Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Valfontis (talk | contribs) at 21:19, 31 January 2021 (Too many pics for length of article). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Go-go boots are a low-heeled style of women's fashion boot first introduced in the mid-1960s. The original go-go boots, as defined by André Courrèges in 1964, were white, low-heeled, and mid-calf in height, a specific style which is sometimes called the Courrèges boot. Since then, the term go-go boot has come to include the knee-high, square-toed boots with block heels that were very popular in the 1960s and 1970s; as well as a number of variations including kitten heeled versions and colours other than white.

Etymology

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-formation of the 1962 slang term "go", meaning something that was "all the rage"; the term "go-go dancer" first appeared in print in 1965. The go-go boot is presumed to have been named after the dance style.

1960s

Fashion boots were revived in the early 1960s by designers such as Beth Levine, although at first they featured fashionable high heels such as the stiletto and kitten heels. The earliest go-go boots were mid-calf, white and flat-heeled, as seen in the work of the designer André Courrèges, who is sometimes credited with creating the style. The simple minimalism of the Courrèges boot was easily and widely reproduced for the mass market. Courrèges boots provided the foundation for the development of the go-go boot, which increasingly came higher up the leg and was made in alternative colours. While remaining relatively low, the heel also became higher and chunkier. The earliest Courrèges boots were made of leather, such as kidskin or patent leather, but many of the subsequent versions and copies were made in PVC, vinyl, and other plastics.

In 1966, the song "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" was released and performed by a go-go boot wearing Nancy Sinatra, who is credited with further popularising the boot. Tim Gunn suggests that Sinatra helped establish the boot as "a symbol of female power". Female dancers on the television shows Hullabaloo and Shindig! also wore the short, white boots. This led to the boots sometimes being called "hullabaloo boots," as in an advertisement run in American newspapers in January 1966 for hullabaloo boots with "kooky heels and zipper backs" for the "Go-Go Getter".

Post-1960s

In the mid-1990s, as part of a general revival of 1960s fashions, go-go boots came back into style.

References

1. ^ "Pair of boots by André Courrèges, 1965". Search The Collections. V&A Museum. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
2. O'Keeffe, Linda (2014). "The Shoe that left an Imprint: The Go-Go Boot". Shoes: A Celebration of Pumps, Sandals, Slippers & More. Workman Publishing. pp. 338–339. ISBN 978-0761173434.
3. Cumming, Valerie; Cunnington, C.W.; Cunnington, P.E. (2010). The dictionary of fashion history. Oxford: Berg. p. 108. ISBN 9781847887382.
4. ^ O'Hara, Georgina (1986). The encyclopaedia of fashion. New York: H.N. Abrams. p. 79. ISBN 9780810908826.
5. ^ Stalder, Erika (2008). Fashion 101: a crash course in clothing. San Francisco, CA: Zest Books. p. 89. ISBN 9780547946931.
6. Bleikorn, Samantha (2002). The Mini-Mod Sixties Book. San Francisco, CA: Last Gasp. p. 78. ISBN 9780867196429.
7. "gogo". Merriam-Webster. 2007-04-25. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
8. Le Petit Robert: GOGO (À), 1440; de l'a. fr. gogue "réjouissance"
9. "Online Etymology Dictionary: go-go". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
10. ^ Pedersen, Stephanie (2005). Shoes : what every woman should know. Newton Abbot: David and Charles. ISBN 9780715322345.
11. "Beth Levine. Evening boot, c.1962". The Collection Online. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
12. ^ "Solemates: A Century in Shoes: 1960". Centuryinshoes.com. Retrieved 2015-01-29.
13. Gunn, Tim; Calhoun, Ada (2012). Tim Gunn's fashion bible : the fascinating history of everything in your closet (1st Gallery Books hardcover ed.). New York: Gallery Books. p. 199. ISBN 9781451643862.
14. Douglas, Susan J. (2010). "Why the Shirelles Mattered". In Forman-Brunell, Miriam; Paris, Leslie (eds.). The Girls' History and Culture Reader. ; The Twentieth Century. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 9780252077685.
15. "Marshmallow Leather-Like Hullabaloo Boots". Reading Eagle. 18 January 1966. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
16. "Fashions: Year In Review 1995". Retrieved March 17, 2015.

External links

The dictionary definition of go-go at Wiktionary

v t e Footwear
Abandoned footwear Shoe Shoemaking Shoe size
Dress shoes	Blucher Brogues Brothel creepers Derby Monks Oxfords Spectator shoes (Co-respondent shoes) Winklepickers Wholecuts Slip-on shoes Court shoes Prince Albert slippers Loafers Venetian-style shoes Women's Ballet flats High-heeled footwear Mary Janes Mojari Mules Peep-toe shoes Saddle shoes Slingbacks
Other shoes	Driving moccasins Flip-flops Galoshes Platform shoes Sandals Self-tying shoes Slides Slippers (Uwabaki) Tiger-head shoes Veldskoens Zōri
Wooden footwear	Bakya British clogs Cantabrian albarcas Clogs Geta Klompen Namaksin Okobo Padukas Pattens Sabot Träskor
Boots	Military Ammunition boots Bunny boots Combat boots Jackboots Jump boots Jungle boots Tanker boots Trench boots Munson Last Work Australian work boots Cowboy boots Engineer boots Hip boots Jika-tabi Rigger boots Steel-toe boots Waders Fashion boots Chelsea boots (Beatle boots) Chukka boots Go-go boots Knee-high boots Over-the-knee boots Platform boots Thigh-high boots Ugg boots Other Jodhpur boots Wellington boots Ballet boots Bean boots
Sport-related footwear	Athletic shoes Ballet shoes Boat shoes Climbing shoes Cross country running shoes Cycling shoes Football boots Ghillies Hiking boots Ice skates Inline skates Kung fu shoes Minimalist shoes Motorcycle boots Mountaineering boots Plimsolls Pointe shoes Racing flats Racing shoes Riding boots Roller shoes Roller skates Sabatons Safari boots Skate shoes Ski boots Sneakers Swimfins Water shoes Wrestling shoes
Folk footwear	Abacas Abarkas Alpargatas Avarcas Balghas Bast shoes Ciocie Clogs Espadrilles Furlane Galesh Geta Giveh Haferlschuh Hnyat-phanats Huarache Hwa Jipsin Jorabs Kamiks Kolhapuri chappals Moccasins Mojaris Mukluks Nalins Okobo Opanci Peshawari chappals Snowshoes Tsarouchi Takunya Upanah Valenkis Waraji Zōri
Historical footwear	Areni-1 shoes Buskins Calcei Caligae Carbatina Cavalier boots Chinese styles Chopines Duckbill shoes Flowerpot shoes Hessians Lotus shoes Pampooties Pigaches Poulaines Socci Turnshoes
Shoe construction	Bespoke shoes Blake construction Goodyear welt Shoe buckle Shoelaces Toe box High heels Clear heels Kitten heels Spool heels Stiletto heels Wedges
Hosiery	Anklets Bobby socks Dress socks Footwraps Knee highs Pantyhose Sock Stocking Tights Toe socks Tabi
Other related	Spats
List of shoe styles

• 1960s fashion
• 1970s fads and trends
• 1980s fashion
• 1990s fashion
• 2000s fashion
• 2010s fashion
• Boots
• Go-go