What's In The Bag? Reuben Billingham of Anglozine

May 11, 2022

Taking our partnership with artisan shoemakers Padmore & Barnes to the next level, we've joined forces with London-based Anglozine to present a collaborative take on the Higgins leisure shoe.

This collaboration with Padmore & Barnes draws its inspiration from Anglozine’s seasonal collection and our shared love of jazz records, cinema, and an enduring appreciation for the sense of style and design in the mid-20th century. To mark this link up between ourselves and Anglozine we thought we'd ask Reuben Billingham to show us what inspires him and what to an extent inspired our Higgins collab.

It's a fun premise 'what's in the bag' isn't it? Satisfies that inner sense of curiosity that we all have, and gives a fascinating glimpse into someones humour and style. That's probably why the format is so successful with the likes of Amoeba Records, Vogue, and Hypebeast all doing it - the sneak peak at what you've got closest to you remains undefeated. We thought it was high time to get involved and use the medium to showcase our latest collaboration.

Check that out via the button below! 👀

Anyway, without further adieu, lets get stuck into this feature.

#1
"Jazz monthly June 1961: I picked this up on a trip to New Orleans and it features a Snooks Eaglin by Alexis Korner. A family favourite and it probably doesn’t get more original mod than this."

#2
"Films & Filming 1964: bought this copy from Wood Street market for £1.50 featuring the man of 1964 and part inspiration for this season Alain Delon."

#3
"Hunter Davies: I’m often bleating on about lost London. A few gems haven’t changed a bit so I’m reading this 1966 London guide at the minute. I’ve met Hunter Davies at a podcast talk he’s a great writer."

#4
"7e Art: picked this up on my last trip to Paris (pre-Covid) from Ofr books, It’s impossible for me to walk past zines."

Jimmy Smith 7”- this guy put Hammond on the map. For years jazz men would turn up to clubs with pianos out of tune. When Jimmy took the organ out of church and into the scene that was it. We’d have no: The Charlatans the only one I know intro, Georgie Fame yeah yeah or Trampoline by The Spencer Davis Group and quite possibly Green Onions without the incredible Jimmy Smith!

Listen for yourself...

The Style Council: the summer blue print, much like Ska or cans of Lilt

"Anglozine Seasonal Tote: I refuse to pay 30p for a carrier bag."

#1
"Swiss Army knife: I use the tooth pick a lot"

#2
"Tape measure and spare buttons: I’ve usually for scissors and thread at the bottom of my bag too"

#3
"Yashica 35mm camera: Everyone has a 35mm camera in their ‘whats in my bag’ story right? Its not mine I borrowed it off a local hipster."

#4
"Foreign currency: I’m still trying to find a bureau de change..."

#5
"Sugar: I usually leave a caff’ sans sucres and there’s something dead tasty about a coffee with sugar stirred with a biro."

#6
"Stamps: I once helped a well known British comedian out at Heathrow by giving him stamps so that he could post his car keys back home. Some months later I got the same bottle of whisky he’d bought at the duty free shop sent to my place of work with a thank you note. The motto of the story carry stamps get free whisky!"

#7
"Curry & Paxton sunglasses: just in case the sun turns up."

Turning our attention back to the M244 Higgins project, we asked Reuben for a bit of an insight on it all.

"The M244 Higgins shoe has been an absolute pleasure to work on. For those keeping track you'll know this is our second footwear tie-up with a real deal footwear brand. Padmore & Barnes based in Kilkenny Ireland since 1934 have a strong history in casual footwear and have collaborated with the great and the good of the industry, so suffice to say we are dead chuffed.

The Higgins model was originally released as a boat-shoe inspired style in 1978. With its signature hand stitched upper gives it a moccasin type construction and summer spirit.

Taking inspiration from 1960's casual shoes found in the likes of William Claxtons Jazz photography and the jivy ivy set. The colour orange was a nod to Hanon whom we've known for around 15+ years, a nod to their 'keeps on burning' flame logo and motto.
The 1.5mm dimples on the vamp are not fully perforated- footwear types call them punches. We first saw this detail on a pair of 1960's shoes a good few summers ago and regret not buying them ever since. "

"I Don't have too many regrets as a rule, other than: selling 2 x Charlotte Perriand stacking chairs to expense a re-build on the Lambretta engine before an IOW rally, giving up piano lessons, swapping a GT Pro-Perfomer II BMX for a BSA air rifle in teenagedom, gym membership(s) and not buying those punched vamp 1960's shoes in 1998 from Spitalfield market in London... "

"The team effort of the M244 Higgins has made us forget all of these woes here at Anglozine HQ, the shoe is that good."

"One last note I recently took the shoes down to the Kent coast to shoot the shoes on the beach. Re-lacing the shoes on the train to work out which variation I preferred to match the shingle beach and lost one of each laces. So I walked from Folkestone train station to the beach (2 miles) with odd laces. On my way to an old sailing outfitters to buy some laces, shielding behind my two day tripper pals. I thought I’d got away with it until yards from the shop an uncle Albert looking sailor asked me pointing at my odd laces if I’d jumped ship."