An American Guide to Britishness

I don't think I would go as far as saying it was xenophobic, but there were certainly some places where she made it quite clear that she did not like the place that she was living.

I'd never heard of baseball boots either, but when I searched for them on ebay they turned up sure enough. I think she is in Scotland so that may have something to do with it.

Good point, her contempt for where she's living did come through (which may or may not have been why some came across as xenophobic to me)!

The contempt is why I did not find it very amusing. 

And I've never heard of converse chuck taylors being called "baseball boots" before.

We call them 'baseball boots' in Scotland.

Again though, the British are the champions at this sort of half patronising pseudo-anthropological writing. I think it comes from the Empire, "Oh look at the funny natives." 

I didn't think she was contemptuous. I thought it was very tongue-in-cheek and affectionate.

I've never heard 'baseball boots'. Is it a west coast thing?

I've not heard it either, but I've not had any conversations about converse.

I've never heard 'baseball boots'. Is it a west coast thing?

>shrug<
Maybe.  But I lived in Linlithgow for 8 years and heard it there too.

Just did a very unscientific straw poll on Facebook, and it seems that those who remember the 80s call them baseball boots because that's how they were marketed here. Apparently the shoes worn by Run DMC (Adidas Superstars), which like Chucks were basketball shoes, were also marketed as baseball boots. How odd!

Just did a very unscientific straw poll on Facebook, and it seems that those who remember the 80s call them baseball boots because that's how they were marketed here. Apparently the shoes worn by Run DMC (Adidas Superstars), which like Chucks were basketball shoes, were also marketed as baseball boots. How odd!

Good poll! 

Yeah, it was the mid-80's when I washed up on these shores, so that's probably why I'm familiar with the term.  But I also remember hearing 'basketball boots' as well, for those giant high-top leather trainers that were worn loose/unfastened at the top.