#but i like fashion i like classic rock i like harreehh

[swimmingleo]

HSLOT boots and psychedelic fashion conspiracy

Are we ready to read too much into things once again but classic rock style ? Hell yeah, here we go.

DISCLAIMER I don't really believe in what I'm writing here, but I think it's fun and I like to entertain the thought of Harry going full nerd style to put up his lil uniform (I mean, he better has thought it through).

There is one thing that caught my attention about Harry's stage uniform and it's the consistency of his boots. Agreed, they're pretty, look comfortable and practical while serving the psychedelic 60's vibe he's going for (we'll come back to that), but they're custom made and I like to make a big deal out of thin air, so.

da boots~

Let me introduce you to the niche world of Gohil's Shoes

Gohil's is a small independant shop located in Camden created by Velji Gohil in 1966. Back in the 60's, the shoemaker was notoriously known for his colorful, bold and unique handmade leather boots. Gohil supplied the iconic psychedelic boutique Granny Takes a Trip, which played a big part in the underground scene and where lots of rockstars would buy their outfits (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Marc Bolan, yeah all of em).

Rockstars such as Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, Elton John or David Bowie popularized Gohil's boots designs or even directly commissioned him.

But where it gets interesting is when Pink Floyd gets involved oF COURSE OMG LEO SHUT UUUUP.

No way to tell 100% but I'm pretty confident they're all rocking their lil Gohil's leather goods here, in all kind of colors like a proper uniform.

Syd Barrett the man himself got his own custom-made Gohil's boots: short ankle and elastic gussets (precisely. It will make sense later).

cmon i like making parallels it's fun

More of Syd's boots:

Pink Floyd plays a massive role in the Gohil's lore because they gave the shoemaker proper credit and immortalized his work in classic rock culture by namedropping the shop in The Wall.

I got elastic bands keepin' my shoes on

[...]

I've got a pair of Gohills boots

But I got fading roots, Nobody Home

Please, I don't know why they purposely spelled it wrong, it's killing me.

The unmistakable reference to Syd's boots evokes his melancholy surrounding fame and how out of place he felt in the public eye. The elastic bands were allegedly part of his boots' design because he wouldn't lace his shoes anymore: in the end, no matter how custom made the shoes were, they didn't feel part of him because they were tied to his new life as a rockstar.

It doesn't stop here with Syd and shoes discomfort, here we go.

In 1967, Syd writes Jugband Blues (tw flashing lights i think?). He's on his way out from the band, not able to keep up with the work rate and the record's company demands. The song is a criticism of the music industry: from the ironic marks of respect (which remind me of how Harry thanks Rob Stringer lol) to the shallow psychedelic visuals and unsettling vibes of the music video.

The camera films quick glimpses of the set they're on: the machinery, the staff... even a suit who's just standing there watching. Like in TPWK.

AAAANYWAY THE SHOES.

And I'm grateful that you threw away my old shoes

And brought me here instead dressed in red, Jugband Blues

In Jugband Blues, in Nobody Home or even Vegetable Man (In yellow shoes I get the blues), the shoes are a prison Syd wants to escape from, an emphasis on the fact that he doesn't feel good in his skin and barely feels like himself at all. He doesn't belong even in his own clothes and misses the familiarity of his old shoes: a reminder of a place and time where he felt safe and not... Perceived.

All in all, the shoes are a big "DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE". When the lights are up, with all eyes on you and you got those brand new Gohil's boots on, do you know who you are ? Do the shoes make the Man ? Or just the performer ?

For Another Man, a milestone in Harry's solo career and a big ass tribute to classic rock fashion, Harry wore his lil rockstar outfit while keeping on his old worn out Converse.

He's determined to pursue his career while staying true to his roots. He's not losing himself to his stage persona.

On the right Keith Richards, wearing snakeskin Gohil's boots from Granny Takes a Trip.

Now what about Harry making a point of wearing consistently the same boots' design on tour ?

I won't pretend like Love On Tour psychedelic visuals didn't remind me of Pink Floyd at first. WHICH IS FAIR, cuz after all Pink Floyd were the first to actually do a regular light show on their live performances. They would project liquid light effects, crazy colours, and play with the patterns and textures of their Granny Takes a Trip outfits...

... Basically, the performers and lights blend together. The obvious risk is for the performer to be literally eclipsed by the lights, which was Pink Floyd's intent (idk they were shy or smth).

For Love On Tour, Harry is going all in with the psychedelic tribute, boots included. Except he's not letting the lights or the clothes wear him. By wearing the same design again and again, he's appropriating them the same way he would wear his crusty sneakers to death <3

I got inspired to write that post with what @laurelier and @ialwaysknewyouwerepunk wrote about Harry and the comfort he could find in clothes, a steady aesthetic and the frequency he wears specific garments, something he seems to have found with Fine Line. While Live On Tour's suits were more diversed and impressive, he implied how uncomfortable he felt performing in them. It also read as part of the rockstar image push during the HS1 era where articles would often compare him to Mick Jagger, Bowie or Prince.

Since then, with Fine Line, Harry knows who he is, became a trendsetter, an icon on his own and made a point to sing about how good in his skin he feels. He loves the boots and they feel like home

...

all of this for some boots yo