Kickers The Brand

The youth brand Kickers was created nearly 40 years ago. Originally conceived to be worn with jeans, Kickers shoes quickly became the wardrobe staple for an entire generation. At a time when manufacturers only offered traditional and conformist footwear, the multicoloured nubuck high shoes revolutionized the industry and became extremely popular: the Kickers 'lifestyle' concept was born. The Kickers brand continues to innovate today with a diverse range of new footwear models and collaborations with fresh design and music talents.

Kickers Heritage

In 1970, Daniel Raufast discovered the poster for the musical 'Hair'. Intrigued by all the barefooted youngsters wearing jeans, he developed a new shoe concept more compatible with the blue-jean generation. The designer Jacques Chevallereau then created the first 'jean boot'. This new shoe was very different: the use of nubuck (softer than leather and available in numerous colours); shapes that looked more like short boots than regular shoes; tough crepe soles made with natural rubber (for increased suppleness), eyelets, contrast stitching, panels and appliqués all obviously referencing denim. The success was such that within just one season, Kickers production capacity soared from 300 to 12,000 pairs per month. In 1972, the Kickers brand obtained the exported goods' 'Oscar' and confirmed its success two years later with sales in over 70 countries.

The Kick-Hi

When Kick-Hi reached London in the mid 70s, it caused a phenomenon bestowing legendary status on the Kickers brand, not least for its connections to music. Members of the rock royalty of this era from Roger Daltry to Elton John and David Bowie all famously donned the Kick Hi boot.

But it was the late 80s and early 90s that it really exploded in popularity when it was heralded by icons of the 'Madchester' music scene: Ian Brown notoriously kicked off the trend by wearing a pair to the Haçienda as a cheeky retort to the 'no trainer' policy. The Stone Roses wore them in their video for 'Fools Gold' and not forgetting the sheep that sported a pair on the cover of the 'Stepping Stone' 12" single by The Farm.

Kick Hi subsequently became the staple fashion component of the rave scene, first with acid house and then later with trance music. The red Kick Hi in particular became the ultimate accessory teamed with baggy jeans or trackies and a hoody. It's not all about retro styling though; new fans of the look come from diverse and contemporary musical backgrounds including UK garage, urban, R'nB, pop and hip-hop. Appropriated by So Solid Crew in the early 2000s, they have since been spotted on Ms Dynamite, Jarvis Cocker, the Gallaghers and more recently Mike Skinner, The Arctic Monkeys and The Kaiser Chiefs.

The Future

Kickers is constantly looking to the future and drawing inspiration from the past. Launched in 2007, Kickers 'Project X' brought together rising talents from the worlds of fashion and jewellery design, styling and illustration to reinterpret the iconic Kick Hi boot more than three decades after its inception. The results vibrant and varied versions of the classic shoe stormed the style press with their originality and uniqueness. For 2008, Kickers instigated a music-focussed project featuring exciting collaborative designs from music megastars such as The Buzzcocks, The Hacienda and Groove Armada.