Biffthree

Biffthree

Woman putting a flask in her calf-length Russian boot, 1922

Russian boot is the name applied to a style of calf- or knee-length fashion boot for women that was popular in the early part of the 20th Century. Russian boots fell out of favor in the 1930s, but were the inspiration for the high-leg fashion boots that returned to popularity in the 1950s and 60s. Today the term Russian boot is sometimes applied to the style of low heeled boots worn by some folk dancers.

History

The original Russian boot was the valenki, a flat heeled, wide topped, knee-length boot worn by Russian soldiers. Designed to combat the extremely cold Russian winters, valenki were normally made from thick felt . The term was later applied to women’s boots in leather that appeared in the second decade of the 20th Century.

In the 19th and early 20th Centuries, ankle and calf-length boots were common footwear for women. Rising hemlines made longer styles of boots popular, particularly when the alternative was exposure of the ankle or calf, which was still considered shocking. In 1913, Denise Poiret, the wife of celebrated French couturier Paul Poiret, caused a sensation in Paris and New York by wearing knee-length boots in wrinkled morocco leather. Designed by her husband, made by the bottier Favereau, and styled with a low heel and a square toe, she had versions in red, white, green, and yellow By 1915 the New York Times was reporting that, inspired by Mme Poiret, these "Russian boots" had become extremely popular with more fashionable women . However, high-leg boots did not catch on, possibly because the skirts at that time were still too long for these boots to be practical.

By the 1920s, hemlines had risen above the knee and Russian boots were back in fashion. They were available in a variety of styles, calf- or knee-length, with a Cuban or Louis heel, which could be pull-on, or zip-fastened for a closer fit. . Worn with knee-length skirts, they often featured decorative features such as elaborate stitching or fur trims . Russian boots were sporadically popular during the 1920s, as a more fashionable alternative to galoshes. They acquired a racy reputation, as the sort of footwear worn by girls that frequented saloon bars and speakeasies.

Russian boots fell out of favor by the 1930s. One reason for the decline in popularity of high boots during the first half of the 20th century may be because streets became cleaner as roads were surfaced and horse-drawn transport gave way to the motor engine. The additional protection provided by boots was no longer needed. It was not until 1950s that boots were again regarded as fashion items.

Today

Ukranian folk costume featuring red leather Russian boots

Russian boots were the inspiration for the modern fashion boot, some of which closely resemble styles that first appeared in the 1920s. The term “Russian boot” is usually applied to the flat-heeled, calf-length boots popular with some traditions of folk dancing, especially those from Eastern Europe. In 2009, The New York Times reported that the original felt valenki was being reinvented as a fashion item in Russia

Pre-1960s

In the 19th and early 20th Centuries, ankle and calf-length boots were common footwear for women. Rising hemlines made longer styles of boots popular. In 1913, Denise Poiret, the wife of celebrated French couturier Paul Poiret, caused a sensation in Paris and New York by wearing knee-length boots in wrinkled morocco leather. Designed by her husband, made by the bottier Favereau, and styled with a low heel and a square toe, she had versions in red, white, green, and yellow. By 1915 the New York Times was reporting that, inspired by Mme Poiret, women had adopted these "Russian boots" as an acceptable alternative to baring ankles and calves. By the 1920s Russian boots were available in a variety of styles, calf- or knee-length, with a Cuban or Louis heel , which could be pull-on, or zip-fastened for a closer fit. Worn with knee-length skirts, they often featured decorative features such as elaborate stitching or fur trims . Russian boots were sporadically popular during the 1920s, as a more fashionable alternative to galoshes, but fell out of favor by the 1930s.

One reason for the decline in popularity of boots during the first half of the 20th century may be because streets became cleaner as roads were surfaced and horse-drawn transport gave way to the motor engine. The additional protection provided by boots was no longer needed.

New Look

This is the user page for Biffthree, where I test out significant chunks of text for formatting before posting.

Cox, Caroline (2008). Vintage Shoes. New York: Harper Collins. p. 45. ISBN 978-0061665769.

Steele, Valerie (2005). Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 175. ISBN 978-0684313948.

Verin, Helene (2009). Beth Levine Shoes. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang. p. 43. ISBN 978-1584797593.

Sheppard, Eugenia (22 August 1967), "Shoes, Like Sundials, Tell Time", Hartford Courant{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)

Cox, Caroline (2008). Vintage Shoes. New York: Harper Collins. p. 139. ISBN 978-0061665769.

Howell, Georgina (1978). In Vogue. London: Penguin. p. 280. ISBN 014004955X.

Mendes, Valerie; de la Haye, Amy (2010). Fashion Since 1900 (World of Art). London: Thames & Hudson. Fig.187 . ISBN 978-0500204023. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

Cox, Caroline (2008). Vintage Shoes. New York: Harper Collins. p. 138. ISBN 978-0061665769.

Blanco F., Jose; Leff, Scott; Kellogg, Ann T.; Payne, Lynn W. (2008). The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through American History, 1900 to the Present. Vol. 2. Westport CT: Greenwood Press. p. 201. ISBN 978-0313358555.

Verin, Helene (2009). Beth Levine Shoes. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang. p. 132-133. ISBN 978-1584797593.

Nunn, Joan (1984). Fashion in Costume, 1200-1980. London: The Herbert Press Ltd. p. 239. ISBN 978-0805239058.

Milinaire, Catherine; Troy, Carol (1978). Cheap Chic. New York: Harmony Books. p. 40-41. ISBN 0517524538.

Dariaux, Genevive Antoine (1964). Elegance. New York: Doubleday & Company. p. 21. ISBN 0385039107.

Smith, Desire (1998). Fashionable Clothing from the Sears Catalogs: The Early 1970s. Atglen PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd. p. 138, 143-144, 147-148, 150, 158-159. ISBN 0764305204.

Peacock, John (2000). Fashion Accessories: The Complete 20th Century Sourcebook. London: Thames & Hudson. p. 114, 125. ISBN 978-0500019979.

Smith, Desire (1998). Fashionable Clothing from the Sears Catalogs: The Early 1970s. Atglen PA: Schiffer Publishing Ltd. p. 148. ISBN 0764305204.

Ledger, Florence (1982). Put Your Foot Down. Melksham: The Uffington Press. p. 178. ISBN 0854751114.

Cox, Caroline (2008). Vintage Shoes. New York: Harper Collins. p. 152. ISBN 978-0061665769.

Peacock, John (2000). Fashion Accessories: The Complete 20th Century Sourcebook. London: Thames & Hudson. p. 192. ISBN 978-0500019979.

Blanco F., Jose; Leff, Scott; Kellogg, Ann T.; Payne, Lynn W. (2008). The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through American History, 1900 to the Present. Vol. 2. Westport CT: Greenwood Press. p. 234. ISBN 978-0313358555.

Blanco F., Jose; Leff, Scott; Kellogg, Ann T.; Payne, Lynn W. (2008). The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through American History, 1900 to the Present. Vol. 1. Westport CT: Greenwood Press. p. 242. ISBN 978-0313358555.

Quinn, Bradley (2010). The Boot. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd. p. 30. ISBN 978-1-85669-663-0.

Quinn, Bradley (2010). The Boot. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-85669-663-0.

Quinn, Bradley (2010). The Boot. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-85669-663-0.

Florence Ledger, 1982. Put Your Foot Down, p.178. Melksham, The Uffington Press, 214pp

John Peacock, 2000. Fashion Accessories: The Complete 20th Century Sourcebook, pp.114,125. London, Thames & Hudson, 192pp

Desire Smith, 1998. Fashionable Clothing from the Sears Catalogs: The Early 1970s, pp 138, 143-144, 147-148, 150, 158-159. Atglen PA, Schiffer Publishing Ltd

Genevive Antoine Dariaux, 1964. Elegance, p.21. New York, Doubleday & Company

Caterine Milinaire & Carol Troy, 1978. Cheap Chic, pp.40-41. Harmony Books Joan Nunn, 1984. Fashion in Costume, 1200-1980, p.239. London, The Herbert Press Ltd, 256pp.

Jose Blanco F., Scott Leff, Ann T. Kellogg, and Lynn W. Payne, 2008. The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through American History, 1900 to the Present, Vol.2, p.201. Westport CT, Greenwood Press Valerie Mendes and Amy de la Haye, 2010. Fashion Since 1900, fig.187. London, Thames & Hudson, 312pp

Doe, John (30 April 2005). "My Favorite Things, Part II". Encyclopedia of Things. Open Publishing. Retrieved 6 July 2005.

anon (unknown). "Accession # 1977.287.14a, b: Beth Levine white boots, 1952". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

anon (unknown). "Accession # 1976.166.12a, b: Beth Levine fashion boots, 1958-60". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

anon (unknown). "Accession # 2009.300.3381a, b: Beth Levine thighboots, 1968". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

Caroline Cox, 2008. Vintage Shoes, p.45. Harper Collins 978-0-06-166576-9

Georgina Howell, 1975. In Vogue, p. 280. Allen Lane

Valerie Steele, 2005. Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion, Vol.1, p.175. Farmington Mills MI, Thomson Gale, 3 volumes 978-0684313948

Helen Verine, 2009. Beth Levine Shoes, p.43. Stewart, Tabori & Chang 978-1584797593

Eugenia Sheppard, 1967. "Shoes, Like Sundials, Tell Time." Hartford Courant, August 22, 1967, p.11

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courant/access/931975752.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Aug+22%2C+1967&author=EUGENIA+SHEPPARD&pub=The+Hartford+Courant+(1923-1984)&edition=&startpage=11&desc=Shoes%2C+Like+Sundials%2C+Tell+Time

anon (unknown). "Accession # 2009.300.1610a, b: Jerry Edouard leather and cotton knee-length boots, 1975". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

anon (unknown). "Accession # 2009.300.3897a-d: Kurt Geiger black silk sandal boots, 1968". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

anon (unknown). "Accession # 2009.300.3380a, b: André Courrèges white leather boots, 1967". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

anon (unknown). "Accession # 1976.360.440a, b: Roger Vivier black crocodile leather thighboots, 1963". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

anon (unknown). "black leather Russian boot, 1925". London College of Fashion Shoe Collection. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

anon (unknown). "brown mock-croc calf-length boot, 1963". London College of Fashion Shoe Collection. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

anon (23 November 2009). "Beth Levine, First Lady of Shoes". Dexigner Network. Retrieved 10 July 2010.

anon (unknown). "black plastic knee-length boot by Rayne, 1968". London College of Fashion Shoe Collection. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

anon (unknown). "brown plastic knee-length boot by Bata, 1968". London College of Fashion Shoe Collection. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

anon (unknown). "plastic knee-high boots by Mary Quant, 1965". Buckinghamshire County Museum. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

anon (unknown). "Accession # T.667:1&2-1997: Pierre Cardin black pvc thigh-length boots, 1968". Victoria & Albert Museum. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

anon (unknown). "Accession # T.67&A-1985: canvas boots by Biba, 1969". Victoria & Albert Museum. Retrieved 11 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

Ward, Glynis (unknown). "Go-Go Boots: A Foot-First Jump into the Wacky World of Mod Footwear". CoolOldStuff. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

anon (unknown). "beige leather thigh-length boot, 1970". London College of Fashion Shoe Collection. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

anon (unknown). "white leather platform over-the-knee boot, 1974". London College of Fashion Shoe Collection. Retrieved 10 July 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

Baker, Sarah (21 September 2005). "The ten best... boots". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 July 2010.

Coulson, Clare (30 September 2003). "Fabulous looks to fall for this autumn". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 July 2010.

Picardie, Justine (29 January 2006). "Boots advantage points". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 July 2010.

Coulson, Clare (16 November 2005). "How to do skinny". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 July 2010.

anon (30 March 2009). "Fall 2009 Trend Report: Over-the-knee please". Coutorture.com. Retrieved 10 July 2010.

anon (4 November 2009). "Trend Report: Over-the-knee boots". WhoWhatWear.com. Retrieved 10 July 2010.

Haver, Sharon (19 December 2008). "How to wear over-the-knee boots". Focus On Style.com. Retrieved 10 July 2010.

Datu, Danielle (7 January 2008). "These boots were made for strutting". MyStyle.com. Retrieved 10 July 2010.

Bergin, Olivia (10 July 2009). "Trend Alert: over-the-knee boots". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 July 2010.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/trendspotting/3346989/How-to-do-skinny.html http://www.whowhatwear.com/website/full-article/trend-report-over-the-knee-boots/ http://www.coutorture.com/Fall-2009-Trend-Report-Over--Knee-Please-2984254

• 
  woman in blue suede Biba boots, Kings Road, London, 1971
• 
  1980s-style calf-length boots
• 
  woman in black patent knee-length boots, 1996
• 
  knee-length lace-up boots, 2007
• 
  black leather low-heeled boots, 2008
• 
  tan leather ankle boot, 2008
• 
  black leather high-heeled boots, 2009
• 
  poster for the Vagina Monologues by Nicky Fernandes, 2008
• 
  singer Colbie Caillat in knee length boots worn over jeans, 2008
• 
  low-heeled, black leather over-the-knee boots, 2009

references

Portrait of Ernst Casimir (1573-1632), count of Nassau-Dietz, wearing over-the-knee riding boots

Over-the-Knee (OTK) boots (also known as thighboots, top boots, hip-boots, waders, or cuissardes) are long boots that fully or partly cover the knee. Originally created as a men’s riding boot in the 16th [?] Century, in the latter part of the 20th Century the style was redefined as a fashion boot for women. OTK boots are also used as a work boot in circumstances requiring additional protection for the legs (e.g. fisherman’s waders).

As men’s footwear

Over-the-knee boots first became popular as riding boots for men in the 15th Century, when the growing popularity of doublet and lightweight hose meant that extra protection was required for the legs when on horseback. This was also linked to the decline in the use of full plate armour as the use of firearms became more widespread in warfare. Heavy cavalry in the 16th and 17th centuries had only limited armour, in the form of a helmet and breastplate, or cuirass. Thigh-length boots in heavy leather provided additional protection for the legs. Today, many cavalry regiments still retain these high boots for ceremonial dress.

Riding boots of this style were widespread in the 17th and 18th Century, and remained in common usage through to the late 19th Century. They were the likely source of the term bootlegging, which originally came from the practice of concealing hip flasks of alcohol in the legs of boots. Because of these historical associations, cuissardes came to convey an image of potent masculinity, conjuring up images of cavaliers, pirates, or musketeers.

As women’s footwear

woman wearing over-the-knee fashion boots, 2011

The earliest examples of women wearing over-the-knee boots come from the traditional principal boy role in pantomime theater, in which the young male protagonist of the play is played by a young actress in boy's clothes. These Breeches roles were also a rare opportunity for an early 20th Century actress to wear a revealing costume, potentially increasing the size of the audience. When playing historical characters such as Dick Wittington, the principal boy would often wear over-the-knee boots as part of their costume, emphasizing their swashbuckling, heroic character.

The adoption of over-the-knee boots as a fashion item began in 1963, when Yves Saint Laurent's couture collection included thigh-length alligator skin boots by designer Roger Vivier. These were based on a design originally produced by Vivier for the dancer Rudolf Nureyev in the ballet Swan Lake. The adaptation of hyper-masculine boots as fashion footwear for women has been interpreted as part of a broader Sixties trend against the femininity of Dior's post war " New Look".

Rising hemlines and the availability of new, brightly colored artificial materials such as PVC, combined to make boots an attractive fashion option for younger women. As skirts became even shorter in the late 1960s and early 1970s, cuissardes became even more popular. Pierre Cardin featured shiny black PVC thighboots as part of his futuristic 1968 couture collection and Beth Levine designed seamless, stretch vinyl and nylon stocking boots tall enough to do double duty as hosiery.. The tallest boots from this period were so high that they were equipped with suspenders to hold them up.

Over the next three decades, the popularity of over-the-knee boots as a fashion item for women waxed and waned. In the early nineteen seventies, the multi-colored suede and canvas over-the-knee boots produced by the London store Biba were so sought-after that queues would form outside the store when a delivery was due. The end of the decade saw a second-wave of over-the-knee and thigh-length boots; these were a longer version of the stack-heeled knee-length boots popular in the late seventies and were usually worn over jeans. In the early nineteen nineties, there was a brief vogue for thigh-length riding boots” and over-the-knee styles were intermittently popular throughout the first decade of the 21st Century. In 2009 thigh-length boots were a subject of major attention by the fashion press, receiving guarded approval and a level of mainstream acceptance that they had never previously achieved; this trend continued in 2010 and by the following year over-the-knee styles had become commonplace.

As work boots

hip boots in mud

Hip boots (sometimes colloquially called "waders"), are a type of boot worn by river fishermen. Hip boots are typically made out of rubber, and cover the legs to the tops of the thighs or to the waist. They are designed to protect the fisherman when wading into deeper waters and keep the feet and legs warm in autumn and winter. Hip boots are also worn by ecologists and environmental scientists who do tests in swamps or lakes to determine the quality of water.

In contrast to hip boots, waders are waterproof boots that extend from the foot to the chest. Waders are available with boots attached or can have attached stocking feet (usually made of the wader material), to wear inside shorter boots. In addition to being used for leisure purposes, such as angling or waterfowl hunting, industrial, heavy-duty waders are used as protective clothing in the chemical industry, agriculture and in the maintenance of water supply, sewerage and other utilities.

Gallery

• 
  woman in blue suede Biba boots, Kings Road, London, 1971
• 
  woman in low-heeled, black leather over-the-knee boots, 2009
• 
  portrait of Emmanuel Pinto de Fonseca (1681-1773) in hip boots
• 
  Russian dragoon in 1700-1720
• 
  Actress Nan Hearne as as a principal boy, early 20th Century]]

See also

• Boot
• Fashion boot
• Thigh-length boots
• Hip boot
• Waders

references

anon. (July 1977), "Shoe Signals", Vogue: 98{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)