Kickers

Kickers is a French footwear and clothing brand established in 1970. Its origins are closely associated with the cultural shift surrounding the musical Hair and the rise of jeans as a defining form of youth dress. Daniel Raufast saw an opportunity to create footwear suited to the emerging blue-jean generation, while designer Jacques Chevallereau developed the first model, described as a jean boot. Rather than following conventional dress-shoe construction, the design used nubuck, short-boot proportions, natural-rubber crepe soles, metal eyelets, contrast stitching, panels, and appliques that visually related the shoe to denim and casual youth fashion. The concept gained traction quickly in France. Within one season, reported monthly production increased from approximately 300 pairs to 12,000 pairs. The brand then expanded beyond France, achieving an early presence in Germany and, by 1974, selling in more than 70 countries. This international growth established Kickers as a recognizable casual-footwear name rather than a narrowly domestic French label. Kickers also developed visibility through popular culture. David Bowie was photographed wearing the brand during the 1970s, including in connection with the television performance of “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy” with Bing Crosby and in editorial imagery. Such appearances helped associate Kickers with youth-oriented music and fashion, although the brand’s strongest long-term mass-market identity developed through everyday footwear rather than celebrity endorsement alone. In the United Kingdom, Kickers became particularly successful during the 1980s. Demand was strong enough in some locations that children reportedly waited late into the evening for new deliveries, with stock selling rapidly after arrival. The shoes also acquired a distinctive collecting culture around the flower-shaped tag associated with many models. For British consumers, the presence of this tag became an important visual sign of authenticity. The brand’s school-shoe reputation remains especially connected with British secondary-school pupils. The Lo style, along with the higher Kick Hi boot, became established choices for school footwear, combining a recognizable casual appearance with robust construction. The Kick Hi was introduced in 1975 and represents one of the brand’s enduring boot silhouettes. Alongside these core styles, Kickers has produced broader ranges of casual shoes, boots, trainers, and clothing. Kickers was acquired by the French Royer Group in 2007. The acquisition placed the brand within a larger footwear group while preserving its identity as a casual, youth-oriented label. Its historical proposition continues to center on practical everyday footwear with strong visual codes: substantial soles, denim-associated detailing, distinctive branding, and a balance between fashion and durability. Although its strongest cultural association is with France and the United Kingdom, the brand’s early international distribution and continuing product presence give it a broader market identity.

Kickers emerged in France in 1970 during a period when jeans, rock music, and youth-oriented fashion were reshaping everyday dress. Daniel Raufast was inspired by a poster for the musical Hair, particularly by the image of young people wearing jeans and going barefoot. He sought to translate that informal visual language into a practical shoe. Designer Jacques Chevallereau created the initial “jean boot,” a design that differed from conventional footwear through its use of nubuck, short-boot styling, natural-rubber crepe soles, visible eyelets, contrast stitching, and denim-referencing panels and appliques. The first concept achieved rapid commercial acceptance. Within a single season, reported production capacity rose from roughly 300 pairs per month to 12,000 pairs. After becoming established in France, Kickers expanded into Germany and other international markets. By 1974, the brand was reportedly sold in more than 70 countries, giving it an unusually broad distribution footprint for a young footwear label. A notable early product milestone came in 1975 with the release of the Kick Hi boot. The model helped extend the brand’s original jean-boot concept into a recognizable higher-cut silhouette. During the 1970s, Kickers also gained cultural visibility through appearances associated with David Bowie. Bowie wore Kickers during the filming or performance context of “Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy” with Bing Crosby, was photographed in the brand by Clive Arrowsmith, and appeared on the cover of Melody Maker in February 1978 wearing Kickers footwear. The United Kingdom became one of the brand’s most important cultural markets during the 1980s. Kickers shoes became highly sought after among children and teenagers, particularly for secondary-school wear. Reports from the period describe children waiting for deliveries and stock selling quickly once it arrived. The flower-shaped tag became a prominent part of the brand’s identity, and some young consumers treated the tag as proof that a pair was genuine Kickers. The Lo and Hi styles became especially associated with British school shoes. Their combination of a casual silhouette, durable materials, and distinctive branding allowed them to function both as permitted school footwear and as a marker of youth style. This dual role strengthened Kickers’ position in the United Kingdom beyond ordinary seasonal fashion cycles. In 2007, Kickers was acquired by the Royer Group. The transaction moved the brand into a larger footwear-company structure while retaining its established name and design codes. Kickers has continued to be associated with casual shoes, boots, trainers, children's footwear, school shoes, and clothing. Its historical significance rests on the way it converted youth-fashion references into a durable commercial footwear format and then developed a particularly strong school-shoe culture in Britain.

• 2007

  Royer Group acquires Kickers

  [1]Kickers (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  The French Royer Group purchased the Kickers brand.

• 1980

  British school-shoe popularity accelerates

  [1]Kickers (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  During the 1980s, Kickers became particularly popular among British children and teenagers, with the Lo and Hi styles becoming recognizable secondary-school footwear.

• 1978

  Kickers appears on Melody Maker cover

  [1]Kickers (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  David Bowie appeared wearing Kickers on the cover of Melody Maker dated February 18, 1978.

• 1977

  David Bowie wears Kickers

  [1]Kickers (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  David Bowie was associated with the brand through photographs and the Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy performance context with Bing Crosby.

• 1975

  Kick Hi boot launches

  [1]Kickers (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  The Kick Hi boot was introduced, becoming one of the brand's enduring higher-cut footwear styles.

• 1974

  International distribution expands

  [1]Kickers (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  Kickers was reportedly being sold in more than 70 countries after establishing itself in France and Germany.

• 1970

  Kickers is created in France

  [1]Kickers (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  Daniel Raufast initiated the brand after being inspired by the youth imagery surrounding the musical Hair. Jacques Chevallereau designed the first denim-inspired jean boot.

• 1970

  Rapid initial production growth

  [1]Kickers (brand)en.wikipedia.org

  Within one season, reported production capacity increased from about 300 pairs per month to 12,000 pairs per month as the initial shoe gained popularity.

Mid-range casual footwear combining durable construction, youth-oriented styling, denim-inspired design details, and strong school-shoe recognition in the United Kingdom.

• Casual footwear · 1970

  Jean boot

  The original Kickers concept was a denim-inspired short boot designed for the emerging blue-jean generation. It used nubuck, natural-rubber crepe soles, visible eyelets, contrast stitching, and decorative panels or appliques. The design established the brand's core visual language of casual construction and overt detailing.

• Boots · 1975

  Kick Hi

  Introduced in 1975, the Kick Hi is a higher-cut boot associated with the brand's early jean-boot identity. Its substantial construction and distinctive styling helped make it a recognizable Kickers silhouette and later contributed to the brand's popularity among British schoolchildren.

• School and casual shoes

  Kickers Lo

  The Lo style is a lower-cut shoe that became particularly associated with British secondary-school footwear. It combines a casual profile with the robust construction and recognizable branding details for which Kickers is known. Its school-shoe role made it one of the brand's most culturally visible offerings in the United Kingdom.

• Children's footwear

  Children's footwear

  Kickers has a substantial children's footwear identity, especially in the United Kingdom. Children's styles include school shoes and casual shoes built around durable materials, practical wear, and the brand's recognizable flower-shaped tag and other visual identifiers.

• Trainers

  Kickers trainers

  Trainers extend Kickers' casual footwear offer beyond its traditional boot and school-shoe silhouettes. They remain part of the brand's broader range of everyday shoes, retaining its youth-oriented positioning while serving more informal and contemporary uses.

• 2007

  Acquisition by Royer GroupM&A

  Background

  Kickers had developed from a French youth-footwear concept into an internationally distributed brand with especially strong recognition in the United Kingdom.

  Action taken

  The Royer Group acquired the Kickers brand and incorporated it into its footwear portfolio.

  Aftermath

  Kickers continued as a distinct casual-footwear brand associated with shoes, boots, trainers, children's footwear, school shoes, and clothing.

  Source

1. 1Kickers (brand)en.wikipedia.org