stitching, signed, mouldies, numbered
wore these for a Cheshire trial in high school
After a decade and a half of hibernation I pulled them out for a
couple of games (funny how all the trivial possessions somehow
survive with you while all the important stuff gets lost along the way). Like
all well worn footwear should, they literally fell apart on my feet. We’re
talking bare toes popping out and soles flapping off. That’s what you call
money’s worth. A lot of modern footwear starts to peel after a few months and
looks ten years old before you’ve even started to break them in, so no
complaints.
The problem now, with modern boots,
is that they look ridiculous. They look like pop art. The sheen and the colours
are truly atrocious. They only suit Jimmy Savile. I for one wouldn’t be seen
dead in them. Since when was it acceptable to wear pink boots? Imagine the
added pressure in a tense game whenever the ball came your way. I don’t get how
players want to stand out visibly like that. It should be their skills standing
out visibly.
The boots I bought back in school
cost under 30 quid. The yellow stripe was outrageous enough. Don’t get me
wrong, a little colour indicates flair and style. Emphasis on little. A hint. A
splash. A stroke. But today’s designers have gone like totally overboard.
Rather than dab the boots with paint, they DIP THE BOOTS IN PAINT.
Anyway the point of this is about
getting ripped off for brands from back in the day, because now Diadora have returned to JD Sports and if by some chance I wanted to buy a pair of sensible boots with meaning, I
could take myself back in time and buy almost the same pair I had in my
childhood. How good would that be, if I still played for a team? You see the
problem right there though don’t you? I don’t play for a team, so therefore don’t
need the boots. And that is my world, folks...a place where even the good news
is bad. 34 Skid Row, Endsville.
Oh (and here’s the kicker), did I
mention it would cost me 100 pounds for the privilege? They look like a cheap boot, despite the back story. You're paying for the memories, people. They don’t even look
as good as the originals, although this changes the more I look at them because they are growing on me with every passing second. Probably not made as well either, but then again maybe they are. But still, at
least, if you’re prepared to fall for the overpriced vintage trap, there’s an option
besides the majority of pukey luminosity monstrosities currently adorning the
shelves. And if you have a passion for the beautiful game, and they last you as
long as football boots can, then I suppose it’s worth it. In fact, I think it
is. Peeling back the years is mastercard stuff.
£30 mid-nineties...£100 now
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