The word “stilyaga” is a slang word for a stylish guy/girl that comes from the Soviet era. Being called “stilyaga” was, at the time, by no means a compliment. If you looked fashionable and “cool,” it indicated that you were a lazy bum, spending too much of your time and energy on trying to look good, falling under the rotten influence of the West and, therefore, a destructive element to society.

Now that the word “stilyaga” has almost become an anachronism, there is a Kyiv chain of shops that adopted it for its name. The chain is known as the top place to go when it comes to shopping for fashionable urban-style footwear by such brands as Converse, Dr. Martins, Steele, Lesta, Grinders, Wishot and others, as well as funky accessories.

For years now, Stilyaga has been a popular gathering place for the city’s hip non-comformists – emos, punks, hip-hoppers and skaters who go there when they need a new pair of shoes, and, of course, all other fans of cool and quality footwear. It’s almost a club with its own atmosphere, worth visiting just to get a sense of it.

Founded in 1908 in Massachusetts, the Converse company was the first to invent basketball shoes and later teamed up with legendary player Chuck Taylor to manufacture one of the most famous sportswear lines in the world. It later turned into urban fashion wear. Converse shoes are popular among Hollywood actors and rock stars as much as among city hipsters. The most famous Converse shoes line, Chuck Taylor All Star (also known as “Chucks” and “Cons”) are canvas shoes with rubber soles, low-top or high-top – running up to your ankle bone that come in a variety of colors, with new models appearing every season. Artists create custom imprints and patterns specially for Converse.

But one detail never changes – a round logo with a star inside on every shoe. At Stilyaga, regular models – plain black, white, blue, or red will cost you Hr 320, the fashion models – Hr 390. There are also leather Converse shoes, especially fitting for cold weather.

Originally invented in 1960 as comfort working shoes, Dr. Martens boots unexpectedly became the highlight of the contra-culture that was just emerging in England, and were adopted as the preferred footwear of various youth movements – skinheads, mods, glams, punks, grunge, ska, hardcore, and Britpop. These massive leather boots resemble army shoes (which initially gave the idea to creator Dr. Martens) with air-cushioned soles, a.k.a. “bouncing soles,” and trademark yellow stitching. These are still mainly popular among youth subcultures, as well as anyone who likes universal footwear, as they suit any weather. Dr. Martens, produced by AirWair company, come in a variety of forms – from regular-sized to tall boots, running up to under your knee. The common choice of color for these boots is black, but there are colorful types – blue, cherry red, yellow, green, “dirty white” and new models with imprints of skulls and other spooky ornaments. The selection of shoes runs from Hr 450 to Hr 900 on average.

Another popular streetwear shoe brand, Grinders, likewise appeared in the raging ‘60s in England. Classical models are similar to Dr. Martens, but Grinders are somewhat heavier with a welted sole. Grinders also has a line of biker boots.

The Slovakian company Steel produces shoes with screw soles in styles similar to Grinders and Dr. Martens with prices not going much higher than Hr 530 and a great variety of shapes and designs. Boots are divided into types by number of eyelets – there can be 3, 6, 8, 10, 15 and 20. Considering that each kind has up to 20 different color options, you get quite an impressive selection to choose from. Images of British flags are frequently used. Many colors are presented both in original and “dirty” versions, as if black shoe-polish was smeared onto them.

The Wishot brand produces skater shoes, hip and convenient for an average price of Hr 300. The shoes from Polish company Lesta are mostly leather sports footwear, with a selection of sports glam style this fall – sneakers and boots – some embellished with crystals. Bustagrip is great footwear for travel and outdoor activities, able to stand any weather.

Apart from shoes there is a variety of fashion accessories to complete your hipster look. There is a good choice of caps by the famous brand Cangol, colorful emo-style ties, badges with socks and purses with images of Skeleton Jack from the “Nightmare Before Christmas” animated film. The latter became a hit image, especially among emo-kids. There are also bags by Converse and bags with the likes of Popeye the Sailor, Betty Bop, Spongebob Square Pants and South Park characters. The latter are not excellent quality. The pictures are a bit faded, but it’s the only option for fans of the iconic cartoon series.

Stilyaga:

Globus (332-0634);

Underground passage (next to Khreshchatyk metro, 587-8042);

Metrograd (Bessarabska Ploshcha, 247-5690);

Materik shopping center (154 Borshchahivska, 507-2414);

Avrora shopping center  (36 Perova);

Gorodok shopping center (3 Moskovskiy Prospect).