My Slightly Early Birthday Present to Myself
Posted on May 7, 2014 Posted by John Scalzi 40 Comments
Why, yes, they are Doc Martens with Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights on them — the happy parts of that triptych, anyway. I got them because my birthday is this Saturday (don’t say “happy birthday” yet, I’ll post a birthday post then) and I thought these were pretty cool. Also, although you probably don’t know it, I have a history of interesting shoes. These are the latest.
I asked Athena what she thought of them. “They look like bowling shoes,” she said. Yes. The most awesome bowling shoes ever.
Just totally disappointed you didn’t go for the bit of that artwork that features someone playing a wind instrument from an unconventional orifice. Right on the vamp. Would be even MORE interesting bowling shoes.
Doc Martens has those on the boot version, actually.
You mad, impetuous fool…could I get those in 14EEEE?
The most awesome bowling shoes ever.
Perfect response. Swag even (to borrow from my son’s vernacular, but don’t tell him I said so).
Ah…! (He typed, praying on can order them online and have them send to Holland.)
(My birthday is when again…? Details, details…!)
Oooooo! I LIKE! I’m a big fan of interesting shoes, but I don’t have any with quite that level of interestingawesomeness.
LOL
I am in love. With your new shoes.
Awesome.
If it had the less pleasant parts of the painting, you could have claimed them as “Bowling Shoes OF THE APOCALYPSE!!”
I wonder if there is matching socks to go with them.
I would wear those green ‘science’ socks. The word ‘science’ is in yellow.
Different strokes for different folks… I think if i saw someone with shoes like that in public I’d chuckle. I think those are the ugliest, most overdone shoes I have ever seen.
That being said, I have no fashion sense whatsoever. Or so I have been told since I really can’t tell.
Yep. Gotta agree, pretty darn awesome. Now if they had a stiletto version…
Very fly.
And here I was being smugly impressed with myself for buying some black leather Chuck Taylors….
. . . they look like soleful shoes . . .
Flashing on Steve Martin… “Bring me THE NUDE SHOES!”
I think Bosch was reincarnated as Salvador Dali. This is one of his least grotesque paintings, actually, and I’m delighted to see it on a pair of shoes!
From now on when I think of ‘high style’ I’ll think of John Scalzi.
Those shoes look fine. As long as you don’t wear them in public, anyway.
World on your feet :)
Groooovy!
If you wore them with striped or polka-dotted socks, you’d attain a level of footwear perfection unmatched in history.
Someone should open a bowling alley where all the shoes have artwork like this. I can picture people saying “Give me the Raphael in ten and a half, please.”
Ok, you do shoes, Athena does hats. Does Krissy have a fashion quirk we don’t know about?
I’m gay, and I still don’t think I could wear those shoes in public. Or private.
I am appalled at the shoe haters. Really, how can sf lovers be so intolerant of your awesome Docs? Shocking.
Of course, my 40s are a lively mix of lilacs and cabbage roses, so maybe I’m biased.
” Also, although you probably don’t know it, I have a history of interesting shoes.” Ok, we need to see pics of the other Interesting Shoes!
Those are awesome.
I’m curious: Are you a Michael Connelly fan?
Made in sweatshops. Pass.
I want to see the gallery of interesting shoes. Seriously, absolutely. It feels like cruel teasery to deny us.
They may be bowling shoes, but they’d go well (for flexible values of “well”) with the more colorful versions of golf pants.
OMG i want saw a girl with them the other day. Just wish i could afford them
Good thing yo went for the pleasant parts or you would have had to wear black plastic bags over them in public.
I looked at your strange, strange shoes and my first thought was, “He tied them wrong.”
The Toronto Doc store is sold out, but the person I spoke to this morning told me that this collection is being added to the fall/winter line. My SO has just told me I’ll be getting one of the bags for a combo birthday/Xmas gift. OMG. I have never wanted something fashionable so. freaking. hard. Not because it’s DM. Because it’s Bosch, and I’m weird that way.
hng23, thank you for giving me hope. I was obsessing over the boots yesterday, but they were available only in a large men’s size. I’m a woman with feet that aren’t dainty but not that big either. I’ll figure out what men’s size will work for me because, yes, Bosch, and the boots look even better than the shoes, judging by photos online. I’d wear them in public in a heartbeat.
LOVE! Those are even better than my hot pink Docs and my shiny pewter Docs. An awesome birthday present to oneself.
Those shoes are truly awesome.