Kickers (brand)

Infobox Company
name = Kickers

type = Private
foundation = 1970
location = London, UK
key_people = Daniel Raufast, Founder
industry = Footwear
products = Shoes, Apparel
homepage = [http://www.kickers.co.uk kickers.co.uk]

Kickers is a youth brand created in 1968 that produces a wide range of footwear.

History

In 1968, Daniel Raufast came across a poster advertising the musical 'Hair'. Interested 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; shapes that looked more like short boots than regular shoes; tough crepe soles made with natural rubber, eyelets, contrast stitching, panels and appliqués all obviously referencing denim. The success was such that within one season , Kickers production capacity grew from 300 to 12,000 pairs per month. By 1974, Kickers were selling in over 70 countries.

Kick Hi

The Kick Hi boot was released in 1975. It was the late Eighties and early Nineties that Kickers really gained popularity when Kick Hi's were heralded by icons on the Manchester music scene. The Kick Hi then became popular in the rave scene, first with acid house and then later with trance music. Many fans of the shoe came from diverse and contemporary musical backgrounds including UK garage, RnB, pop and hip-hop.

Sponsership Activities

*Kickers are sponsoring the Urban Music Awards (UMA) 2007.
*Kickers have an advertorial with NME until September 2007.

Popular Culture

Over the years Kickers has been associated with a host of icons:

*Ms Dynamite
*So Solid Crew
*Jarvis Cocker
*Noel Gallagher
*Mike Skinner
*Arctic Monkeys
*Craig David
*Rodney P

Trivia

*Ian Brown famously kicked off the trend by wearing a pair of Kick Hi's to The Haçienda as a cheeky retort to the strict 'no trainer policy'.
*The Stone Roses wore them in their video for 'Fools Gold'
*A sheep sported a pair of Kick Hi's on the cover of the 'Stepping Stone' 12" single by " The Farm".

External links

[http://www.kickers.co.uk Kickers website]