Sunday, November 25, 2012

Horseshoes: Freakish Fashion Footwear 60s Teens


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"Me and my friend came walking down the avenue/Just like the girls we had nothing to do/So we both whistled but they wouldn't look back/And four little heels went clickety-clack... 'Four Little Heels' (Brian Hyland)".

I remember in the 60s when Beatle boots were in fashion. Nearly every Singapore band boy was buying a pair to show his worth. 

Some of these boots even had cleats (left image) which were metal on the sole, supposedly to provide secure footing.  They made a clickety-clack sound to announce the arrival of the proud user who would display his footwear either on the streets or the dance floors.
The heel has a horseshoe and 
the upper sole has 3 studs.

Then came the extraordinary.  Some of these boots and common leather sneakers or loafers were fitted with horseshoes, yes, horseshoes.  Youth of yesteryear had genuine horseshoes on soles to prance and gallop around with.

"See the way he walks down the street/Watch the way he shuffles his feet/My, he holds his head up high/When he goes walking by, he's my guy/When he holds my hand, I'm so proud/'Cause he's not just one of the crowd... 'He's A Rebel' (Gene Pitney)."

This freakish fashion footwear was the ultimate in the 1960s as teenagers would cock their fancy studs, some with cowboy Stetson hats and flowery patterned garb to boot!  Like the younger guys today, 60s kids wanted to be different. Like James Dean -  a rebel without a cause.

Horseshoe on sneakers or loafers.

I bought a pair of horseshoes myself and had them nailed to my boots for a while.  They were shiny when new and rusty when used and had holes for the iron nails to fit into.  Some boys had the horseshoes nailed loosely on the leather heels to accentuate the sound. In fact, the owner could tighten or loosen the nails until they were comfortable. They went chink, chink, chink as the owner strutted around.  Exciting it was! 

Brian Hyland - Clickety, Clack. 
Video from YouTUBE by Oz Malo.

I don't remember where I bought my pair of horseshoes but they were available at the cobblers on the streets, in shoe-shops and at some hardware places but when my father saw me one evening clickety-clacking in the middle of the night on the cement floor of our home he literary put his foot down.  I had to get rid of them sooner than I thought.

"Do anything that you want to do, but uh-uh,/Honey, lay off of my shoes/Blue, blue/'Blue Suede Shoes'... (Carl Perkins)."

"The boots look good but the chink, chink, chink sound is annoying!" remarked my father glancing at my shoes while reading his favourite Indonesian newspaper.
Rusty horseshoes and large cleats on boots.

Of course, I didn't get rid of them but hid them in my cupboard and would only put them on when I was out of the house. So with slick, greasy hair, a pair of moon-glasses, a yellow shirt, tight drainpipe blue jeans and leather boots I thought I had it made. But it didn't go that way for me. Ah, but it was fun while it lasted.

"Now I’m stepping out this old brown shoe/Baby I’m in love with you/I’m so glad you came here/It won’t be the same now,/I’m telling you... 'Old Brown Shoes'. (The Beatles)."

#With the latest dance craze where Gangnam Style takes the world by storm and Korean singer Psy leading the pack of galloping horses followed by nearly one billion YouTube viewers, I am just wondering how effective the movements will be if he wears a pair of boots with cleats and horseshoes intact. 

These gadgets are made for the speedy trots. But there will be more noise I suppose. Someone could offer him a pair of these shoes when he comes to Singapore 's Marina Bay Sands (MBS) on Saturday, l December 2012. Perhaps you could do it? 

24.7.2023.
Jimmy Chng [percussionist says]: 
"My brother had these fitted onto his shoes. When he pillioned me on his motorcycle at night, he would take his feet off the foot-rests and let the heels of his shoes make contact with the tarmac.

This resulted in twin streams of bright sparks - like what you would see when metal comes into contact with a spinning grindstone. What a sight it was!"
Studs, for his Beatle Boots, 
as donated by Ivor Lesslar,
lead guitarist from 'Limited Edition'.
Gangnam: http://www.alldayjokes.com/2012/09/oppan-gangnam-style-cartoon-gif.html

Original Article: Andy Lim.

He's A Rebel - The Crystals. 
You Tube Video by: numbersnesongs111.

31 comments:

IRENE YAP said...

Happy Birthday Andy! Couldn't find your wall to post your birthday greetings. Many many happy returns.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thanks Irene, you still remember me huh?

AGL said...

Hey Andy,

Saw you on "Foodage" Clear, precise explanation of rojak and kacang puteh, ha ha.

You look good.

MERLIN LIM (SILVER STRINGS RHYTHM) said...

Hey Bro. U were on Foodage tick, tocking away!! How r u Andy? Thanks for the memories.

Merlin Lim.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thanks AGL for the phone call and comment.

I love old Geylang and the Queens Cinema.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Hi Merlin,

It's been four years since we last met. Thank you for the comment and compliment.

I wish you could play with the Silver Strings again.

AHYAR JAMMARI said...

Wishing u a Happy, Healthy & Longevity Birthday. You look really good on TV - about Geylang.
Ciao

Sent from my iPhone.

DANNY KOH said...

Happy Birthday Andy. Lots more to come. Wish you well.

Teoh said...

Hi Andy,

I rarely surfed Internet during my free time for a long long while. However, I have started surfing again. Glad to know that your blog is still going strong.

Wishing you good health and happy birthday.

Regards,
BC Teoh

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thanks for writing again BC. I miss you and your blog a lot. Not many people are doing what you did. Even today not many blogs about your kind of music.

You should carry on with the postings.

Again thanks for support and visit.

VERONICA YOUNG said...

Happy Birthday Andy,
Was away for the weekends for bowling competition. Hope you have a nice day.

LIM KM said...

Happy Bdae! How was Bali?

IRENE YAP said...

Off course Andy, I never forget my friends. You write such lovely stufF about me...

SGCLUB.COM said...

Hello singapore60smus,

We at SGClub.com would like to wish you a happy birthday today!

Regards,
SGClub.com

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thank you all for the birthday wishes. The blog is into its fifth year today.

S.WEE said...

Did u appear in the recent TV show on Foodage? There was an advertisement of Foodage over the past few days. I thought I have seen u in it.

JC: THE DECIBELS said...

Hi Andy, firstly may I wish you a belated "Happy Birthday."

Yes I did put on "beatles boots" during my band playing days. However, my boots had only cleats fitted onto the toe and heel... sufficient to make that clickety-clack sound though :P

Regards,
JC

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thanks Jim for birthday greetings and explaining your experience with cleats. It was fun those years showing off to others our special boots n shoes.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Thanks to Singapore Memory Project for the offer but isn't it true that if I pledge the blog I am no more the rightful owner?

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

THANK YOU ALL FOR THE BIRTHDAY WISHES FOR THE BLOG AND MYSELF. THERE ARE SO MANY MORE FROM EMAILS AND THIS COMMENT COLUMN THAT HAS NOT BEEN PUBLISHED.

CHIT CHAT said...

I WORE HORSESHOES ON MY HEELS. DID YOU??? TELL US...

Irene Yap
Andy Young the soles reminds me of my tap dancing shoes back than!

Andy Young
Irene Yap, really ? Oh I am not aware. Did you use the horseshoes too 🙂 ?

Irene Yap
Andy Young uh huh! Missing my tap dancing days. Maybe one day I'll get to it again.

Irene Yap
Andy Young no, they look similar though to the soles on those tap shoes I used to have

Andy Young
Irene Yap I was sending to everyone the song, 'Singing in the Rain', where Gene Kelly was tap dancing on a rainy street set for TV. Not many people today can tap-dance.

Irene Yap
Andy Young loved that part of Gene Kelly tap dancing on the rainy street in, Singing in the Rain!! Stayed with me, maybe that's why I took up tap dancing back than.

Andy Young
Irene Yap you should carry on!

Irene Yap
Andy Young perhaps I will.

CHIT CHAT said...

Angela Leow
Andy Young I was in the Red Cross unit in secondary school. Gotta put in lots of these for footdrill. My school unit usually did extremely well in foot-drill competitions.
😊😊

Andy Young
Angela Leow hi, OK. Now I am learning something new here. I didn't know you had horseshoes on Red Cross footwear? That's cool! Thanks Angela... and you all won.

CHIT CHAT said...


Alphonso Soosay
I remember using them in the 60’s and also many other Musicians then. It was the “In” thing then.

Andy Young
Alphonso Soosay HELLO! Thanks for the info; yes! Some younger readers don't believe it and thought I was joking. 🙂

CHIT CHAT said...


Kali Dass S
Yes, during my era, the boots makers was Broadway along Bras Basah Road and just chip in the horseshoes and then the boots were made for walking with clicking sounds

Andy Young
Kali Dass S yes! Exactly what happens. Easy to nail in the horseshoes but loosely, so they click when they touch the ground. Thanks Kali for explaining and visiting.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...


Thanks to all who responded and explained the situation. The comments help to clear uncertainties and doubts about some of our special, unique or strange habits those years. Always happening in any generation...

CHIT CHAT said...

Freda Hanum
This is really a fun article of those 60s days. I was giggling while reading it hehehe😆 I like the sound of clickety-clack!

Andy Young
Freda Hanum yes, did you listen to Hyland's song too? Thanks for support, Freda.

ERICBRONSON WONG [HONGKONG] said...

Ericbronson Wong
Oh Yes Come to think of it those were indeed d trend during those roaring days of d 60s walking on d wild side,, l remember not hard synthetic rubber horseshoes but iron horseshoes banged behind d leather boots n leather shoes making sure it is loud clickety clack sound when U walk pass some people to show them U R some kind of A Rebel,, ha ha ha

l realised l attracted more enemies than friends,, enemies wanted to make trouble saying that U R actsy n show off to be a tough guy,,haters want to challenge U exchanged hostilities true to say l got into a couple of fights because of that

Just Like Rumble On D Streets Of Old Chinatown,, Those Lorongs in Fierce Geylang,, Terror in Katong N Fist waving Street Fighters of Jalan Joo Chiat Tiong Bharu Red hill etc etc honestly

l survived through it all,, thq GOD I am still breathing today,,, l still remember d days patronising cobblers in makeshifts stalls hammering those horseshoes,,

🤠😎😃😁🤩😍🤘🤟✌️👍☕☕🍺🍺

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Andy Young
Ericbronson Wong hi, thanks for your very detailed and informative essay. Really appreciate it. I didn't know you got into fights. Tough guy you are; and just as strong today? I am glad you are my friend.
🙂 Cheers.

Thanks to the other readers too who wrote in to provide much knowledge about this topic of horseshoes. The younger generation will never know until revealed on this posting...

CHIT CHAT said...

Ivor Lesslar
I remember using these for my Beatle boots.
May be an image of text

Andy Young
Ivor Lesslar these are very attractive and useful pictures Ivor. Thanks. I shall include them on the blog as donated by you... STUDS are they?

CHIT CHAT said...

Ivor Lesslar
Andy Young Shoes Heel Plates. (Think So)

Andy Young
Ivor Lesslar ok. I shall describe them so on the blog. Thanks very much.

ERICBRONSON WONG [HONGKONG] said...

Ericbronson Wong
Andy Young,, Oh Yes Brother Andy Those were d unforgettable days,, Days unlike today,, l could hardly find genuine cobblers under makeshift stalls nowadays ,, U find them in air conditioning plazas n big departmental stores instead with very high technology type of machines charging expensive prices getting your shoes mended,,

Surely Gone R The Days where U find a truly just n humble Cobblers offering a reasonable price to work on your shoes,, D fee to hammer d iron horse shoes were so cheap d price U pay for a plate of Charkwayteow n a bottle of Sinalcol with chopped ice l remember for a pair of tea dancing rugged boots,,,,ha ha ha

😎🤠😃😁🤟✌️👌👍☕☕🍺🍺🍻🍻🍹🍹
CHEERS BAGUS