Costuming - TOS Boots

[Botany Bay]

Guys,

Does anyone know a supplier for screen accurate TOS boots, or someone selling something reasonably similar?

Cheers

 

[SchwEnt]

Don't know of a supplier. But I've seen many screencaps and there is more than one type of TOS boot.

Like the props, there were "hero" boots and other more practical versions.

Some boots had laces, others without. Some apparently for use on set, other boots for use when outdoors on location shooting.

So check which type you'd prefer.

 

[Botany Bay]

Hey thanks SchwEnt, I didn't know there were lace up versions.

This is, I suppose, the hero pair?

From Wink of an Eye, just after Kirk ticks off hyper-accelerated-aliensex from his bucket list.

As for what type I'm after, just something, anything really, that will do justice to my amazing ANOVOS TOS uniform, and is practical enough to survive a few conventions without breaking any ankles on its possibly intoxicated wearer. Something reasonably close to what we saw on screen will be fine. I am thinking about visiting some women's shoe shops. Explaining what I am after should prove interesting.

 

[SchwEnt]

Right. The lace-ups I recall seeing on Kirk during one of his knockdown fights. I suppose the lace-ups were used so as not to mess up the spiffier standard TOS boots.

I can't recall which eps screencaps I saw. One of Kirk's brawls, damned if I can't remember.

 

[GSchnitzer]

For what it’s worth, our principal cast on Star Trek Phase II is outfitted mostly with custom made TOS boots from Willies Shoe Service in Hollywood, California. Willies has made all the Star Trek boots for Paramount starting with Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979. They continue to make boots if Trekkies are willing to buy them. Expect to pay a nice sum: my boots made by Willie three or four years ago cost about $700. I don’t know what they are running now; I read that they are about $800 now. The good news is that that price is per pair, not per shoe. They can and will make any style—the flatter heel style of the third season, the cool Cuban heel from the first season--whatever you want.

The earliest earliest Desilu TOS boots were bought off the shelf. But early in the first season, they began to be produced by Western Costume. In what will likely be frustrating to you, a year or two ago, Star Trek Phase II entered into a project with Western Costume to have a whole bunch of TOS boots made using the original templates for “a song.” I think the price was a mere $300 if I recall. An order of a certain number had to be guaranteed by us before Western Costume would agree to the deal. In the end, we were just able to scare up enough people willing to pop for the boots. These weren’t custom made, exactly. They were made in a variety of fairly standard sizes. I haven’t heard of any plans to repeat this project.

Other options you have that are really close are Motorcowboy, Caboots, and Beatware. Lastly, sometimes people sell off their TOS boots on ebay. You might get lucky there.

The only lace-ups I’ve seen are Shatner’s as he battles the Gorn and in “Tomorrow Is Yesterday” as he gets into a scuffle at the airbase. So they look to be pressed into service when he has to do stunts. I haven’t checked other TOS fights to see if he wears them in other episodes.

Right. The lace-ups I recall seeing on Kirk during one of his knockdown fights. I suppose the lace-ups were used so as not to mess up the spiffier standard TOS boots.

I can't recall which eps screencaps I saw. One of Kirk's brawls, damned if I can't remember.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Shatner wore lace-up boxer boots for his location scenes in "Arena." I think this was because the episode before last was "Shore Leave," in which his big location fight with Finnegan destroyed a pair of the expensive hero boots. And the show wasn't about to do that again, not on their budget. [Edit: I didn't recall the lace-ups in "Tomorrow is Yesterday." I'll bet Greg has observed TOS more closely than anyone in the world.]

When I was a kid, TOS was my principal point of reference in life for what looked cool. Back then I would have given anything for a pair of Star Trek boots, but not with the "Cuban" heel you see on early Spock and McCoy. That type of angled heel originated with cowboys who needed to keep their feet in the stirrups.

Today I'm over it and would not consider laying out $800 for a pair of boots that I'd have to baby and never scuff. The grownup Zap wants to pay less for footwear that babies him and can go through snow and rain.

 

[Botany Bay]

GSchnitzer thanks for the plethora of options. May the Great Bird of the Galaxy bless your planet .
If ever there is another run of the authentic ones with Western Costuming and you need numbers, please count me in.

If I can't find something locally, you've given me plenty of choices. Thanks again.

 

[GSchnitzer]

I'll keep you posted if Western Costume does another boot run.

In the meantime, here are Kirk's lace-ups from "Tomorrow Is Yesterday:"

GSchnitzer thanks for the plethora of options. May the Great Bird of the Galaxy bless your planet .
If ever there is another run of the authentic ones with Western Costuming and you need numbers, please count me in.

If I can't find something locally, you've given me plenty of choices. Thanks again.

 

[AtoZ]

Right. The lace-ups I recall seeing on Kirk during one of his knockdown fights. I suppose the lace-ups were used so as not to mess up the spiffier standard TOS boots.

I can't recall which eps screencaps I saw. One of Kirk's brawls, damned if I can't remember.

The guards had on the laces in The Alternative Factor and Spock wore them all throughout This Side of Paradise. Then of course Kirk wore them in Arena.

 

[Commishsleer]

Go girl boots.

Say you're shopping for pirate boots. They won't believe you but who cares.

Real good girl boots are about $300 but you can shop at Target (Australia) for < $100 and you can try them on without the aid of a shop assistant.

 

[Botany Bay]

Commish, I took your advice and trawled every women's shoe department in Sydney, but sadly my feet are too wide. It was a good idea, there were so many that would have been perfect, but my fat feet made it impossible in even the biggest sizes. Was worth it for some of the reactions I got from people when they asked what I was looking for, though

I found an old fashioned bootmaker (there is one left in the whole city) who was intrigued, but he wanted $2,000

I had almost given up, then I started googling for "boots" rather than "Star Trek boots", and found something called the "Funtasma Captain - 100".

Only $45 + $15 shipping. Looks pretty close to GSchnitzer's pic, and the price is right for something I'm going to wear a couple of times a year max.

Thanks all for the suggestions

 

[Commishsleer]

Congratulations.
Let us know how they go when you get them.
I'm interested in case I ever need a pair and the price seems very good.

 

[bbailey861]

Very good deal. Yes, let us know how they are. This would be a great costume addition.

 

[Mario de Monti]

You might also want to look at riding boots:

Just a thought ...

 

[FormerLurker]

Something that should be noted about the boots Shatner is wearing in the first pic; It is very hard to see in that pic, but the hero boots had a zipper up the inside that was ignored as "such fasteners no longer exist", much the way the zippers on the tunics were ignored. One has to look closely to see them, but they are there.

 

[Ssosmcin]

I have a pair of the costume boots and they are a good, cheaper alternative. I just with the toes were pointier like the series boots generally were.

 

[spockboy]

That is NOT what they look like. Like most 60's boots they had the more stylish cuban heel. The screen grab is from "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"

 

[Commishsleer]

That is NOT what they look like. Like most 60's boots they had the more stylish cuban heel. The screen grab is from "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"

Do they make boots like this anymore for men?

 

[Botany Bay]

I think I read somewhere that the heels disappeared after season 1.

Nice sharp pic of the boots spockboy.

Is that Shatner?

Mario they look pretty close. You could switch from biker to trekker easily.

FormerLurker the Funtasma Captains have the zipper you're talking about.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

There's a pic from the set of "What are Little Girls..." that shows Shatner in uniform but wearing his comfy loafers when not filming a scene. That should tell us something about what it's like to walk around in those boots all day, even his custom-made hero pair.