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Winklepickers are a style of shoe or boot that has been around from the 1950s on. The name is derived from the very sharp and quite long pointed toe, reminiscent of the poulaines of the 14th Century .This pointed toe was called the winkle picker toe because in Britain, winkles are eaten with a pin or pointed object to get the winkle out of the shell.
Winklepickers gained popularity in the 1950’s amongst the Teddy Boys and were then adopted by the Mods in the 1960’s. The pointed toe was something of a counter statement to the more formal footwear of the time. Their anti-establishment credentials were “enhanced “by their appearance on gangs of youths fighting in London Streets or on Bank Holiday beach brawls. This opportunity to make a statement was not missed by successive generations of Mods, Rockabilly’s, Punks and Rock’n'Roll die hards. All of them adopted Winklepickers in one guise or another to complete their look.
Nowadays Winklepickers are very popular among a new rock generation and are worn by band members from bands such as the Horrors and Neil’s Children.
The Underground Winklepicker is based on the original 1950’s last shape and some of the styles use the original tooling. The authenticity of the Underground Winklepicker is well recognised and provides the brand with a unique selling point for is collection. In addition to the original styles and construction the collection has been broadened and contemporised through the addition of new sole and upper treatments including leather sole and crepe sole adaptations.
Also included in our Winklepicker collection are classic styles such as the Chelsea Boot or the Cuban heel version, the Beat boot.