Christina, Dr. Martens Store, Walnut St.

Christina is an almost pitch perfect spokesperson for Dr. Marten's shoes. It's not surprising, then, that she works for them. She was seated atop a shipping crate in front of the Walnut St. store when I passed by.

Christina's look is something of an update of old school British skinhead. And by "old school" I mean early 1960s, when working class London lads shaved their heads and donned Fred Perry and Ben Sherman in imitation of their Rude Boy West Indian immigrant neighbors. In other words, I'm talking about the skinhead style that predates the later neo-Nazi affiliations it would eventually take on. There is something tough but vulnerable about her look that I find quite appealing.  

And check out those shoes! Just in the last couple years I've rekindled my love affair with Docs. I bought my first pair as a 15-year old Sacramento goth kid and my most recent in a fit of nostalgia in an LA discount shoe store. Dr. Martens' have been a staple of subcultural fashion since the 1960s, and have been worn by skinheads, punks, goths, industrialites, indie scenesters, and assorted other thick boot fetishists ever since. It seems, however, that in the last year or two they have substantially expanded their audience base. They have a large, upmarket boutique on Walnut St. now, and I've noticed them on a variety of feet, most notably, perhaps, among the skinny-jeaned hipster-hop set.