Creepers

Technically called Brothel Creepers. I guess if I understand Wikipedia correctly (which is where all this info is coming from), it wasn't so much that people needed to tip-toe through the brothel, which, by name, is what I envisioned, as much as these thick soled boots were coincidentally what these groups of WW2 British soldiers happened to be wearing at the time of their, well, exercise. In 1949, George Cox revamped the sole into something more fashionable.
Later into the 50's they grew popular with the pompadaur coiffed, velvet suit clad, bolo tie swingin' Teddy Boys and Rockabilliy brethren. I think the first time I became aquainted was seeing a picture of Joe Strummer in them which was around the time of the Creeper resurgence in the late 70's and then on to the Stray Cats and on and on and on and...