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Interesting Paraboot Micheal-style shoes from early 60s showing the two eyelet deep vamp moccasin was popular in the US.
In the 80s Paraboot comeback there were a lot of models that featured the split toe seam sporting a double stitiched ‘cover’ like this model. Paraboot themselves sold one that had more stitching detail that the Michael and a different heel quarter design.
Hard to tell from the drawing what the making is, whether soft foam rubber (as was common on the Czech made canvas shoes exported in their millions in the Soviet Bloc days) or a more substantial Paraboot style shoe.
Great post on a style of shoe that is too often overlooked in my opinion. Paraboot still make the version with the difierent heel quarter and front stitching – the Morzine. Perhaps a little too ornate in comparison but still good.
I owned cheap copies of this style in the 80s, bought in Spain. What is the true origin of this style? Tyrolean Mountain shoe? Basque farming footwear? To my eyes it blends perfectly with classic US 50s styling and begs the question why these shoes aren’t more popular today?
Can you believe it but the first pair I owned were Loake’s made for Bowen with a Dr Marten’s sole (in the days before the Wollaston Hillbillies who owned DMs cancelled other makers license to use the soles). They were a nice dark brown waxy pull up leather. Indestructible. Back then in the 80s every single shoe store in France had some kind of copy – good bad or ugly.
Interesting. People occasionally ask me (much to my chagrin) if mine are Dr Martens – because of the stitching and sole. I believe J Crew had a copy of these at some point, maybe RL too.