This pair a bit more colourful said to be worn by racer who was stunt driver on the Italian job movie with its fun car chases
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A few more photos of Rodriguez in that footwear. Design of boot seem consistent with Westover driving boot with couple of lace-holes although the heel area is not always in a typical contrast colour.
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For comparison a pair ( image below ) of period what David calls “bootie” that are known to Westover by Edward Lewis these may not have the light tan heel contrast either. Possibly some were all black without the tan or with useable the tan got dirty or polished black?
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Jim Clark driving boot taken in 1965 at Brands Hatch (possibly the March RoC?) appears to Westovers (pictured above) they have the cupped heel but usual Westover lighter (tan) contrast not so apparent
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EDIT: with other photos emerging of Clark wearing boots with the distinctive tan heel in 1965 it seems highly likley these are Westover GP boot ( see later posts where the tan heel is visible in colour photos of Jim Clark possibly as early as 1963 )
Either way obviously quite different style from (and almost certainly preceding) the Ciccio production which in 1965 were made as a glue prototype and do-over three pair only commission for drivers in the May Targa of 1965.
The Hagerty article says Fittipaldi was a Ciccio customer which I don’t doubt but he must have worn other brands as this picture clearly shows him wearing Westover nomex version in one of his championship winning year 1974 — drivers may have switched supplier.
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Been interesting to look into this equipment detail — there us a lot of coverage of period wheels here probably because they are attached to car and visible always touched but less for period footwear for another important contact point. I understand why as a second hand wheel is very different appeal to second hand footwear but having a couple of different pairs of Westovers piqued my interest.
Having read the Jenks’ article from 1965 and the recent Hagerty web article it seems a shame the Hagerty authors felt the need to knock Northamptonshire products by calling them “clodhoppers” and implying the products of Northampton such as Westovers were immediately superseded by Ciccio. Hmm? It is true drivers had worn “regular” shoes (which is a valid point they tried to make) but in overstating that their narrative loses credibility when it completely overlooks the existing specialised driving footwear products that were no doubt available commercially in market and in use at some scale before the Ciccio even “dipped a toe” in these waters with unsuccessful glued prototypes and the enterprising (freebie?) bespoke sample he offered to the toeless Quick Vic at the Targa in May ‘68. I applaud his initiative to make something of the one off commission of several years prior when the targa was on tbe island ; also Jenks piece has a whiff of journalist appreciating a freebie product . However from that Jenks article we learn Westovers by Edward Lewis made in Northampton were evidently already on the market in 1965 and the brand evidently remained racing footwear of choice for many F1 world champions plus other notable drivers long after Ciccio got going and clearly thrived well into the mid (and even later) nineteen-seventies. Not quite the demise in the www piece would have us believe. It seems the demise of Northampton (Westover etc) didn’t happen following the Ciccio launch sometime after 68 targa. Still thriving apparently based on just a cursory glance at all the photos of them being worn as seen throughout this thread. Rather insulting to Edward Lewis and Les Leston who were drivers of standing sufficient to be invited to be members of prestigious BRDC that requires success in the sport not just selling accessories. Possibly the use of Nomex material was a factor in the evident adoption by many of the distinctive blue or red Westover full lace up with that tan heel (vs Rodriguez style leather driver “bootie”). Understandable assuming drivers were seeking to get some better flame resistance by using the available materials of that era. I’m not knocking Ciccio or his product as they are fine product but question the web article’s spin in the narrative.
Steve
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