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97/136/1 Boots (pair), with straps (4), mens, leather / metal / rubber / synthetic, by Dirk Bikkembergs, Belgium, 1996. Click to enlarge.
  • Image 1 of 4, 97/136/1 Boots (pair), with straps (4), mens, leather / metal / rubber / synthetic, by Dirk Bikkembergs, Belgium, 1996. Click to enlarge
  • Image 2 of 4, 97/136/1 Boots (pair), with straps (4), mens, leather / metal / rubber / synthetic, by Dirk Bikkembergs, Belgium, 1996. Click to enlarge
  • Image 3 of 4, 97/136/1 Boots (pair), with straps (4), mens, leather / metal / rubber / synthetic, by Dirk Bikkembergs, Belgium, 1996. Click to enlarge
  • Image 4 of 4, 97/136/1 Boots (pair), with straps (4), mens, leather / metal / rubber / synthetic, by Dirk Bikkembergs, Belgium, 1996. Click to enlarge

Pair of mens boots by Dirk Bikkembergs

Made
Pair of men's ankle boots of black leather set on a heavy square heel of voided metal, rounded toe on a square toed sole. The boots consist of black leather uppers, featuring open leg, high tongue, reinforced toe cap, and outside counter with backstrap. The boots are fastened by means of a synthetic covered rubber stretch cord with metal fastenings which winds around the leg of the boot, passes through the metal heel and secures at an eyelet on the outer edge of the boot at the cap and also …

Summary

Object No.

97/136/1

Object Statement

Boots (pair), with straps (4), mens, leather / metal / rubber / synthetic, by Dirk Bikkembergs, Belgium, 1996

Physical Description

Pair of men's ankle boots of black leather set on a heavy square heel of voided metal, rounded toe on a square toed sole. The boots consist of black leather uppers, featuring open leg, high tongue, reinforced toe cap, and outside counter with backstrap. The boots are fastened by means of a synthetic covered rubber stretch cord with metal fastenings which winds around the leg of the boot, passes through the metal heel and secures at an eyelet on the outer edge of the boot at the cap and also onto the top edge of the leg. The top edge is unfinished and the boots are unlined, with a brown, [leather] sock. The voided metal heel features synthetic interior and rubber toe cap. The sole features a thick rubber layer and leather outsole with ribbed rubber forepart(-1/3:6) There are two pairs of straps, one in black the other in blue synthetic covered rubber stretch cord with metal fastenings.

Marks

Manufacturer's name sewn on cloth tag, sewn into sock, black machine stitched print, "DIRK BIKKEMBERGS", on sole, leather cow hide symbol, inside which the text, "REAL/ LEATHER', beneath, "MADE IN BELGIUM/ 40 - ", trademark stamped into waist of sole "BIKKEMBERGS"

Short URL

https://ma.as/155668

Dimensions

Height

230 mm

Width

110 mm

Production

Made

Notes

Dirk Bikkembergs (born in Germany 1962) is one of a small group of Belgian designers (including Martin Margiela, Ann Demeulemeester and Dries Van Noten) who in the late 1980s made headlines in Paris for their avant-garde clothing which 'deconstructed' traditional notions of dress. The most influential aspect of Dirk Bikkembergs' macho style of clothing is his footwear which is inspired by classic functional styles. In 1985 he formed an important collaboration with local cobblers Rik and Jeff Verelst who made sturdy and sensible shoes for police and custom officers. The collaboration enabled Bikkembergs to produce designs which marry the workmanship of Flanders craftsmen with the fashion for workwear. He reworked styles inspired by 1930s football boots whilst other collections have inspired US army cadet boots and biker boots. In 1993 he 'deconstructed' the weighty infantryman's boot by removing traditionally placed eyelets for lacing with a drilled hole into the heel through which the laces were then thread and wound around the ankle. The boots for the collection extend this theme with a voided metal heel from which a length of coloured stretch cord is wound around the ankle.
His footwear appeals to both men and women and is sold locally through the clothing store 'Zambesi' which specialises in a 'grunge' style of dressing. As Bikkembergs explains "I design strong clothes for strong individuals, rather than wrapping up pretentious nerds in sophisticated cashmere."

Boots made in Belgium for Dirk Bikkembergs for Winter 1996 collection.

History

Owned

Notes

Purchased from Zambesi in Melbourne

Source

Credit Line

Purchased 1997

Acquisition Date

13 May 1997

Cite this Object

Harvard

Pair of mens boots by Dirk Bikkembergs 2023, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, accessed 1 June 2023, <https://ma.as/155668>

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://ma.as/155668 |title=Pair of mens boots by Dirk Bikkembergs |author=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences |access-date=1 June 2023 |publisher=Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, Australia}}

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