Chicago Dodgers Sneakers – my 1970’s shoes appreciated at last.

These old shoes have made a couple of previous appearances on these pages but today they have a starring role. I just happened to be wearing my old Chicago Dodgers sneakers in the photograph above when I decided to put my feet up for my summer holidays.

They also appeared when I was doing a piece about the hornet bee that died in my bedroom – poor beast. The death scene happened to be by my discarded Dodgers  and I was more concerned about  having a hornet lying in wait for me where I usually put on and kick off my shoes.

So it came as quite a surprize when one of this blog’s readers wrote me an enthusiastic letter, not about the hornet but about my old shoes, my Chicago Dodgers Inter sneakers. Lee wrote to say that he had been looking for a photograph of these shoes for a long time and wanted me to put up some more. I am, as always, happy to oblige my readers so here they are again but, first, here is Lee’s letter:

Colin hello, hope you don’t mind me contacting you? I came across your excellent blog completely by accident, when searching for vintage Inter “Chicago Dodgers”! after many dead ends, I nearly fell off my chair when a photo of your vintage boots in glorious colour appeared on my screen!

I can’t tell you how good it was seeing these elusive sneakers on your blog, I’d almost given up hope of trying to find anything on these lovely old boots, yours are the first and only bit of proof that these crazy 1970’s sneakers existed for real, and weren’t a figment of my imagination? I can remember these being worn by the older kids around the mid seventies, but when no one else seems to recall them you start to doubt your own memories? but I was sure they were real and a very popular fashion choice for many a youth at the time!

Colin could I ask if you remember where you bought them all those years ago? I think someone once mentioned to me once that they bought a pair from Timpson shoes or Freeman Hardy and Willis? not sure if thats correct but thought I’d ask anyway as I’m trying to find as much information as I possibly can!

Hopefully one day I might own a pair but these boots despite them being as rare as hens teeth! stranger things have happened!

Anyway thanks for posting those on your blog which I enjoyed, some lovely images on there, and glad you are on the mend!
Lewes looks a lovely place to live.

Many Thanks!
Lee

This might be a little forward of me Colin so I apologise, but would it be possible to snap a few more detailed shots of these boots, a shot of the rugged sole and tongue label? I would be one very grateful chap!

So, Lee, here is the tongue label – it has always appealed to me too……

..and here is that rugged sole which still has the label on it from the small but dead trendy “boutique” shop in Twickenham where I bought them in, I cannot really believe this, in 1977. Somehow, I could never quite bring myself to throw them away even when several people asked me why I was wearing such scruffy old shoes – well at least Lee understands.

So thanks for your letter Lee – and before I go, here are a few more shots of my Dodgers.

It is all about the detail and these shoes got it just right.

So I have dug them out again and I shall wear them all day today.