Aug 18, 2017

I'm Convinced Vivienne Westwood's Pirate Boots Are Coming Back

by Hannah Almassi

Whether you wore (or dreamt of wearing) Vivienne Westwood's Pirate boots in 1989, 1999 or 2009, everyone can agree that these shoes are iconic. And I have a strong feeling they're about to make yet another return to the spotlight.

First introduced at the beginning of the 1980s for Vivienne's seminal raggamuffin-style, pirate-inspired fashion collection (which was linked to her store at the time, World's End, and designed alongside her then-partner, Malcolm McLaren), these were an instant hit with the hippest kids of London's subcultures. They were worn with her snake-patterned leggings, thick socks, loose tunics belted at the waist and enough curio accoutrements to make Jack Sparrow majorly jealous.

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Photo:

Getty Images/Rex Features; PICTURED: Kate Moss and Sienna Miller in 2009.

Skip forward a couple of decades, and the iconic boots were adopted once more by London's cool crowds—albeit the ones who sauntered around Primrose Hill and were of the more luxe bohemian variety. Sienna Miller and co. were superfans of the designer's footwear and wore them on repeat with skinny jeans and flirty minidresses; 2005 was a particularly strong year for the Pirate pack, and almost every girl across the land aspired to own a pair.

Despite being a mainstay in this British brand's core offering they have wavered in and out of favour—like any recognisable classic. However, the upcoming season could see a rather triumphant return for the slouchy, buckled, Kate Moss–loved boots (they are such a favourite for the British supermodel that Vogue has charted her years of wear out them, dating back to 1999) because many other designers have heralded the slouch boot as a key update for the new season.

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Photo:

Rex Features; PICTURED: Saint Laurent and Marc Jacobs A/W 17 catwalks.

Saint Laurent is doing them in crystals. Isabel Marant has rendered them in ponyskin and lengthened them to the thigh. Marc Jacobs's look straight out of the '70s in tan leather. Michael Kors has given us some cone heels. It's a shoe trend every editor will wholeheartedly support for the next six months, and no one does the slouch better than Vivienne Westwood. Want extra cred? You could even go a step further and snap up a vintage pair on Vestiaire Collective.

Keep scrolling to shop Vivienne Westwood's Pirate boots and other slouchy boots for autumn.