Tag Archives: film

Shoes In Film: Perfect Days

One of my favourite films in the last few years is Wim Wender’s Perfect Days. Upon my first watch, I spotted the main protagonist wearing a pair of GATs (German Army Trainer), the perfect choice for such a character.

Thanks to its sole intended purpose as a military training shoe, the GAT has since been adopted by many fanbases. Whether it’s the Japanese Americana enthusiast, Margiela Replica lovers or just people after practical footwear, the Army Trainer is a classic option for all. Built during the post-plimsole era, the silhouette was an answer to German military personnel looking for a pair that could keep up with the demands of basic training.

Classic lines, a majority leather construction and hit of suede have made this a staple for many, including our main character Hirayama. Certainly tough enough to withstand the rigorous shifts of a Tokyo city toilet cleaner, this is an excellent example of where the GAT is serving a more functional role. As we witness throughout the runtime, Hirayama is a man of few possessions, with his trusty GATs a key part of his work uniform.

In my mind, this footwear-based choice made on behalf of customer designer Daisuke Iga was spot on. Even the white and grey colourway was the correct choice, revealing how meticulous our protagonist is at keeping his uniform clean, a detail made abundantly clear by the bright shade of white.

Other scenes such as the cycle ride with niece Nico show Hirayama putting aside his practical footwear and instead opting for a comfy pair of sandals. Another decision made by Daisuke is that of the traditional slides and how they imply a state of change outside the strict and almost military approach Hirayama takes towards his work. We can also see this through the rest of his outfit and demeanour, not to mention the zen mindset he communicates to his niece – “Next time is next time”.

It is only towards the end of the film in which we see a pair of New Balance 996 in a traditional NB Grey being sported. A shoe which was once a pinnacle of running technology upon its first release, the shoe much like our character is reluctant to cry out for attention.

I have repeatedly watched this film since its release and will continue to do so for years to come – particularly because of the excellent costume design by Daisuke. While the film’s message is totally adjacent to the world of sneaker collecting, it emphasises the importance of looking after our possessions, no matter how much we own. This is a message some of us including myself should embrace.

Kurt Vannegut on Boots + Music

Weisberg’s Night Rider is a display of ’70s flute at its finest. Pre the album artwork too, only makes the song that much better. If I’m ever cool enough to drop an album then best believe it’ll feature an old racer.

This song was too funky not to include. Came across it on a MAJ Brazilian reggae set where the lady doing the back-to-back kept gesturing a cobra with her hands. She seemed like good energy and this song was doing a lot of the sunny Friday afternoon that I found myself listening to it.

Here’s a Skepta and Novelist rework that captures the silhouetted MCs in what was the resurgence period for the genre. You can just make out the Streetz Iz Watchin’ cap that defined the North London artist’s mid-2010s era, as well as a young Novelist who at the time was championed by all the OGs. Here is the original set for those wondering.

The first two tracks came from the MAJ YouTube channel, as well as coming across another Mellow Grime producer in RONIN. These three songs weren’t available on Spotify, reminding me of how disappointed I get when actively searching for new music outside the platform’s algorithms.

Also here are some words about a pair of boots which really stood out to me while reading Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse 5:

"Those boots were almost all he owned in this world. They were his home. An anecdote: One time a recruit was watching him bone and wax those golden boots, and he held one up to the recruit and said, 'If you look in there deeply enough, you'll see Adam and Eve.'

Billy Pilgrim had not heard this anecdote. But, lying on the black ice there, Billy stared into the patina of the corporal's boots, saw Adam and Eve in the golden depths. They were naked. They were so innocent, so vulnerable, so eager to behave decently. Billy Pilgrim loved them.

Next to the golden boots were a pair of feet which were swaddled in rags. They were crisscrossed by canvas straps, were shod with hinged wooden clogs. Billy looked up at the face that went with the clogs. It was the face of a blond angel, of a fifteen-year-old boy.

The boy was as beautiful as Eve.

There’s a lot of religious symbolism which I haven’t broken down yet. If a boot is so shiny and golden, thus acting like a mirror in which that person can look into their soul. Whether or not that person is pure enough to possess that energy within is to be decided. Anywho, I’ll be looking out for more boot related sections as I read on. So It Goes.

Sticking with the abandoned footwear narrative, here is a cool video of someone putting together images of lost footwear they found in Thailand. It’s only available in 240p as it was uploaded about back in 2019, which in hindsight is no excuse as to why this should be such a low resolution. Perhaps it was an aesthetic choice, in which case I fully respect the creative license. A pioneer some might say, and with a name as cool as “Sill E”, I’m starting to think I’ve stumbled across this era’s Kubrick. You’ve earnt yourself a subscriber Mr E.