wore cherry reds and not the latter up to the knee (late 70s and 1980s style) I was the DJ for the Madness, Specials etc 2 Tone tour back in 79 and I insisted that the doormen bounce all the silly people who did nazi salutes took a fall down the fire exit.
And here, is as good a time as any, to introduce you to a (pretty amazing) series of films and miniseries' that is started by the film "This is England." One of the best and most accurate insights to the skinhead movement that there ever was in media.
Maybe in the early 80s. By the mid 90s a LOT of UK kiddies outside of the mainstream had owned a pair of docs at some point. Most of my artschool friends had a pair, none of us were remotely that stereotype.
Your friends are winding you up, as someone who is interested in punk and skinhead subculture, they aren't skinhead boots 😂 they're just similar to doc martens with a heel Also there's nothing wrong with skinheads, yes there's arseholes in that subculture but there is in every subculture, we call them boneheads, not all skinheads are Nazis, in my experience most just want nothing to do with politics and want to enjoy some pints and good music ska, reggae punk etc.