Sometimes good news comes from the unlikeliest of places; and as any parent who has suffered the trials of shopping for school shoes, that particular experience would have to rank as one of the unlikeliest of all. And then, along comes Kickers to turn all of that on its head…
As an iconic brand, Kickers will doubtless need no introduction – even if you’re not a parent, and therefore already in love with them for their alchemy of style and sturdiness, the classic Kick Hi boot has cemented its place in fashion’s collective DNA, and not gone out of style since its heyday in early ‘90s rave culture (and is available in a delectable palate of ice cream pastels – yum).
Already, therefore, a firm favourite, Kickers have upped the good news ante on two fronts. Firstly, the practical. Anyone who has tried to buy childrens’ shoes online – and who, during a pandemic when, annoyingly, their feet didn’t stop growing – will tell you that your odds of receiving a pair of shoes that fit the feet they’re intended for are basically akin to winning the Euromillions, then being struck by lightning. Why is it so hard for brands to exercise any sort of consistency? Why must we be tortured with the constant translation between UK sizes, EU sizes and foot length? Has any toddler seriously ever compliantly allowed their foot to be measured in an at-home gauge? Thankfully, the good people at Kickers are just as interested in problem solving as they are at making brilliant shoes: enter their new online sizing tool. Simply draw around your child’s foot (can be turned into a game for those of a mischievous bent), enter the measurements online and bingo – you’re matched to your perfect size. Sure enough, my daughter’s new school shoes arrived fitting like a glove, and with a thrilled “wow mummy, these are SO COOL” endorsement to boot. Job done – thank you Kickers!
But the coolness doesn’t end there. Taking the problem solving ethos to new levels, Kickers have never been happy to just sit on their laurels making life easier for parents; since their beginnings in 1970, they’ve made it their mission to give something back. In a move that will chime with many of us who observed, aghast, the deeply upsetting events around the Euros this summer, Kickers have teamed up with Show Racism The Red Card. They’re the UK’s leading anti-racism charity, who harness the high profiles of some of the country’s most popular footballers to tackle the blight of racism in society, providing educational resources and running programmes of direct anti-racism education to over 50,000 young people and 6,00 adults per year. Kickers will be working with them on exclusive events, activities and competitions, kicking off (pardon the pun) with Wear Red Day on 22nd October – simply don your favourite red item and donate £1 to the charity. Keep an eye on kickers.co.uk and theredcard.org, and embrace the opportunity to make a real difference. As we all know, campaigning for a better society can’t be done in uncomfortable shoes, so in light of all of the above – what are you waiting for?
Kickers school shoes start from £25 kickers.co.uk
