The bright stuff

Slipping on a pair of gray faux-fur booties my mother purchased for me in Japan at the tender age of six, I realized – even then – that basic footwear wouldn’t tickle my fancy the same way these would. With its soft gray fur and sewn-on ragged mouse ears flapping by the side of my toes, these shoes signified the beginning of a love affair with all things odd and whimsical.

It could be the reason why basics – while necessary in life – don’t make hearts beat faster. The brighter colors, the more adventurous patterns: these are the things great outfits are made of. Some may call it gaudy, but at the end of the day when all eyes are on you, instead of the other 99 percent of the people in basic black, you can have the last laugh. Or stare.

My last stop at the mall I couldn’t help but be drawn to the Kickers store, a colorful combination of outlandish prints and bright red walls. Never one to tone down store window displays, the label’s been pushing boundaries – when it comes to footwear at least – for the past few years.

Catch a glimpse of their canvas Mary Janes in bright impish prints and you’ll see what I’m getting at. The label’s made a name for itself creating footwear that’s as far from basic as you can get. Not that it’s so outlandish that you can’t wear it with anything else.

There’s a spunky – yes, you read it – quality to these products. Whether it’s the High Kick, a reissue of the utilitarian boot in suede or leather (a colorful throwback to grunge) or feminine moccasins that come in varying shades, from brown to ochre, Kickers makes it a point to make your kicks just a little bit more fun than anyone else’s.

The brand’s branched out to clothing and accessories, too. There are flip-flops for the more casual-oriented, vibrantly patterned hobos and satchels for the maximalists at heart and fun tees and polos for the playful sartorialist.

Life is too short to spend it in boring clothing. Wear something that lifts your spirits and makes you feel young. Buy a pair of colorful shoes. When you’re skipping through mud-splattered streets on a gray, rainy day in your zesty boots or sneakers, humming a little tune, you’ll realize there’s nothing like a little color to brighten your day.

* * *

Kickers is located at Alabang Town Center, Glorietta 4, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Place Ermita, Shangri-La Plaza, SM Megamall, SM North EDSA, SM Southmall and Ayala Center Cebu.