Billy Connolly inspired £1,750 designer banana boots

A Scottish fashion designer says his take on Billy Connolly’s iconic banana boots have been a sell-out hit.

Charles Jeffrey’s £1,750 boots are a nod to the original pair, which he saw as a child on display at the People’s Palace museum in Glasgow.

The 33-year-old, from Bellshill in Lanarkshire, said a sense of humour was “incredibly intrinsic” to his work.

Comedy legend Connolly famously wore his banana boots on stage at his live shows during the 1970s.

The original boots were designed by Glasgow pop artist Edmund Smith.

The new version are part of the latest collection from Charles Jeffrey Loverboy.

The designer told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland: “I was tagged in a photograph that was of a pair of trousers that had been cut from the knee down to the ankle to sort of fold like a banana peel.

“And people tagged me in that photo and said “banana boots by Charles Jeffrey Loverboy.”

“That went viral, and we thought we’d never actually made these boots.

“I thought maybe we should just do them.”

Jeffrey initially thought that the high cost of the boots would put off customers.

He said: “When you’re making smaller amounts of items, the price tends to go up.

“When you’re actually looking at the craftsmanship of what we do, it justifies the price and it kind of makes you hold them dear.

“But we sold out of them in 24 hours.”

Jeffrey has previously designed stage outfits for Harry Styles and is friends with Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton, but is keeping tight-lipped whether they have ordered their own pairs of banana boots.

He added: “We’ve had a few celebrities actually asking for a certain custom colours, but I can’t tell you who those people are.

“We’ll maybe some that are spotted or glittered or neons.

“I’m encouraging any young designers or young creatives, don’t be afraid to be bold with your decisions.”