Uneven Terrain

Founded in 1920, Palladium quickly emerged at the forefront of aviation tire production. Their technique of layered canvas bands encased in vulcanised rubber enjoyed a high popularity in Europe. By the 1940s and the end of the war, Palladium decided to turn towards the manufacture of footwear, specifically a boot which would be as tough as their tires. The Pampa boot was born in 1947, and it would soon be adopted as the footwear of choice by the French Foreign Legion. Over 60 years later and after a brief hiatus in recent years, the iconic boot has been made available once again.

I remember seeing these boots when I was younger, especially the numerous cloned cheaper designs one could easily find, and must admit that I am rather pleased to see them back in production. Whilst the boot itself is everything you would expect from having a 60 year heritage - functional, comfortable, hard wearing; it is actually the latest lookbook which appeals to me most.

I recently wrote about the difficulties presented by the concept of a lookbook for footwear, where the balance between shoe and background story can be a tricky one to master. For this shoot however, I find myself drawn to the exact opposite of close up shots and soft portraits, for it is the atmosphere and drama of these that I enjoy. With such an iconic design, I suppose it is easier to create a lookbook based on story and feel, as opposed to simply needing to display the footwear. I find this lookbook, of close up shots mixed in with the more story driven shots, highly appealing.

The presentation of the decaying urban landscape really is a powerful one, and I find the use of light in these shots quite simply stunning. I often feel that it is easy to lose the concept of a piece when considering it in isolation, for one needs to see it in the landscape the designer envisaged upon creation. It is here that I feel this lookbook is successful, for the shots somehow manage to convey the very meaning of the boot. Like all photography, it is perhaps not something easily conveyed through words, but something to be felt upon sight.

Currently playing: Be There - UNKLE

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