French shoe brand Kickers was founded in 1969, but it wasn’t until 1975 that it created its most famous boot, the square-fronted, white-stitched Kick Hi. In the intervening 40 years, the style has been snatched on by musicians of multiple generations, from mod rockers The Who to Rocket Man royalty Elton John, and from shape-shifting David Bowie to Hacienda-era Ian Brown. The sturdy boots have retained their classic design, but look out for a year of collaborations with the likes of Baartmans and Siegel, Love Hearts and a currently undisclosed British high street giant. Here’s to a kicking 40th anniversary year.
