Like UFO pants and polyester suits, some shameful trends of yore should remain buried in the past. Others, like the iconic creeper shoe, have risen from the dead to meet the dawn of a new popularity. Made popular amongst the dapper Teddy Boys of late 1950s London, the creeper has for decades been the preferred footwear for alternative's most stylish. From the Teddies and their drainpipe slacks, creepers made their way onto the feet of 70s punks with their leather jackets and pyramid studs, and later peeped out from beneath the draped lace and velvet of 80s and 90s goths.

This fall, the creeper walked out from seedy London underground clubs and right into the heart of mainstream fashion. Grim is in- and the shoe’s Bride of Frankensteinian character lends to fall’s vampish styles, while its crepe sole indulges in the current trend of platform footwear (and is much easier to walk in!). The creeper was the shoe of choice in Prada’s S/S 2011 runway show; paired with bold patterns, form fitting dresses and oversized tops, it showed that it had both quirk and creep.

A clunky, quirky, statement shoe, creepers come in a myriad of styles and colors and can be dressed up or down. For authenticity, stroll over to NYC’s infamous Trash and Vaudeville shop, located on punk haven St. Mark’s Place, and look for the T.U.K. (Tread United Kingdom) label.