Pointed and extremely flat shoes made of smooth, patent or suede leather, which were closed with a central zip and silver buckles, were the distinguishing feature for followers of the black scene in the 1980s. The so-called pikes (from the English word "pike" = lace) have their origins in the medieval beaked shoe, which was brought to Europe from the Orient by the crusaders in the late 11th century. Here the shoe developed into a fashionable eye-catcher for high society. A few hundred years later, the shoe experienced a rebirth through the Gothics and became the most important identifying feature of the scene at that time. The pikes were never comfortable, warm or practical, but always slippery, tight, too cold and you were always getting the toe caught on stairs. Add to that a pointed heel and the agony was perfect.
But not all goths wore pointy shoes at the beginning of the scene. The "Dr. Martens" boots, the workers' boots with the air sole named after a German doctor, were also popular. They were already worn by punks in the late 70s because they were sturdy and comfortable boots. Later, the company of "Doc Martens", as they were called for the sake of simplicity, only produced shoes for subcultures and individualists and still supplies the scene with this alternative today.
In the 90s, they were joined by the Ranger boot. It was far more martial than the Martens and stood out with a visible steel toe cap and a screwed, chunky sole. Men usually wore the trousers inside the boots, giving themselves an almost military look, while women effectively broke through the visual femininity they initially portrayed with skirts and ripped tights with the Rangers. Ranger boots are still the most important footwear for goths today. They are comfortable, weatherproof and inexpensive.
Since the 00s, the shoe market has become much more liberal. The goth wears almost everything that is black. High heels, platform shoes, sneakers or even creepers, which have crept into the scene via horror punk. Pikes, Docs and Rangers, however, remain the most important shoes for Goths.