There is something spiritual about the arrival of Spring. The dry barren Earth makes way for new life, color and beauty. As nature prepares to launch SS23 with a beautiful array of flowers, draping foliage and restful animals returning from hibernation, we too have a few exciting things in our Spring/Summer Collection.
This Spring, we are excited to present our newest creations in both Apparel and Shoes, and just like the season we are bringing you bursts of color, excitement and self expression.
The collection features pieces for anyone who dares to live boldly. From graphic sweaters reminding you to wrap yourself in “Love”, to colorful abstract skirts that are perfect for making a statement at countless summer parties and get-togethers, to dresses with bold and vibrant prints that allow for effortless movement. Each piece is inspired by the unapologetic colorfulness of spring, and designed to bring out your authentic personality.
As always, our Spring shoes include a wide range of vibrant wedges, ballet flats, slip-ons, ankle booties, sneakers, and of course our much loved heels for all the memorable experiences that await you this season! While we originally started out as a shoe company, we are now extending our reach even deeper into your closets through clothing and accessories. We are certain that our Spring/Summer Collection will add so much more to your self-discovery journey, so be sure to bring us along as you discover new parts of yourself.
Walking in your truth is one thing, but to be dressed head to toe in your authenticity is down right magical and we are honored to witness it!
As is always the case with everything we do, The Collection further drives the point to love yourself, be authentic, and live fearlessly. What started out as a passion project for self expression has turned into a growing love machine. One sketch, pattern and collection at a time through fashion, we are making the world a better place.
#myauthenticdrip #liveincolor #fearlesslyyou #freedominfashion
Photography: Sylver Rochelin
]]>That said, there are some things that will need to be managed so that the experience is as memorable as you would like it to be, and while we all know there are outfits to plan, there is the question of shoes! The type of shoe you wear depends on various factors: location, temperature, indoor, outdoor, dress code, and ultimately, comfort.
One of the best things about weddings is getting dressed up! It is the perfect time to enjoy feeling special, because we all know how personal it is to be invited to attend a loved one’s nuptials. So naturally we want to look the part and to do it in a way that makes us feel as celebratory as the occasion itself! We thought we would give you a few ideas on how to put together some looks that would accomplish the task of embodying the celebratory spirit, so here goes!
Given that it is warmer outside, there are a few go to options starting with the ever popular and trustee knee-length dress, then of course the ethereal maxi and the mini that never goes out of style! Whatever your go to option is, summer fashion is synonymous with boldness, romance, fun and comfort, so it is hard to go wrong with it!
These are all great options because you can style them differently depending on which wedding you attend whether it is casual, semi-formal, formal or even black tie! From wedges to pumps, ankle boots to stilettos, the possibilities are endless. We thought we would share some ideas that might inspire your style this wedding season.
For a playful and whimsical touch that’s a little outside the box, you definitely can’t go wrong with the gorgeously floral Vicktory booties! A gorgeous floral and fun ankle boot with a 4.8 inch yellow stiletto heel which not only makes a fun statement with a splash, but also softens any look you pair it with!
For a more elegant and more classic look, you can’t go wrong with the Fiesta Heels! A sparkly gold heel effortlessly adds glamor to any classic dress and dresses everything up with some glamour!
Now we recognize that not everyone wants to sport some heels to the shindig so if that’s you, then classic ballet flats never go out of style and our O’joys bring all the joy you could want for such an occasion, as well as a touch of glamour and splashes of color to any outfit you pair them with!
Outdoor weddings
We have all heard the stories, seen it with our own eyes or even worse experienced it ourselves! Wearing stilettos or heels to an outdoor wedding and finding out a bit too late that it was a bad idea and in some cases the fashion choice that ruined the whole experience for us! It can be fatal to not just you, but your heels as well. You definitely don’t want your heel to sink into soft dirt or a trail, so while flats are an obvious choice, if you are the kind of person that still wants a bit of height and glamor regardless of the grounds you are on, then wedges can be a great alternative to this dilemma!
Wedges are perfect for spring or summer weddings, because you can still get extra height with the wedge heel and be fashionable without having to deal with the challenges that can come with the stiletto heel! The Esme wedges are a perfect option for such a task and as you may have figured, we have a mood board for you!
If extra height isn’t your thing, you can also go with a subtle block heel or open back flats.
We did not forget the gentlemen and those who identify as men. We have some ideas that will help you celebrate in fun, style and comfort this summer!
Choose shoes that complement the level of formality of the outfit you are wearing. Luckily in the Spring and Summer, there’s more room to play with your outfit options and that makes for more interesting outfits as well!
First up, there is the brogue which is very versatile and can be worn for various occasions to accompany various looks. Brogue-style shoes are popular among men, as they are very classy and formal. The Easy or Sam are both colorful, edgy, and chic, which can complement any color suit or outfit. But we will not waste time trying to explain, how about we go straight to the mood board!
If you are not comfortable with going all loud and colorful, but still want to have some fun with your look, you can always keep it nice and classic and wear colors with our very easy-to-style Black Beauty loafers that are just right for the task! Additionally, they are part of our BLM Collection so you get to support a good cause, look great, and have a rocking time doing it!
You can play with some color in a clean way and simply block your colors or you can go completely subtle and keep it all black everywhere except for the bits of red and gold in your shoes! The choice is yours!
Whichever way you chose to go, remember this: weddings can be pretty long events or in some cases, even long days, depending on your role in the wedding. The last thing that you want to be doing is sitting when there is the opportunity to dance the night away!
And of course, most importantly, you want to make sure your feet are comfortable all day, and we are happy to say that we can absolutely help you with that!!
]]>Thankfully, an easy way to freshen your wardrobe and style is by playing with colors! Spring has sprung and with that comes new colors and our new spring collection!
Nothing says spring time like neon colors! You can find this color almost everywhere you go - sunflowers, daffodils, even the bright yellow ball of heat in the sky!
All joking aside, eye-popping neons are some of the most fun colors you can wear to give yourself an instant pick me up back in style, and these bright-as-the-sun shades are too fun not to try at least once.
These seasonal revival colors are for a stand out piece. Bright pinks, blues, yellows, oranges, and greens are the perfect statement piece, adding color to your wardrobe after a gray, white winter season. (Although, you can’t go wrong with our colorful winter boots either!)
If you’re one of those who go into an office, or work a hybrid schedule, the Freia is the perfect spring statement piece for the office! This orange pair offers a beautiful yellow 4.8 inch stiletto, and the orange will so naturally compliment any for a classic or bold look you put together.
Fifty Shades of Red
If you’re going for an even bolder look, wearing red in the spring can compliment your spring fashion. This color has always been an extremely bold statement, with the “I’m here!” attention-grabbing reaction.
If you want to grab people’s attention, look no further than our Esme wedge! This head-turning heel combines bright pinks and reds with a speck of plaid mixed in for a bold look. This comfortable wedge pair will be sure to be the spotlight!
When spring rolls around every year, floral patterns always emerge, pairing bright colors with different floral patterns, like the Vicktory shown below. The eye-catching, uplifting patterns pair so nicely with the zebra animal print in the form of an ankle boot, so you can have fun as you discover all the interesting ways you can express yourself using prints!
While bright colors are fun and sassy for spring time, you can not go wrong with a soft pastel or neutral color like a soft beige or brown.
If bold right out of the gate isn’t your style, or you’re just starting to explore colors more, that’s totally okay! You can use neutral colors with a small splash of color like our Amelia boots below. This can give a nice little “pop!” to your outfit, making you have a subtle, stand-out style.
Whatever your style or color preference may be, you can always find power in mixing and matching your spring colors as the weather gets nicer and spring begins to turn into summer.
]]>This begs the question: Should we even care about trends?
Our philosophy is that trends should only matter to you if they actually speak to you! Not the most popular way to look at it, but to us it is actually very simple. If there is a trend that is current and it not only makes sense to you but also makes you happy in all the right ways, then go for it! If however the trend that is all the rage is something that does not feel true to you and you have to contort yourself to make it work for you, then let it go and stick with what works for you! You can always be sure that they will come back around or at least a more current version of it will come back around then you will be in again! The moral of the story, you don’t have to fit the trend, they will always come back around to fit you!
With that said, we thought we would take a look at some shoe trends that have made their comebacks over the years including some that are currently in right now.
The platform heel is one shoe trend that makes its way back time and time again without fail! Consider platforms the ultimate reemergence shoe to stand tall in – whether you’re reentering the local bar or boarding a flight. They are both defiant and fun and are popular for this very reason. Not to mention the fact that they are a comfortable alternative to the stiletto heel (although, we must admit, our stilettos are quite comfortable!).
Most people find them a lot easier to walk in due to the chunky sole that creates the illusion of higher angles while creating height with ease. Just like our Shakti heels modeled by internet sensation Mark Bryan.
The Shakti platform stiletto is mixed with animal print and bold colors and is designed for a fun and playful look. It features a round toe, mixed patterns, and a yellow heel that cannot be missed. Definitely the kind of heel to stand out without apology.
The coolest thing about the platform heel is that it has always had a genderless quality to it circa the 70s, so it is not a surprise that they still appeal to both women and men as well as non-binary fashion lovers!
Chunky heel boots are another trend that are circling back this season and it is no wonder that they are! They are quite versatile, and often double as tough, and durable which makes them both stylish and practical! Whether its for long days on your feet, busy days of work or just comfortable walks, they are always considered a go to boot for most!
The thicker platform heel also guarantees stability while walking and helps with straight posture due to weight distribution and ankle support, so you can see why these are all the rage. You get all the fun things in one pair of shoes, the style, the comfort and of course all the fun, so you know we are all in to them!
One of our more popular chunky heeled platform boots is the Eloise. Partly because of their beautiful and pleasing esthetic of course, and partly because they were showcased at New York Fashion Week 2022! The colorful Eloise biker boot is very versatile, with a side zipper and clean but bold look. Incredibly comfortable and confident at the same time. It features an 8.5 cm (3.3 inches) heel and a rubber sole which helps with both solid grip and shock absorption.
The vibrant color paired with a bright yellow buckle adds a happy and unexpected pop to any outfit you pair it with and is sure to stand out no matter where you are!
Of course the chunky heel comes in various styles and if the biker boot is not your thing, then there’s the 'fun meets funky' Mary Jane like our Maeve that carries the same spirit as the boot, but brings a softness to it. This Mary Jane is definitely a statement piece, with a 8.5 cm (3.3 inches) platform heel, bold zebra print and a metallic strap, all while bringing comfort to this gorgeous piece.
Whether it is for your busy day at the office, and you need a bit of fun to splash into your day while you take on whatever comes your way, or you are going out for a night on the town with the girls and there is dancing involved and you intend to spend most of your time on said dance floor, they are perfect for the job!
Flats are the trend that keeps on giving and that will likely never go out of style for obvious reasons! Is there a more practical, easy to wear shoe than a flat shoe? Of course not! That is great news for those of you who like to keep it simple and fun no matter the occasion! There are always countless variations to any trend and this is no different!
One tried and true variation of flats is the basic slip-on sneaker! While there are so many reasons to love them, our top most one is that they are convenient and easy to wear so the practical uses for them are endless! Our Viviana slip-ons are a great example of the traditional slip-on given a twist of fun and exuberance! The Viviana slip-ons are part of our Fashion with a Cause collection which you can read more about on our website!
Perfect for a laid back stroll on the weekend, or maybe the weekly kid drop-off and pickup, or for that day that is filled with what seems like an endless list of errands! Whatever the activity, the slip-ons are your tried and true helpful friend!
Another flat option is the open-back slip-on, which if you can believe it is even easier than the regular slip-on! Sometimes you need it to be even simpler than simple and that is what open-back slip-on is for! Hardly any thought or effort is required for them and sometimes, that is all that you want! For those moments, the Adena open-back slip-on is the perfect combination of style and comfort. I mean, if effortless was a shoe, this would be it!
You can literally just slip these colorful flats on for some “laid back glamour" and still look and feel as casual and easy going as anyone could ever be! This pair is the perfect staple pair of shoes in your closet to wear for a visit to a friend’s house, a quiet and simple date night, a quick unexpected errand, or a walk to the ice-cream shop.
SO as you can see, the options are endless and we could go on, but you get the gist! Trends come and go, and one thing is for sure: they are not worth the stress. The important part is to find your happy place, and go with that!
Your own unique look and style is what makes you, well, YOU! If flats make you happy and feel most like yourself, or a pair of biker boots in the summer make you feel like a badass, or that awesome pair of platform heels adds 4 inches to your life, wear them, and do it happily and with zero apologies no matter what the trends are claiming!
You have heard us say, Life is short. Buy the damn shoes, and we totally mean that, but in this case, we are saying, Life is short, wear whatever the heck makes you happy, and if it's on trend, then yay, if it isn’t, oh well! Just simply be you!
]]>No way was I going to let the rest of this day be like this! Being a business owner, I had 57 million things to do that day, one including a doctor’s appointment. First things first, find a good outfit to counterbalance the yuck outside.
I put on a simple pair of jeans and v-neck t-shirt. Although gray outside, it was a decent 58 degrees predicted for the day. Gotta love that faux spring weather when it comes!
This weather is honestly perfect for leather jackets; not too heavy like a coat, but just enough coverage to drive to a doctor’s appointment and venture outside before the rain. I threw on my green leather jacket and just needed a final touch - a kick ass pair of shoes, of course!
I grabbed my Adora shoes from Kkira Feet and if my shoes could speak, they would say, “BAM! Instant BADASS!”
The colorful hues, fashioned after an old school women’s police boot, has a dented sole and a 5 cm (2 inches) heel height. (As a woman of only 4’11”, 2 inches of height can be life-changing!)
As the shoe description fits, “the traditional design with embossed details and multiple colors and tones makes this model suited for every situation. The side zip closure ensures perfect fitting and extreme comfort. A desire for playfulness and color is what sparked the vibrant colors, shape, and style of this boot. Made from 100% genuine Italian leather, with a gold zipper and navy colored laces.” Couldn’t have said it better myself!
I was ready to take on the world...and my doctor’s appointment.
With this new-found confidence, I threw on some shades and proceeded into my appointment with my doctor. When I got there, the medical assistant took my vitals (you know, the usual doctor stuff) and immediately complimented my shoes.
“Wow, I love your shoes!!” Gleaming, I said thank you and mentioned how comfortable they are to wear.
My doctor then came in and immediately said, “OMG! Your shoes - I need to know where you got them!” So instead of talking about my health, we talked for about 10 minutes about these shoes and helped her make a wish list off of the Kkira Feet website. Talking about things that make me happy counts, right?
Also, my doc clearly has good taste!
As a personal lover of both heels and flats, since she’s on her feet all day, walking around and seeing patients. She particularly pointed out the Vera stiletto, which is clearly designed for the most confident of women.
The classic stiletto is anything but simple, and wearing this heel provides a powerful, executive look, or even a fun night out in the town, while making a statement.
On the flip side, she also ogled over the O’Joy flat, which she mentioned gave a little more spring into this drab weather. She knew she would be able to make a statement with these colorful flats, mixing bold silver glitter with bright colors to compliment the white of her doctor’s coat.
After my appointment was over, I was on my way out, feeling much better than I had when I first woke up, a smile on my face and the sun finally shining through the waiting room area.
A 6’ tall man with a Punisher shirt and a million piercings came up and stood in front of me.
“Excuse me, miss. I just wanted to say that I think your boots are the most badass thing I’ve seen,” he said.
An immediate smile appeared on my face as I said thanks and told him where I got them. “They do make me feel like a badass!” I said.
I swear, everywhere I go, I get so many compliments on my Adora boots! To top it off, they’re so ridiculously comfortable and go everywhere with me: photoshoots, hikes, walking around, and yes, even doctor’s appointments.
Even on a cloudy, rainy day, color can do so much for you as a mood lifter. If you’re feeling down, sad, or just plain blah, throw on your favorite outfit and favorite pair of Kkira shoes and like magic, a smile will appear on your face.
Share your Kkira Shoes story with us by emailing us your story! We want to hear your experience!
If we could take that moment, bottle it up, and save it forever, we would. To say that excitement was shooting out of our fingertips and bodies would be an understatement. Can you say opportunity of a lifetime?
If you aren’t familiar with New York Fashion Week, it’s a semi-annual series of events where fashion collections are shown to buyers, the press, and the public. NYFW is considered one of the Big 4: four major fashion weeks taking place in New York, Paris, London, and Milan. In addition to the fact that it is not easy for designers to get the opportunity to show their designs at Fashion week, we were also completely reeling from the fact that we have only been around for 2 years and we were already checking off a bucket list item that some designers never manage to do in an entire lifetime… how crazy! And did we mention that the wonderful Bibhu Mohapatra is legendary as far as the fashion design scene goes, seeing as he has had the repeated honor of dressing people like the Michelle Obama and celebrities like Jennifer Lopez, June Ambrose, Kendall Jenner, Iman, Adrianna Lima, the incredible Viola Davis, Taraji P Henson, Priyanka Chopra and so many more? The entire team was a mix of emotions: excited, overjoyed, nervous, and we’ll even admit, a little terrified!
We got to New York the day before the show and there was very little down time! Our awesome team got straight to work, preparing for the next day. Approximately fifteen pairs of Kkira shoes were utilized for the models, and we were so thrilled that the stylist did an excellent job complimenting each of our designs with each outfit.
Backstage was a combination of overwhelming and exciting; there were so many people and moving parts to get this well-oiled machine going. There was a separate space for hair and makeup with teams of 3 to 4 people working on one model at a time! I mean it seems obvious that it takes a village but this was not how we would have imagined it to look like!
Once the models were done with hair and makeup, they moved to the next room where they found each of their outfits setup on a rack with all the items they needed for their first walk. There was a clothing rack with the first outfit, a chair for them to sit on, an image of them in their first look with their name on it and the shoes right next to the chair. Once they sat down, it meant that they were ready to get dressed!
First they put on their shoes and had to go upstairs to do a run-through on the runway, which is when they practiced their walk and got comfortable in their shoes to avoid any surprises. When they came back down stairs, it was time to get fully dressed, and move onto a giant white wall, where photographers captured all of the completed outfits.
This lasted a few minutes, with the room flooded with photographers and interviewers and then it was time for the show. Having the awesome opportunity to watch the show from the audience and watch our shoes be viewed by thousands of people live was unbelievably surreal to say the least!
Our greatest compliment has to have been the one from Bibhu himself who said our shoes were the perfect compliment to the collection and that they brought the whole collection together and breathed life into it! . In addition to that, we were honored to have been in this particular show because in acknowledgment and celebration of Black History Month, Bibhu intentionally chose to use only Black models. Being a Black-owned, woman-owned business it was an honor to be part of something so wonderful and powerful in more ways than one!
And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better than that, we got to watch the one and only Beverly Johnson, the first Black model to be on the cover of American Vogue in 1974, close the show! The idea that a fashion show at New York Fashion Week could feel like a spiritual experience of some kind seems impossible and yet it did! There were tears of joy to prove it! Of course it was totally trippy to meet her in person, let alone sit with her backstage listening to her compliment our shoes, it was amazing!
Some additional highlights came in the form of meeting the legendary Miss J Alexander the runway coach extraordinaire who had the most wonderful things to say about both Mauryn's outfit and our shoes, the delightful Versha Sharma the Editor in Chief of Teen Vogue who was so generous with wonderful compliments about our shoes and how much she loved them and of course the amazing Freddie Leiba the former Creative Director of Harper’s Bazaar, former partner in crime with Andy Warhol and now stylist to the stars ranging from Jennifer Aniston to Janet Jackson, Diana Ross, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lady Gaga, Beyonce and the list goes on! I mean, is this real life?
And the cherry on top, even the models couldn’t stop talking about how much they loved our shoes and how comfortable they were. One model mentioned that when they walk the runway in other shoes, all they think about is, “Don’t fall! Don’t fall! Don’t fall!” Every single one of them raved about how that’s a thought that never even crossed their mind and how empowered they felt walking down the runway in them! Given how hard we work to combine creativity, beauty, self expression, comfort and function, we were thrilled to hear it from people who have experience walking down runways in all manner of footwear!
By now, you probably get the gist and honestly, we could go on and on, but instead we will leave you with this: Our first ever New York Fashion Week was definitely an experience we will never forget! We are so grateful to the amazing Bibhu Mohapatra for thinking of us to be a part of this amazing collaboration with his stunningly gorgeous designs. Not to mention the honor of his support for a young and up and coming brand like ours!
We look forward to the next NYFW and we cannot wait to regale you with the tales. The entire fashion show video is currently on all our social media channels, so if you aren’t following us yet, don’t miss out. You can find us on Instagram @kkirafeetshoes, Facebook @kkirafeetshoes, Twitter @kkirafeetshoes and Youtube @Kkirafeetshoes! We hope you love it every bit as much as we did!
]]>When I was a kid, I would lay awake on New Year’s Eve listening to the fireworks going off at night. Where I grew up, New Year’s Eve was a big deal. So much so that people would buy boxes of fireworks and wait for that perfect moment to launch into celebration. If you were able to stay up, you could walk out your door and see the fog of smoke up and down the street from all the fireworks. For me though, I preferred laying in bed listening to the fireworks.
As I laid there, I waited for that magical transition where we moved from one year to the next… where we would be leaving the past behind and jumping into our future in a moment’s time. I would think about all the plans that I had for the next year until eventually, amidst all the celebrations, I would fall asleep. Then, I would wake up in the future.
Now as an adult, I know that we are always creating our past and jumping into our future every moment that we breathe. Still yet, there’s something special about leaving one year behind and going into the next. Instead of thinking of all the plans for the new year, I now spend that last week leading into the new year as a time of reflection. It is that time of year to stop, breathe, and take in all that you’ve created this year before you put your head down and continue on in your journey.
At Kkira Feet, we have taken this on as well and reflected on our 2021 this past week. As we closed out the year, we were present to all things that there were to be grateful for as a team and as a company. For us, it has been a learning experience in what it looks like to be a small business that is committed to sustainability, fair wages, equality, and full self-expression because the heart of this company is about people. It is not a common thing in the workplace where a company genuinely takes action to make a lasting difference in the world as part of its core and continues to grow. This past year we set out to have Kkira Feet fully self-expressed just as we stand for each and every person in the world. And the outcome was beautiful.
This year we started our Fashion with A Cause line to join our Black Lives Matter line where 20% of profits go to the associated causes. We continue to research and post on social matters that are important to us to give voice to those matters. We wanted a way to continue to bring awareness and to continue the conversation beyond the standard newscycle as well as financially be able to support those causes.
In terms of communications and social media, we had multiple firsts as well as some exciting growth! We started our blog and newsletter to keep connected with our followers and increased our social media presence from Instagram and Facebook to expand into Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok. On Instagram, our connections grew from a little over 670 followers to over 7,000 followers.
We also were honored and grateful to be in multiple publications this year: CR Fashion Magazine, Marie Claire, Vogue, and Eurowomandk.
We partnered with the amazing Mark Bryan, an influencer and our brand ambassador, who lives in Europe and advocates for the freedom of choice in clothes. In line with our stand for freedom and full self-expression, Mark Bryan shares his belief with the world that “clothes and shoes should not dictate a person’s sexual orientation or gender.” His message speaks to the heart of Kkira Feet… to be free to fully embrace and express yourself!
As if that was not enough, we also had the wonderful privilege of collaborating with Patricia Fox (@purelypatricia) aka the walking installation of New York City) and Annaliese Dayes(@annaliesedayes - former America’s Next Top Model Contestant and current Fashion presenter at QVCUK) this year on photoshoots and projects. Their bold and unique styles and their support of us inspired us and provided an avenue to share who we are to all of you!
We also took on interns for the first time this year where they were equal team members along with the core team and created projects that supported their growth and development in an area of their choice. They have been a vital part of our presence in social media and communications. A big thanks and acknowledgement to them! Jessica, Anna, Abby, Samira, Adrienne, Samantha, Isabelle, and Eleanor, you are rock stars in your own right and we are grateful for you!
Needless to say, it has been an exciting year!
As we have closed out 2021 and start off in 2022, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to you, our customers, friends, and supporters! We would not be here without you. Thank you for choosing us, thank you for believing in us and what we stand for, thank you for being your beautiful, free self-expressed self! You are our inspiration!
With that, from Kkira Feet, we wish you all the love, joy and happiness as we say good-bye to 2021 and wish you all that and more for 2022! Here’s to You! Happy New Year!
Have you ever been amazed about how comfortable you’ve become in your own skin no matter how that looks to others? Earlier this month, I had the privilege of being that woman! The woman who is experiencing herself in a way she previously only fantasized about and boy, was it AMAZING!
To give you some background, I am an Asian woman in my 40’s traveling with my ever-loving husband to Florida specifically to check off one of her bucket list experiences, visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Universal theme parks. Yep, you heard right. It has been a DREAM of mine to experience this world… from just drinking some butterbeer to an action-packed adventure like escaping from Gringotts.
In the past, I would totally downplay my excitement… like it was no big deal. I definitely wouldn’t say anything or wear anything that would make me look weird, out-of-place, or uncool. So on this trip, it was a celebration and an act of love to myself to go all out and be the ridiculously dorky, excited Hufflepuff witch that I always knew myself to be. You better believe that I got the robe, the scarf, the tie-type lanyard, the hair tie, and the wand. Not just any wand. The wand that chose me.
My husband took this photo. I have to admit that once I put on that robe and scarf while wearing my Alana shoes and brandishing my wand, I was one proud, confident, bursting with joy Hufflepuff.
However, the biggest win is actually the most subtle one… at least more subtle than all the yellow and black I was wearing. You see, I wasn’t always this person I am describing now. I was actually the complete opposite for most of my adult life. You would never find me strutting my stuff totally carefree around Universal in all my Harry Potter gear. Back then, I was just too afraid… afraid of the negative comments, afraid of all the silent judgment, afraid of the ever expressive eye rolls. I would just cringe inside at the thought of a cutting remark on how I looked and was vigilant to prevent that from happening. I decided it was safer to stick with my whites, greys, blues, browns, and blacks than to risk standing out, let alone being seen.
What was the change? Believe it or not, it was my highly unexpected journey with Kkira shoes. I had done quite a bit of personal growth in my life but the one area that seemed to falter is the outward self-expression. I was still hesitant in exploring fashion and remained pretty subdued in my choices. I was unsure and afraid of standing out, and looking stupid. But something happened after I got my first pair of Kkira shoes, the Kkira sneakers. Not only were they super colorful, they were comfortable and made me feel like I could take on the world.
As I got more and more comfortable with the colors of my Kkira sneakers, I started exploring the colorful outfits to go with those sneakers.
My next pair of shoes were a powerful set of military style boots, the Adora's. It didn’t take much to get super comfortable with these. So much so that I actually WALKED DOWN A RUNWAY in these!!!
I never thought in a million years that this would be ME! I felt so confident and powerful as I struck a pose… and another pose… and another pose as the BADASS that I now knew myself to be!!
With each pair of Kkira Feet shoes, I found the same effect which kept growing. My shoe choices became bolder and bolder along with my accompanying outfits! I went from being a dark hoodie and jeans girl to the girl who wore green, flowy dresses!
Who would have thought???
Now, back to my Universal trip. I was now that girl who had no care in the world about how I might seem and instead, felt so comfortable in my skin in a way I never had before! It was one of the most freeing experiences of my life! Instead of all the swirling doubts, the worry, the multiple debates on what I should wear and what I should buy, all I did on vacation was put on an outfit and shoes that sparked joy and had fun. I bought all the Harry Potter items that spoke to me and I embraced my Hufflepuff self. It was glorious!
One of the unexpected gifts was seeing my husband have a great time because somehow the fact that I was so unbothered and simply out to have a great time, made it really easy for him to embrace the experience as well! I was surprised by how my freedom seemed to extend to him and make it possible for him to enjoy himself freely too. Definitely one of the best vacations that we’ve had so far! Who knew a pair of shoes could have such a profound effect on so many different parts of one’s life? I didn’t!
As I continue on in this journey, I am excited to see where this path takes me. I now have my eyes on a pair of Violet boots and the Maeve Mary Janes. I also can’t wait until the day I can totally rock the Janara booties with no concerns whatsoever! I am definitely going to need some practice in walking in those, but I am working my way there and so up for the challenge! And this is just the beginning! That’s right, people! Watch out!
So as we approach Christmas, consider that the best gift that you can give yourself and your loved ones this holiday season is you in all your glory! What would it look like for you to be your authentic self and what would you do that you are not doing now?
Much love to you and your loved ones! Happy Holidays!
]]>For example, when you think about winter and which colors are considered to be “in” for the season, what comes to mind? Typically, a lot of dark and neutral colors are the most prevalent. So many people insist that bright and fun colors are only to be enjoyed in spring and summer, but why? Why not spice it up at the time of year when everything around us is bland. The trees have lost all of their leaves and the ground is covered in snow. What better time could there be to add color into our lives than when everything is dead and gray? Why not add life and vibrancy to the cold harsh stillness of winter with a pop of color - or several?
All over social media we have been seeing people pulling on skin-toned, fleece-lined tights, frequently with sheer black tights over top. This gives the illusion that you’re wearing just the sheer tights with the warmth of both pairs. But why not get creative and playful while you’re at it and try using a bright and colorful pair to stand out instead?
Winter is already somber without much help from any of us, so let’s not add to it by playing along with being stark. Get playful, colorful, and bold! Don’t be afraid to stand out. And if you are having trouble figuring out where to start, check out our new Winter and Holiday collections while you’re here for some inspiration! Our new Lumi boots are the perfect cozy footwear for this winter, and they will surely add some color and style! Give them or any of our other funky and comfy boots a try, and see what you create. We can’t wait to see what you come up with and how you express yourself this winter!
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While the dark and cold days of winter can certainly be wearing, it’s our job to do our best to not let it get us down. The little things matter that much more during the long winter months—whether it be holiday decorations or sharing meals with friends. Color is especially magical for this purpose because it imbues everything with life and vibrance so we cannot think of a better way to take on winter than with a pair of lively Kkira Feet shoes?
Perhaps you will find your inspiration in a pair of playful boots, heels or even a simple but colorful pair of sneakers! Whatever you choose, we promise you this, not only will you ignite a spark to your everyday routine, but your Kkira shoes will brighten up the spirits of those around you. Make a statement and be fierce this winter.
Along with our holiday collection, now available for order on our website, ‘Snow Winter Who’s Boss’ in the Kkira Feet winter collection. Sales begin December 6th!
]]>What comes to mind when you hear “Black Friday”? Do you get excited? Or do you get stressed thinking about the hectic lines, the immense amount of people, or your favorite products being low in stock. For most of us, it’s a mixed bag of emotions of either excitement, stress, or maybe even annoyance that surfaces without fail on every Friday after Thanksgiving. Most of us have probably experienced feeling stressed waiting in those long lines or anxious standing in a room of crowded people searching for good deals. On the other hand, you might be one of those people that loves the excitement of staying up until 11:59 for the doors to open. Whichever feeling comes to mind, have you ever wondered why Black Friday is this crazy annual event that affects everyone’s individual lives in some way? Very few of us know the history of how it all started and we are here to tell you that it didn’t start randomly. Like many days that we now observe as some kind of tradition, originally, Black Friday was not a day full of great sales and crowded stores, but a day that actually caused a lot of financial turmoil in the late 1800s.
In general, most people think the term “Black Friday” was coined because it was a day that retailers' accounts went from red to black, but the term’s history is actually more complicated than that. Initially, the term “Black Friday'' didn't have anything to do with actual shopping. For starters, in the late 1800s, two stock brokers on Wall Street decided they would buy up as much gold as they possibly could and then sell it for a profit. While they successfully pulled off their plan, unfortunately, the stock market crashed and everyone was suddenly broke. If you guessed that it happened on a Friday, you are right!
Many years later, in 1941 to be exact, a law was passed that said Thanksgiving would be on the fourth Thursday in the month of November. It was at that time that a funny coincidence started to happen. Many people would call out of work the day after Thanksgiving to extend their holiday and get ahead on some Christmas shopping. Businesses around the country started to catch on and eventually the day after Thanksgiving became a paid day off. Because of this, more and more people started heading out to the stores on the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Though the history of Black Friday was forming, it didn’t have a name until the 1970s. The Philadelphia police department came up with this term to describe the inevitable day that always comes after Thanksgiving every year. They called it “Black Friday” because the day after Thanksgiving always seemed to bring so much chaos, like a lot of traffic and an increase in shoplifters who use the day as an excuse to try to get away with stealing. Eventually, so many people started using the term that it nationally caught on, but somehow the connection that remained tried and true was that of shopping the day after Thanksgiving to prepare for the holidays and to express love to those we love. Overtime, it became the most notorious day for shoppers and deal hunters. Stores release great deals on products just in time for consumers who are getting ready for the holidays as well as those who have been waiting for opportunities to purchase items they were otherwise not able to purchase.
As a business, we obviously partake of all the festivities that come with Black Friday, but we did think it was interesting how it all started and wanted to share that with you if you happen to be as curious as we were! Our Black Friday will last from 12:00am November 26 all the way through Cyber Monday at 11:59pm and we are as excited about it as we hope you all are! Use the code BLACKFRIDAY15 at checkout for 15% off of your purchase and have fun doing it!
The sale applies to all shoes including our Fashion with a Cause and Black Lives Matter Collection which we typically never discount. That said, if you find yourself wanting to be more generous than usual, you might want to consider forgoing the discount when it comes to those two collections, as a way to give that 15% to the cause instead! That way they get 35% of the profits instead of the usual 20%. Just one easy way to give back while you enjoy your shopping activities and all the joys that come with them! Happy shopping and more importantly, Happy Black Friday!
It’s that time of year again! The time we start thinking about and planning for the holiday season!
In a world so divided, the holidays represent a time for all of us to come together with our loved ones and celebrate the time we share together. This season gives us a time to reflect and appreciate the things and people we are grateful for. The holidays are all about the little moments; reconnecting with family and even reconnecting with yourself. We are able to come out of the isolation and loneliness of last year and find comfort in one another once again. Family dinners and gift swaps with friends are signs of our slow return to normalcy. We can take a collective deep breath and reflect on our year and how it has shaped us into who we are now. Self expression is a huge part of rediscovering yourself, so in the spirit of reintegrating and new beginnings, we are excited to share our holiday collection with you.
However you are planning on embracing the holiday spirit, we have just the right pair of celebratory shoes to usher you into the festivities! This collection embodies the holiday spirit with glamorous gold accents that speak to the value of each of us as well as the celebration that comes with the season, and incorporations of fabulous plaid prints that are sure to help you kick off your season with great cheer and pure self expression.
Our holiday collection is the perfect gift to give to yourself, as well as loved ones, this season. Spread joy, good cheer, and self expression to you and yours this holiday because it is well deserved!
Head over to our shop to celebrate the holidays in style! We cannot wait to spread some cheer and to see you do the same!
Happy Holidays!
]]>To share a bit of what we have learned about Afghanistan, it has struggled with freedom since it was formed in the early 1900’s. In 1973, Amir Amanullah Khan overthrew the King in order to form a more Democratic Party that grants women civil rights. Just 5 years under his new government, he is killed in a coup by a soviet party that had been forming. Fast forward to the late 1980’s, Osama Bin Laden forms the terrorist group Al-Qaeda that is dedicated to push an Islamic government which led to the formation of the terrorist group the Taliban in the 1990’s. The Taliban held power in Afghanistan until 2001 when they were overthrown by the United States. At this point, they were able to reform their democratic government with the help of the United States and were able to live peacefully for about 20 years. In the 20 years that Afghanistan was free from the control of the Taliban, the country was able to reform their own government. Boys and girls were allowed to attend school and play sports, and women were allowed to have jobs. In September 2021, Afghanistan was once again overthrown by the Taliban. The new government put in place by the Taliban is called The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Under this new government, there will be no elections, a leader was appointed by the Taliban, and no women are allowed to hold government positions.
Being a woman owned business that is geared toward the empowerment of others, we feel strongly about finding ways that we can help the millions of people that are suffering under this type of government and know all too well what it is like to live in a place where you have no rights. So much has happened since the formation of this new government and we are committed to supporting organizations that are working with women and children both on the ground and in the US as they seek safety and better life options for themselves. And given the upcoming holiday season, our hope is that we will be inspired to give a little more, care a little more and love a little more than usual. We invite you to join us. It is incredibly important to give back people the voices that have been taken away from them and we want our Fashion With a Cause collection be just one way that we can help out.
As a Black Owned brand that is committed to empowering others, we recently decided that we wanted to acknowledge and highlight the many lives lost due to injustices committed against people with black and brown bodies in America. That means we want to intentionally remember and acknowledge the deaths of victims of unjust shootings and police brutality on the anniversaries of their deaths. As a result our blog last week was about Walter Wallace Jr. who you can read about here (include link to last week’s blog). Sadly, we didn’t realize how so quickly we would be writing about another victim and yet here we are only a week later. Her name was Renisha McBride and she was 19 years old. After knocking on a in a Detroit suburb, looking for assistance after a car accident in the early hours of the morning of 11/2/2013, McBride was shot through the screen door and killed. While the defense said the case was not overtly about race, sadly, the murderer (a white man) saw a dark figure on his porch that evoked the same racial profiling—of blacks being associated with violence and trouble—that leads to innocent black people being killed by the police everyday and shot her in the face without a thought.
As part of our BLM initiative, we will be remembering victims like Renisha and Walter on our social media and hope that you will join us in the difficult work of trying to honor their senseless deaths in some small way, by continuing to highlight the constant fear that black and brown people face daily due to the abuse of power by the law and systematic racial inequality in the United States.
While we are just a shoe brand, believe it or not, we are a shoe brand with a very specific purpose. We strive to elevate, embolden and empower others in any and every way we can so our commitment and passion for equality for black lives is of utmost importance to us. Our BLM collection is inspired by the power, pride, beauty, value and culture of black people around the world.Each shoe employs the color black to represent those oppressed around the world due to the color of their skin. The red symbolizes the blood shed as well as shared, the animal print symbolizes the beauty and tenacious and wild spirit we embody and the gold speaks to the most obvious yet often ignored truth, our insurmountable value! Check out the stunning collection on our website and do not hesitate to join us in supporting the cause to facilitate fairness and justice for all. 20% percent of the proceeds from the collection are donated to organizations fighting for racial equality and social justice in America. We will say it again, there is nothing like doing good, looking good and feeling great all in one move!
As a company, we are committed to bringing awareness to the various issues affecting different people and populations around the world because our biggest commitment is to people being free to be themselves. Being that we are a shoe company, we want to find ways to give voice to these issues and one way we have created to help us do that is to use our Fashion with a Cause Collection to raise money to support causes that directly impact some of these issues in a positive way. To that end, we though we would introduce you to the Amal loafer. It is inspired by Lebanon's flag colors and our way of standing in solidarity with Lebanon and all that they are struggling with. Lebanon is a beautiful country with a rich historical background and culture. The colors of the shoe are green, white and red, representing the colors in the Lebanese flag. The flag has two red stripes, one white stripe and a tree. The red stripes represent the blood shed of liberation, the white represents peace, and the green cedar tree stands for steadiness and prosperity. The flag was adopted in 1943 right before the transfer of power from France.
When you buy a pair of Amals, 20% of the proceeds will go to helping Lebanon’s people as they work to recover from the many challenges they are currently facing. It may not sound like much, but if we all do something small, the culmination of efforts will help greatly. Like most things, it is a process and it will take time, but we are committed to do whatever we can to help and invite you to join us in doing the same. We stand in solidarity with Lebanon. #DoGoodLookGoodFeelGreat.
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In Haitian, Viviana means vibrant—a true reflection of the Haitian culture. The island has rich traditions with a legacy of hardship in the centuries long fight for independence. Haitians fought against French control for over a century, while also being the first country to revolt against and successfully abolish slavery. Their freedom, however, continued to be taken away as seen in the constant threat of dictators throughout the 19th century and the U.S occupation in the 20th century.
Haiti’s struggles continued this summer when the country’s president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated by rebels while the southern peninsula was devastated by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, which killed more than 2,200 people. Such tragedies forced thousands of Haitians to flee to Brazil and Chile for refuge, while others have travelled to the U.S-Mexico border in hope of finding asylum. As seen in the news, however, Haitian migrants have been greeted with inhumane treatment as they are turned away at a chance at safety, and instead put in danger by the U.S government itself.
One of the things that we deeply care about is supporting humanitarian efforts and giving a voice to those that do not have one. As a shoe company that is all about empowering people to be themselves, we feel very strongly about speaking up on behalf of those who may not be able to, as well as giving any kind of support that we can. That is why we have launched the ‘Fashion with a Cause’ series with the hope to provide support to various causes across the globe. We have chosen to start with three specific ones and they include: Haiti, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. 20% of each shoe purchase will be donated towards charities working both in the given country and in the U.S supporting those that have been displaced by the various issues currently plaguing them.
Today we want to share a little bit about Haiti with you. While the Haitian people face such hardships, they remain lively, which is the inspiration for the “Viviana” shoe from the new Fashion with a Cause line. The gorgeous slip-ons are inspired by the Haitian flag with blue and red representing ethnic Haitian groups as well as symbolizing independence and freedom. The plaid print on the shoe portrays the devoted and rebellious spirit of the nation in their relentless fight against all odds.
We invite you to not only purchase a pair of the gorgeous Viviana slip ons, but to wear them in solidarity and with the rebellious spirit of the Haitian people and their vibrant culture as a sign of love, honor and support for them as a people while they go through these challenging times. They will no doubt emerge as the unbeatable souls we know them to be!
]]>Fashion is about expressing yourself, and fall fashion, in particular, offers so many wonderful opportunities to do it in creative and fun ways! Just like the seasons, our style is ever-evolving to reflect our personal growth. Our new collection directly caters to our constant evolution as human beings and we are always excited and honored to play a small part in your personal journey and self-discovery.
The delightful season of Fall, which is a favorite for so many of us, evokes corn mazes, pumpkins, warm cups of apple cider, cozy sweaters, flannel, scarves, hats and gorgeous boots! And wouldn’t you know it, we happen to have a few ready and waiting for you! Fall is also the perfect season for self exploration and there is nothing we love more than inspiring and empowering you on this very important journey!
Warm boots for the pumpkin patch, elegant heels to wear to dinner with family and friends and yes even the funky flat or sneaker you reach for to take that late evening walk, we are fully stocked and ready for you.
We get through life by taking steps. Whatever these steps may be and wherever they take us, they carry us through every aspect of our lives. Steps are crucial to our daily living and to our growth as people. We have heard it said often that the first steps are always the hardest, but what if you had a pair of shoes (or many different pairs) that empowered you to take your first steps into any situation, no matter how uncomfortable or important. Finding the perfect pair of shoes that brings out our fiercest steps is often underestimated, but so important. Of course the shoes themselves don’t make the steps for us, but they are a mode of transportation, a layer of confidence, and they are what we use to ensure that our big and little steps are groundbreaking.
There are so many ways that we view fashion, but we think that the most amazing thing about it is that we are in control of what we put on our bodies. We get to tell a whole story about who we are through what we wear. We can use fashion to make us feel powerful and confident, and more specifically, the shoes we put on our feet pave the way for our day and our lives. Shoes are what carry us from our homes to our jobs, to the store, to a friend's house, to a presentation and to...you get the idea. Wearing a pair of shoes that makes you feel like you are ready to literally step outside of your comfort zone is as empowering as having already stepped out of your comfort zone!
So, to that end, we are curious to know. Do you have a favorite pair of shoes that empowers you? Is there a pair of Kkira Feet Shoes that empowers and emboldens you? Where are you going to wear it to take on the world? Take our gorgeous shoes named Caroline, for example. Where would you wear these shoes to ensure that you feel like your most powerful, authentic, and confident self. Would you wear them to a graduation party, your first dinner date, a long awaited reunion, on the subway or to be a speaker at your first ever presentation? That is the beautiful thing about our shoes. They are made and designed so that YOU get to choose where you will wear which shoes you will make life changing steps in. We are so curious, we created a game on our Instagram Stories to get to know you more! Tell us where you are going to wear your Kkira Feet Shoes!! Visit our instagram every Wednesday around 3pm ET to tell us.
The last few weeks have been filled with news about some difficult things going on in the world and as a fashion brand that literally exists for the purpose of empowering people, we do not feel comfortable just carrying on with business as usual. As a new brand that is only just starting out, we recognize that we are not in a position to make the kind of changes in the world that make a huge difference, but we think that it is better for us to start somewhere than to do nothing at all. To that end, we have launched a new collection called Fashion with a Cause and we are excited to share it with you!
What it is?
Fashion with a Cause is a collection inspired by our desire to make a difference in the world in real-time on a bigger scale than the one we can affect right now. The collection is inspired by various humanitarian crises in the world that can benefit from global support. With all the sadness and loss around the world, we thought we would create a collection that would champion, inspire and bring awareness to various causes, and for our first campaign, we would like to start with Afghanistan, Haiti, and Lebanon.
What’s happening?
Currently, Afghanistan is suffering greatly from the Taliban takeover and many have already lost their lives, families, loved ones, homes, dignity, way of life and so much more than some of us will ever have the misfortune of imagining. Haiti is dealing with another earthquake right after the assassination of their president, with very little relief actually getting to the locals due to mishandled funds and exploitation of the country’s resources and Lebanon is in political and economic turmoil brought on by their desire for positive change, with the president resigning and the country left in chaos to the point that its citizens have been cut off from their money supply because banks will not allow them to withdraw their own money, and that is just the bullet point version.
Don’t get us wrong, we know that these problems cannot get fixed overnight and that they are a lot more complicated than we may even begin to imagine, but what is not complicated is the humanity of all our fellow brothers and sisters in these situations. We can at the very least relate to what it might feel like to be afraid, with barely any promise of hope for a solution, and is as good a place to start as any.
The Plan
It is quite simple really! We design and sell some really cool shoes and we will happily donate a percentage of our profits for each shoe in the Fashion with a Cause Collection to specific organizations that are working tirelessly to help in these situations on the ground.
How it Works
The collection has 3 pairs of shoes each inspired by and dedicated to each country. For each shoe sold, 20% of the profits will go to an orcountry and cause. The donations will be submitted once we hit the $1000 mark for each respective cause and this will continue on for every $1000 we meet. Every time we send off $1000 we will share it with you so you know how much money we are donating to each cause. So in short, you buy a pair of shoes and instead of keeping all the profits, we will send some off to help some people that could really use the help! How cool is that and how awesome does it now feel to have bought that pair of awesome shoes?
Who will get the Donations?
All the donations will be given to vetted organizations with a proven track record of being trustworthy and honorable in their support of each cause. And to that end, while we have some organizations in mind, we would be grateful for any recommendations you may have and would like to share with us, so do not hesitate to send us a quick email with any thoughts or suggestions! We will be immensely grateful and will appreciate your kind and generous input!
How long will this be going on?
Fashion with a Cause is now a permanent part of our brand and we will be doing it for as long as there is some way we can help. The causes will grow over time and expand to include others as we grow, so we are now and will remain open to hearing any suggestions on ideas of ways that we can get involved and help respectfully.
We know that this does not solve every problem or even quite frankly even out a dent in the myriad of things that are ailing the world, but all we can do is start somewhere. This is where we are starting and our hope is that you will join us to do something good while you look good in your very cool ‘Fashion With a Cause’ shoes! Click here to check out the collection!
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To that end, we have the perfect opportunity for you to start experimenting with your use of color and it is through this month’s social media challenge! Wanna guess the theme? If you guessed something to do with a splash of color, you are right! Our August challenge theme is “a splash of color.”
We want you to have fun by sprucing up a classic outfit with your colorful Kkira Feet shoes! In the event that you need an incentive, we hope a $150 gift card to put towards your next pair of shoes is not too shabby! Yep, you read that right! The winner of this challenge will win said gift card, so get to playing! Send in your submissions by August 27th by tagging us on facebook, Instagram and Twitter and using the hashtag #ColorSplashKkiraFeetChallenge. We can’t wait to see what you come up with and wish you so much fun as you explore any personal splashes of color you discover while you play.
]]>Our concept for this photoshoot was to bring out the “inner child” in all of us, which is why we decided to set it at a playground! No matter how old any of us are, there is still the inner child in all of us, whether that’s telling you to use the swings at a playground or pushing you to try out some colorful shoes that your younger self dreamed of. Our models posed on the swing set, monkey bars, in a field, on top of rocks, on park benches, and more.
Our models were ready for anything our photographer Sylver and director Mauryn threw at them, with our model Maddy doing ballet tricks and even going on pointe for a few photos!
In between takes, our team got to know each other, ate good food, and even started choreographing a dance as soon as they heard music playing (looking at you Mauryn and Sylver).
We all had so much fun bringing out our inner child, and we’d say we got some pretty awesome photos out of it too. We’re all looking forward to sharing them with you, so be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to catch all the good stuff!
]]>Since we introduced you to the executive team behind Kkira Feet Shoes in our last blog post, we could not pass up the opportunity to tell you all a little about our fantastical summer interns! Both our current interns work in marketing and do a wonderful job of keeping us plugged into the pulse of the younger generation by lending their voice to help present our brand online, as well as getting guidance, practice, and the opportunity to give input to company decisions.
Public Relations Intern
Abby Klar is a public relations intern at Kkira Feet this summer. She is a rising junior at Boston University studying PR from Newton, MA. She loves working at Kkira Feet “for the practical experience and the mentorship” she receives from the executive team. “They make working fun and I am never bored here!” A fun fact about Abby is that she has worked as a camp counselor for years, and had a specialty as the ultimate frisbee counselor.
Public Relations and Social Media Intern
Samira Sayan is our other intern this year, focusing on public relations and social media. She is a rising junior at UMass Amherst studying marketing and communications. A fun fact about her is that she has a pet parakeet named Tiki. Samira said she wanted to be an intern at Kkira Feet “because the company’s values really spoke to me and as I worked to have those values show up in my own life, I would be proud to work for a company that instills and inspires others to live their lives fully and authentically as well!”
Our interns are considered equal and valuable members of our team, and we love having students who share our mission of empowering others join the brand! We are currently looking to hire public relations and social media interns for the fall semester! Click here for the application. We can’t wait to meet you!
]]>Founder/ Owner/ Designer!
For starters, meet Mauryn Kkira, the founder, owner, and designer of Kkira Feet Shoes. She is the fearless leader of the brand and drives the company vision and message across the team. Mauryn is originally from Uganda and has lived in Boston for about 25 years, is married to her favorite person in the world and spends her days doing one of her favorite things in the world – designing shoes that make people genuinely happy about who they are. Other things that make her smile and that are important to her include fashion, dancing, music, Bono, U2 and being a person she would like to be friends with. One fun fact about Mauryn: She taught herself how to play the guitar when she was fifteen after she heard Tracy Chapman’s song Revolution for the first time!
Operations and Logistics
Jaime Coffin is in charge of operations and logistics at Kkira Feet– dealing with tasks including administration, supply, HR, etc. Jaime is known as the team cheerleader, who supports everyone through their tasks not only through logistics, but with her encouragement and unmatched energy. Jaime currently lives in Massachusetts and is married with two cats that have minds of their own. In her free time, Jaime loves to bike and take spin classes, and although she has just begun strength training, she remains a cardio junkie at heart. Jaime has a love for food that is unmatched and truly considers it a hobby and a complete joy! We should also clarify that we are referring to eating food and not some other relationship with it! Her other hobbies include, hanging out with family and friends, binge watching Netflix, and knitting. A fun fact about Jaime: She and Mauryn have been friends for over 10 years. Her and Mauryn are practically family and consider each other ‘Sisters from other Mothers!’
Marketing and Branding
Another key member of the team is Gonza George Bakuta, who is the head of branding and marketing management. Gonza conveys the company story in a way that accurately portrays what the brand is about. He is the creative fuel behind any campaigns and brand messages we share. Gonza is a highly skilled and talented artist in various capacities, but he would say that his first love is Dance. Prior to becoming a marketing and brand expert he was a highly recognized and sought after professional dancer in Uganda. Some of his other hobbies and passions include dancing, music, fashion, basketball, and making friends. An interesting Kkira Feet Fun Fact is that Mauryn and Gonza are brother and sister!
Photography and Creative
Sylver Rochelin Randrianantenaina is the team photographer, videographer and creative. Simply put, he makes us look good! He was born and raised in Madagascar and he captures the essence of the brand and works hard to capture our brand essence through the medium of video and photography. Sylver loves working at Kkira feet, because he can freely express his love for fashion and photography simultaneously, also adding that “it doesn't hurt that [he gets] to work with [his] best friend Mauryn.” A fun fact about Sylver is that he is a dancer and a phenomenal fitness instructor.We maintain that he is the best dance fitness instructor in Boston and are prepared to back it up if ever challenged!
As our owner and founder, Mauryn, said, “I love Kkira Feet for so many reasons, but the two biggest ones that come to mind are that I get to empower and inspire people to be and love themselves regardless of what the world around them thinks or says, and that I get to do it with a good deal of my favorite people in the world. I can’t help but feel honored and grateful!” We couldn’t agree more. Our team works very hard to make the magic happen and we couldn’t do it without them.
By now, you have probably heard that June 19th has officially been declared a public holiday in the United States. For some, it feels like a victory and like it has been about time for a while now, for others, it is not even scratching the surface of all that needs to happen before people of African descent in America are truly free and equal. For others still, it is a nuisance that should have been put to bed so long ago because after all, we have even had a Black president, I mean how oppressed can said group of people still be. And then without a doubt, there are those who couldn’t care less, because they don’t even agree that anything should change. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, allow us to share with you what it means to us that this day is now being recognized in the country after so many years of it not even being acknowledged, to begin with.
Above all, it certainly does point to a step in the right direction and a promise of hope for a time when the acknowledgments will lead to true remorse and amends being made as they should have. But more than that, it promises the hope of true equality in this country no matter how slow the process continues to be.
As a black woman living in America, I know all too well the burden that is attached to the color of my skin and the multiple ways the ground shifts from under my feet to put me in ‘my place’ which is often a lot lower than that of my caucasian counterparts. By definition, I know how hard I have to work to even be considered in the general conversation, regardless of what the topic may be. For someone who is very outspoken by nature, it is shocking how silent I seem in white spaces, simply because it is set up that way even before I walk into the room. And here is the shocker, I am a lot more accepted in white spaces than most of my other Black brothers and sisters, partly because I insist on it and partly because try as you might, I am not all that easy to ignore. Yet, even with me being how and who I am, most if not all white spaces are designed to keep me quiet and ‘in my place’. So when I say, I am hopeful for even greater progress in the direction of equality, it is no small thing. It means I have a great opportunity to thrive, empower and inspire those who will come after me. It means I get to be a part of a powerful legacy that empowers people of African descent in this country and by extension the world, and that excites me. That fuels me and empowers me to do better, and as a Black-Owned Brand, we are so here for it!
So in honor of recognizing the first official Juneteenth holiday in the United States of America, we will launch our Summer Releases and invite you to celebrate with us by supporting our growth and the growth of as many Black- Owned Brands as you can! For in doing so, you participate in leveling the ground for so many and, generously practice the acknowledgment that we are not just equal, we are one - and therein lies all our redemption as a country and as a human race. Here is to a meaningful Juneteenth Celebration and all the growth it will bring to us all! Cheers and Happy Freedom Day!
Love and Gratitude!
]]>Below is a map of all of the places where people took the survey, now keep in mind this doesn’t mean that all of these people own Kkira Feet shoes. However, we are so thankful that our brand has entered their space nonetheless!
The survey was also distributed through our brand ambassador, Mark Bryan’s, Instagram and with his help we were able to reach about 10 different countries across the globe! It is our goal to make Kkira Feet into a global brand where expressing yourself through, not only your shoes, but your clothes is the new normal.
Back in 2019 when Mauryn Kkira created Kkira Feet she did so because she longed for a product that was not currently on the market. She wasn’t sure if there was an audience out there that shared this sentiment but launched into it wholeheartedly nonetheless because of her immense passion for the shoes she was creating. So to see so many people across the globe express their interest in owning and showing off a pair of Kkira Feet shoes is so exciting for all of us!
We wanted to send a huge thank you to all who took the time to take our survey and also everyone who sends us pictures of themselves in Kkira Feet shoes! We love to see your joy when you slip your foot into one of our shoes and urge you all to send us your pictures! :)
]]>We’ve all heard it before–you’re not supposed to wear too many bright colors at once because they “clash.” Instead, if we want to wear something bold, we make just one item the centerpiece of the ensemble and tone down all the other colors. But honestly, where did we ever get that outrageous notion that wearing lots of colors is “against the rules?” At Kkira Feet, we don’t believe in playing by arbitrary rules. Fashion is such a fantastic way for us to freely express ourselves, so if you’re someone who’s always hated the idea of wearing toned down colors all the time, we’re here to tell you that you don’t have to follow that rule!
Have you ever stepped outside during the spring season? Do you notice how many colors surround us at this time of year? When we pass by beds full of magenta, yellow, and purple flowers, we don’t say “wow that’s a bit much;” we gush over how beautiful the colors are! When was the last time you saw a colorful bird and thought “Ugh, those colors are clashing and that bird just looks awful.” In fact, don’t we instead marvel at the beauty of all the vibrant colors they wear all at the same time? How much sense does it make that we then somehow learned that wearing multiple bold colors is a no-no?
This spring we are excited to bring you the bold and fun colors that surround us! Each shoe is unapologetically bold and packed with color and we are loving every second of it! Take a look at the Regina wedge bootie. If the colors remind you of walking through a field of flowers on a warm, spring morning then you are catching on!.
At our photoshoot a couple of weeks ago, we had our lovely model Sonali wear the Regina booties. Sure, we could have made the shoes the star of the outfit and tone down the colors for the rest of her clothes, but where’s the excitement in that? Sonali looks like the walking embodiment of springtime, and we can’t get enough of it!
If you’ve had enough of wearing bland colors, this is your sign to add color to your wardrobe! Wear those colors you love so much, and do it knowing that your fashion should make you happy and feel like yourself no matter what.
]]>We all know how important moms are, and yet we tend to take advantage of just how much they really do for us. As we grow up, moms are there to support us, teach us things like how to cook and clean and basically not die, slap on a band-aid and a kiss when we fall and scrape our knee, and be our closest confidante and most trusted ally no matter the age. Even well into our adult years, they act as moral support and stability. Some of you might be thinking, “but that’s what moms are for… right?” Maybe, but how much have our moms given us at the expense of their own free time and happiness?
This Mother’s Day (and every day) we want to help celebrate the hard work and sacrifices that our moms have made. Seriously, have you ever thought about how badass moms are? Moms who work full-time jobs while supporting their kids, Moms who never let up on that grind by pushing their kids in a stroller while jogging, Moms who give up their jobs and professional lives to be at home and make sure they are there for their kids as they grow, whatever category they fall in, they are SUPERHEROES disguised as Mums. Each and every mother is unique and shows their love in different ways both big and small and the day we take each year to acknowledge that is only a few days away, so we thought we would give you an idea in case you were still struggling with how to shine their glorious and amazing light back on them.
As Mother’s Day approaches you may begin to feel the stress of making sure you have the perfect gift, and we get it! I mean what do you get the person who is literally responsible for your very existence as a thank you? We are right there with you. Sometimes it feels like there isn’t a gift that can fully show sufficient gratitude for how much our mothers do for us and the truth is that there really isn’t! So should we try one more mug or candle? Maybe this time go out of your way and get them something really awesome! How about a gorgeous pair of shoes that will not just make her smile, but that will tell her that she is worth the splurge! They are on their feet a lot, doing all manner of superhero world-saving things, so maybe something comfortable and good for her feet is one way to tell her you see her, you know how hard she works, and even though you are not able to quantify what she is worth in any way, you can say thank you, in a way that will certainly make her feel special! So give the gift of a beautiful, happy-making, comfy pair of shoes that says “Thank you for being an Amazing Mum!”
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