What are Nariman boots?

The varnish boots from the films about Ostap Bender are Nariman. They can also be seen in films about Ilf and Petrov. Even among cartoon characters there are a couple of connoisseurs of these boots. An example is the detective from the Bremen Town Musicians. The one who has a nose like a dog and an eye like an eagle.

What kind of shoes are these?

The data differs from other patent leather boots:

• the presence of a small boot;
• lack of laces;
• tapered toe;
• a highlighted bow (either in color, an embroidered pattern, or a thin strip of perforation);
• low but wide heels;
• with a dedicated backdrop (today this detail is often overlooked).

The description fits not only the Nariman, but also another model. There is a version according to which these shoes are nothing more than a type of Chelsea boot (English boots).Moreover, in this story it is not completely clear who borrowed the idea from whom - whether it was a European designer, trying to please the queen, who adapted the Russian style, or vice versa. The Patriots are leaning towards the latter option. According to their version, Nariman products appeared first, about 150 years ago.

Be that as it may, in the West our narimans are called Chelsea boots. This is not entirely correct, considering that the Chelsea model implies the presence of rubber inserts on the sides and the absence of any fasteners.

The sole concept doesn't match either. In the classic English model this part is covered with leather, in traditional Nariman it is made of wood. For example, from birch. The purpose of such an element: to create a special creak. A person walking in these shoes reproduced sounds that in the minds of people of that time were correlated with the creaking of high-quality and expensive leather. It was even believed that it was not the sole that made the noise, but the boot, polished to a shine.

And the fashion for such sound accompaniment was widespread only in Russia (a little later - in the USSR). Europeans did not see anything attractive in this. Therefore, their Chelsea boots never squeaked and, therefore, would not have appealed to domestic fashionistas.

Another difference between the 2 specified types of boots is the initial gender. At the dawn of their appearance, English models were intended exclusively for ladies from high society. They wore Chelsea on horseback riding.

Narimans were popular among men and only in certain circles. They could be seen on military personnel, detectives, wealthy students and, oddly enough, on criminal figures. For example, on members of the Odessa mafia.

Confirmation of this is easy to find in the lines: “And he wears a hat on a Panama hat, he wears shoes on Nariman.”According to a popular version, in the criminal slang of one of the oldest groups in the world - the Odessa mafia - “na panama” means “on the case.” That is, the dear one who is discussed in the song carried out his dirty deeds while wearing a hat and shod in Nariman boots. Here's an idea for a bow.

Important! The frequent mention of the word “version” suggests that reliable information about the origin and path of lacquer boots has not reached us. Only guesses are made.

origin of name

Squeaky boots are a cult item throughout the first half of the 20th century. They are mentioned in several songs of those years, but modern people primarily associate narimans with the composition performed by “The Untouchables” (rock band of Garik Sukachev). In fact, the author of this song does not belong to him. It was written by a man about whom nothing is known today.

It was performed for the first time by Dmitry Rostanov. In 1913, this song was released on record. At that time it was called “Soon Darling Will Leave,” and belonged to the genre of cruel romance.

In the original version, the Nariman were not mentioned at all. Instead they were replaced by the phrase “on the rips,” which means “with a creak.” The replacement was carried out by one of the subsequent performers. Presumably, this was done by a migrant singer due to the fact that listeners in Europe did not understand what “on rips” meant. But they knew about the Soviet Nariman factory, which produces leather shoes and clothing, abroad. So, with the singer’s easy suggestion, the name of the manufacturer was transferred to his products.

Important! From Persian, Nariman means courageous, strong in spirit.

The company was named after the first owner, Nariman Karbalai. This name is still popular among eastern peoples.

“Versions” of boots

The canonical style of Nariman boots has little in common with their today's incarnation. Initially they were not monochromatic. A combination of 2 colors was required: white (main details) and black (buttons, toe, heel).

There was also no unity regarding materials. The sock was made from smooth leather, preferably patent leather (the more shine, the better, the more fashionable). The heel could have been used for leather of lower quality. For the white base they used canvas. It made it possible to reduce the price at least a little (the cost of a real factory pair was prohibitive for an ordinary working person).

Wealthy people and bandits - representatives of the Odessa mafia, for example - could afford a Nariman, sewn entirely from high-quality leather, without canvas inserts. But the central white part still remained soft (the heel and toe, on the contrary, were very hard).

In modern models, the boot is often no different in hardness from other parts of the boot.. There may be no color separation at all. The product can be made from anything, including leatherette, suede and nubuck. Some models even wear heels.
What do boots combine with in looks?

Traditional look: boots, straight men's cut trousers, shirt (as classic as possible, with buttons and a starched collar), cap or hat.

You can “play around” with each item of clothing listed. For example, take plain oversized trousers with turn-ups or a slightly tapered (but not tight-fitting!) model. A variation of the pajama style (stripes) is also suitable.

A shirt - plain or striped - needs to be tucked in. Whether or not to button it up is a personal choice. To make her look good with wide pants, you should take a closer look at the suspenders.If you don't like this accessory, replace it with a leather belt. Instead of a shirt, you can also wear a turtleneck. Let there be a scarf (not colorful) around your neck. A jacket would also be appropriate.

Important! Michael Jackson wore Noriman with solid colored suits and ties.

For a less bohemian and more casual look, try cropped trousers or jeans. With them they wear a sweater (not tight-fitting or completely oversized), a voluminous sweater, and a tucked-in T-shirt (also loose). The listed options can be combined (for example, wearing a shirt under a finely knitted sweater), since layering is in fashion.

Some people even succeed combine these boots with skirts and dresses. For example, with a pencil skirt, a preppy style model, a sun and even a multi-layer tulle tutu.

Important! The most preferable prints are stripes and checks.

The top item of clothing can be:

• wool coat;
• very long fabric raincoat;
• cropped leather jacket;
• coat like a pea coat.

On your head, let there be a felt hat with a hard brim (in some cases, long-brimmed models “shoot out”, experiment) or a knitted, tight-fitting hat.

Celebs who wear this trend

Previously, such world and domestic stars as:

• Michael Jackson;
• Garik Sukachev;
• Freddie Mercury;
• Elvis Presley;
• The Beatles.

Today, Victoria Beckham and her husband, Jessica Alba, Kylie Minogue, and Chris Evans often wear such shoes. They do not wear the original black and white patent leather leggings, but an average version of the Nariman and Chelsea boots.