Go-go boots are a low-heeled style of women's fashion boot worn since the mid-sixties when fashion silhouettes focused on accentuating the leg. They first appeared in the 1960s.
Nowadays "go-go boot" is often used to describe any style of knee-high boots regardless of heel height, but this article mainly describes the original boot of that term.
The term Go-Go is derived from the French expression à gogo, meaning "in abundance, galore", which is in turn derived from the ancient French word la gogue for "joy, happiness".[The term "go-go" has also been explained as a 1964 back construction of the 1962 slang term "go", meaning something that was "all the rage"; the term "go-go dancer" first appeared in print in 1965.
In 1958, the first Whisky a Go-Go in North America opened in Chicago, Illinois, on the corner of Rush Street and Chestnut Street. It has been called the first real American discothèque. In Paris, the original accented Whisky à Go-Go opened in 1947.
The idea of a woman's mainstream fashion boot was revolutionary. Before the introduction of go-go boots, women's boots were generally worn during only inclement weather, rugged activities, or horseback riding, but not as street shoes.
This new style of footwear was designed for to complement the shorter hemlines of the new, modern look. Go-go boots drew attention to the legs, accentuated the simple A-line silhouettes but also offered some modest coverage for the less daring but fashion-minded women.
André Courrèges is often cited as the originator of the fashion go-go boot: a low-heeled, calf-high boot made of white plastic with a clear cut-out slot near the top was featured as part of the "Moon Girl" look featured in his Fall 1964 collection.
Manufacturers began mass-producing runway knock-offs in contemporary colors and materials. These knock-offs were extremely popular with teenagers, who could be seen wearing go-go boots on both the street and television dance shows. They were often seen worn by "Dolly Birds" in London during the 1960s. The boots usually had a zipper in the back although some styles featured the zipper on the side or with no zipper at all.
Girl dancers on the TV shows, "Hullabaloo" and "Shindig" also wore the short, white boots. As such, those came to be called Hullabaloo Boots and Shindig Boots.
Nancy Sinatra's 1966 number-one pop hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" helped popularize go-go boots, and the Space Age boots worn by Jane Fonda in 1968's science fiction film Barbarellawere a nod to their erotic past.
Other designers (including Mary Quant) designed their own versions of go-go boots. As hemlines rose, so did the height of the boot, and the heel height dropped proportionately, culminating in a pair of thigh-high garter boots designed by Yves Saint-Laurent which clipped up underneath the tiniest of skirts.
Fashion trends progressed and as women's trousers and maxi-length skirts where only the foot showed became popular, legs were de-emphasized. By the early seventies, go-go boots were referred to simply as boots, and the emphasis shifted to the height of the heel and the development of the platform. Many women also wore them in the 70s.