The History Files: Kickers

Born in the 70s, Kickers were created by French designer Daniel Raufast who had a vision to create the perfect boot to wear with jeans.

Inspired by the musical Hair and the youth of the 70s wearing simple tees and jeans, he dreamed of creating a statement boot that would appeal to the masses. Little did he know, it would appeal to global superstars, too.

Spotted in some of the first Kickers designs – namely The Kick Hi Boot - were the likes of David Bowie and Rod Stewart; two of the biggest rock and roll icons of our time. From here, there was no going back for Kickers.

Landing in the UK in 1975, this new style of shoe was very different to anything we had seen before. The unique boot shape, the use of nubuck, the natural rubber soles and contrast stitching were all new to the market but people couldn’t get enough.In one season alone the production capacity went from 300 to 12,000 pairs per month!

Fast forward to the 80s and their popularity continued to skyrocket, with iconic Manchester band The Stone Roses sporting the Kick Hi as part of their ‘Perry Boy’ look.

The musical influence continued into the 90s as Ian Brown was spotted wearing his Kickers to the Hacienda, DJs were sporting the bright red Kickers boots on Top of the Pops and Britpop heroes Jarvis Cocker and Noel Gallagher wore theres on stage.

By the naughties, Kickers had branched out into different music genres including reggae, garage and rap – a massive jump for the brand! They were now becoming more and more mainstream and seen on stages up and down the UK. The Streets, Ms Dynamite and So Solid Crew are just some of the names that helped boost this brand through the 2000s.

The brand continued to inspire, with collaborations with Henry Holland one of their most iconic to date. Throughout the 2010s, new silhouettes were added to the line up including the still popular today Tovni trainer.

And now, over 50 years into the business, Kickers are thriving and more popular than ever. Mostly recognised as school shoes, they have cemented their place as the go-to for back-to-school shoes. The all-black shoes, boots and trainers lend themselves perfectly to the classroom and will continue to do so for many years to come.

Check out the rest of our Back to School shop and browse our collection of school bags and school coats, so the kids can come back correct after summer.

Shop the full collection of Kickers online and in-store today to bring back the 70s vibe or kit the kids out for a new term.