Those who grew up between the 1970s and 1980s certainly have a memory marked by a black, with a blackhead -filled rubber sole made to run, kick and especially resist. We are talking about Kichute – a true Brazilian feet legend.
Launched in 1970 by Alpargatas (), a traditional company founded by Scottish immigrants in 1907, the Hawaiian creator also launched an icon, albeit less lasting, of national shoes.
Kichute was born from the combination of practicality and national passion: football. It was a mixture of sports boots made of resistant canvas and with rubber sole with blackheads.
While Alpargatas expanded its operation on the sports line, it became the recreational tennis, the late afternoon naked and the grated knees. Later, in 1978, the company would launch its Topper brand and buy the queen.
At the height of its popularity, Kichute even sold a peak of 9 million pairs per year, the equivalent of almost 10% of the Brazilian population in the mid -1970s. The company focused on shoes and clothing even produced soccer balls made its success.
The phenomenon of popularity of shoes was reinforced by marketing campaigns with figures such as star Zico as a poster boy.
Continues after advertising
Cheaper than traditional boots and imported sneakers, Kichute has become an economical solution for Brazilian families – and a symbol of the creative resistance of a country in the middle of military dictatorship. Not coincidentally, tennis was adopted even as part of the official trading of the city of São Paulo in the 1990s.
But the Kichute reign began to decline with the economic opening and the invasion of international brands. In 1996, Alpargatas discontinued its production to focus on other brands such as Hawaiian and Topper. Attempts to relaunch, such as Vulcabras in 2005, bet on nostalgia to regain hearts – and feet – Brazilians.
