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Al Capone is one of the most infamous and legendary gangsters in modern history. Nearly as iconic as the man himself is the two-toned wingtip shoes he wore.
How is it, that certain shoes are adopted by, and associated with various criminal groups? Is it something about the style of shoe? Perhaps the colors, or logo? The shape? Maybe the price? Maybe a combination of things? Whatever the case, whether it be 1920’s era mob bosses or Los Angeles street gangs or even prison inmates, shoes and criminal enterprises have an interesting intertwined history.
Spectator wingtip shoes
Al Capone (top – second from right, bottom – center) sporting his iconic two-toned spectator wingtips
Nike Cortez
Eazy-E of N.W.A. sporting the Cortez’s in 1989
Other gang-related sneakers
Calvin Klein “CK” sneakers
British Knight “BK” sneakers
Kendrick Lamar x Reebok Ventilator “Paperwhite”
“Air Patakis” prison sneakers
Music Credits:
- “Speak Softly, Love” (The Godfather theme song) (Silver Screen Classics Album Version) – David Davidson (written by Larry Kusik, Rota Nino), 1996
- “Sing Sing Sing” – Benny Goodman (written by Louis Prima), 1935
- “Rhapsody in Blue” – Gary Graffman, New York Philharmonic Orchestra (written by George Gershwin), 1979 (from the film Manhattan)
- “Drop it Like It’s Hot” – Snoop Dogg, 2004 (written by Snoop Dogg, Chad Hugo, Pharrell Williams)
- “If You Blood Throw it Up” – 47 Miller Gang
- “U Can’t Touch This” – MC Hammer
- “Gangsta’s Paradise” – Coolio (written by Coolio, Stevie Wonder, Doug Rasheed, L.V.)
- “Only God Can Judge Me (ft. Rappin’ 4-Tay)” – 2Pac (from album All Eyez on Me)
- All other music from the YouTube Audio Library and the Immortal Soles Podcast
