Paratrooper boot lacing
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No, it is true, in these parts anyway, that said they are often shorn of hair, wearing a flight jacket and a t-shirt advertising Screwdriver or something similar, so the white laces aren't the only giveaway.
I'm too straight-laced to care!
We were taught Toddy's method for the reasons above, but I suspect it was because on parade boots (leather laces removed, individually polished and replaced) they looked better. It used to madden me that I could never get an even lenght of lace at the top eye with this method.
The long lace always cut into the top of my foot and I've never laced boots for proper use any other way than simple crisscross: easy to adjust, easy on and off and even spread of laces.
Has anyone notice how much better modern laces are? We used to be recommended to carry a spare pair. Now I find laces outlast the boots.
We were taught Toddy's method for the reasons above, but I suspect it was because on parade boots (leather laces removed, individually polished and replaced) they looked better. It used to madden me that I could never get an even lenght of lace at the top eye with this method.
The long lace always cut into the top of my foot and I've never laced boots for proper use any other way than simple crisscross: easy to adjust, easy on and off and even spread of laces.
Has anyone notice how much better modern laces are? We used to be recommended to carry a spare pair. Now I find laces outlast the boots.
No, it is true, in these parts anyway, that said they are often shorn of hair, wearing a flight jacket and a t-shirt advertising Screwdriver or something similar, so the white laces aren't the only giveaway.
AFAIK it's only if the DM boots are black though - ox-blood being the colour choice of the anti-fascist - with the lace colour changing meaning because of that. (According to friends who are mods (UK) & the St Pauli Anti-fa Skinheads (Hamburg).
Thread well and truly hijacked, sorry about that. Very interesting though.
(My laces are black and there is nothing writ on my flag.)
No, it is true, in these parts anyway, that said they are often shorn of hair, wearing a flight jacket and a t-shirt advertising Screwdriver or something similar, so the white laces aren't the only giveaway.
Mmmm it's Skrewdriver not screwdriver.....best set record straight afore some poor soul wearing a picture of a Phillips screwdriver get jumped by red action or another far left group !
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As the man with orthopaedic shoes once said, I stand corrected.
To push this thread in the correct direction here is a video with Canadian showing us how to 'straight lace' your boots.
[video=youtube;E8HbkplAb1Q]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8HbkplAb1Q[/video]
And it's only from the second album onwards that they became associated with racism. Like lots of bands they played around with their image trying to find one that would make them commercially successful, it turned out that the skinhead look worked for them so they stuck with it (they'd previously played around with the punk and rocker/biker looks too). I believe that most of the original members left because of the image/ideology change amongst skinheads themselves and Ian Donaldson's (founder, vocals, guitar) willingness to play along with the neo nazi stereotype. I know for certain that Suggs (of Madness fame) was a roadie for Skrewdriver in their early days but disassociated himself very quickly once the racist overtones started to appear. Skrewdriver, like most skinhead/Oi! bands are a lot more complicated than first appearances would suggest.
White laces were never originally to do with racism, they just looked good, which is what being a skin was all about. Like most of the imagery associated with skins, white laces have been "stolen" by the far right boot boys that pass themselves off as skins today.
Red laces however, yeah, I think they've always been about violence.
Sorry for the random musical history lecture
Cheers,
Stuart.
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I like to lace mine in a mixture....I find it gives both support and flexibility...
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I used to and still do with some boots put a knot in one end and lace the lace up from there missing the 2 level top holes then wrapping the lace around the top until finished then tuck under this band of laces to secure. If that all makes sense. Very comfortable for me.
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Yeah, i had a pair in great nick, some years ago early 90's i think, bought them from Endicotts, the only pair with that option in the shop at that time, loved them, totally adjustable, used to shine em so you could see your face in them, used them for motorcycling mainly, was pestered to sell them to a customer, one decision i regret, not seen anything like them since.
You could take the whole system out, and revert to just lacing, but made the opening very wide and affected the waterproofness!
Ivan...
http://www.armysurplusuk.co.uk/heavy-duty-quickzip-boot-zip-speed-lace/
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ZIP-ITS-QUICK-RELEASE-ARMY-MILITARY-BOOTS-LACE-INSERTS-/281183931482?pt=UK_Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item4177de4c5a
One of the Army surplus vendors does them in various sizes but I don't remember who i.e. eight holes, nine holes etc.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ZIP-ITS-QUICK-RELEASE-ARMY-MILITARY-BOOTS-LACE-INSERTS-/281183931482?pt=UK_Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item4177de4c5a
One of the Army surplus vendors does them in various sizes but I don't remember who i.e. eight holes, nine holes etc.
Brilliant! Thanks Dave, now i have to go on a decent paraboot hunt! Really efficient and easy on/off look good too.
Cheers.
Ivan...
When I was Serving a guy showed me a different way and I continued to do it the same way for the next 16 years!
Tie a not in one end of the lace and start from the bottom of the boot and lace the one free end all the way up. Then at the top just wrap it around the top of the boot a couple of times and tuck the end under the wraps. No knot and if you cut the lace in the middle it all pulls out really easy. Got to try it out when I broke my ankle and worked well...
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Tie a not in one end of the lace and start from the bottom of the boot and lace the one free end all the way up. Then at the top just wrap it around the top of the boot a couple of times and tuck the end under the wraps. No knot and if you cut the lace in the middle it all pulls out really easy. Got to try it out when I broke my ankle and worked well...
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That's what I was told, never did it though, proper pain in the ****. The other one was "Don't tie them in any other way than shown coz when the gurkhas crawl up to you they wont know if you are enemy or not."
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The whole gurkha wrong laces throat cutting malarkey is a myth. But it has been circulating for so long that most believe it. I had the pleasure of speaking to a 75 year old gurkha ww2 veteran and this very subject came up... Gurkhas would never risk killing an ally if he had not laced his boots correctly. They had much more obvious ways of positively identifying an enemy at night.
Tie a not in one end of the lace and start from the bottom of the boot and lace the one free end all the way up. Then at the top just wrap it around the top of the boot a couple of times and tuck the end under the wraps. No knot and if you cut the lace in the middle it all pulls out really easy. Got to try it out when I broke my ankle and worked well...
I was taught that as well and still use it when I can find boots with holes and not clips/speed lacing. This way was great for breaking in boots missing the middle holes out and the top one.
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