The amazing characters (specifically villains) of Russian folklore (Bilini – Былини) are bright and colourful — their mythical existence so mundanely impossible it transcends the perceived dimension. They are imaginary to the point of their origins being muddled and confused. The power of these characters is so undeniable; the heroes of the same stories strengthen due to their ability to travel between worlds and interact closely with the villains.

In the original folklore, we only meet these characters in the context of the hero’s stories. They are robbed in the process, denied a story of their own.

Zmei Gorinich (Змей Горыныч) was not just a means to an end, a snake to be defeated by the brave and strong Dobrinya Nikitich (Добрыня Никитичь), it was an incredibly bright and perhaps even layered character. We could read his layers, his personality in between the lines describing his great battle with a warrior who, let’s be honest, was not as interesting of a character to begin with.

A hut (Избушка на Курьих Ножках) is not just a fun set design feature that adds more magic and creeping fear to the story of the Baba Yaga (Баба Яга), she is a living thing that transforms the witch’s house from a simple hut to a magical place with a mind of its own. It adds context to the story and creates a setting—a setting which, if removed, leaves an old witch talking to a strong (albeit a little silly) man in a strange house. I know I’m simplifying here, but you get the point.

Kids would hear the stories, and their curiosity would colour in the vivid images of a snake with three heads and a hut with chicken legs. Of course, then they had to put their new imaginatively visualised characters into the context where they, as villains, were defeated and turned into collateral damage of a lesson taught by the story. But for a second, before the logic of the story’s natural ‘good versus evil’ conclusion would taint the beauty of the unbelievable, they were just there, and they were beautiful.

“I think we resonate with villains more than heroes,” Says Fiona, co-founder of Zmeika, a shoe brand that gets its inspiration from the infamous Zmei Gorinych (Змей Горыныч).

“When you look at the illustrations in the books about these villains, they draw the main character very plainly; it’s a very standard type of beauty, standard type of dress. Everything is very standard. And then the villain is what really stands out in each story. They give them crazy facial features. They give them crazy clothing. They make them look more memorable than what they do with main characters,” adds Daria, co-founder of Zmeika.

When I think about Zmeika and the representation it provides for the undervalued villains of Russian folklore, the phrase ‘you never look at a man’s shoes’ takes on a whole new meaning. The brand shines a much-needed light on the colourful creatures, forcing you to look them up and down and pause your gaze at their feet, which, just like them, ignite your imagination and propel you to believe that there is a place (a secret, mysterious, surreal place) where houses walk, and dragons with three heads roam freely, stomping their scaly toes on the bright green grass.

“I’ve seen people incorporate fairies and stuff into their brand, but I’ve never seen someone incorporate actual traditional folklore. It seems like a niche, but actually, a lot of people can relate to it,” says Fiona.

The first time I saw the shoes, Fiona was wearing them at a house party we were both invited to. I immediately ran to tell her I wanted to write about them. The images of a three-headed snake and a hut on chicken legs flooded my brain, transporting me back to a childhood where I devoured Russian folklore, mesmerised by the images of the things I, back then, truly believed existed just beyond sight.

Cut to a phone call, I am on with Fiona and Diana, and I find out that the same childhood memories served as fuel for these talented designers. I smiled as I realised it just adds more heart to an already amazing product.

“We’re both from Russia, and these were the stories our parents used to read us when we were kids, whether that be actual Russian folklore or fairy tales by Russian authors,” Daria starts.

“I think over time, you kind of get disconnected from your childhood self, and both of us like a lot of childish things. It brings us a sense of nostalgia and a sense of internal joy to recall such positive memories.”

“Especially for me, it was my grandparents who told me these stories; some of them aren’t alive anymore, so it kind of keeps their memory going as well. It’s like family members have passed on this knowledge to us,” Fiona adds.

The complexity of the characters is highlighted once more by the intricate design of the shoes.

Daria shares:

“We thought that it was going to be the story about Zmei Gorynych (Змей Горыныч). The fact that there’s this majestic, crazy, snake, dragon thing with three heads, so there’s three toes to the shoe.”

The shoes tell a story, of course, but as you wear them, you are allowed to literally walk a mile in the character’s shoes (although they’re so comfortable, you will be walking more than a mile with no effort at all). For a day, you are given the amazing opportunity to embody the powerful energy of a mystical creature. You are a dragon that moves through the human realm as a visitor from another place. Imagine the power that the metaphor of Zmeika shoes can give you.

To be a dragon for a day… Wow.

The shoes are meaningful and deep, but through another lens, they are also playful, silly and cute. They don’t just represent the villains and make their power accessible—in a way, they devilify them. They show the sweeter and more goofy side of a three-headed snake. They leave funky prints as you walk with the brand’s logo carved into the sole. They balance the grandness of being a snake and the silliness of wearing a snake foot shapes shoe perfectly.

The beautiful layers of Zmeika are only elevated by the great thought put into the shoe design. The crocodile textured leather and the deep red colour, which the founders reference as their brand’s signature shade, were no accidental choices.

“We love the texture of the leather. I think that’s our favourite part because we spent quite some time trying to find the leather that we liked.”

“I feel like the red colour is also very much recurring in Russian folklore. There is also Krasnye Cherevichki (Красные Черевички, there’s Alen’kiy Cvetochek (Аленький Цветочек), which is not folklore, but anyway, I feel like the colour is very important to us as well.”

Founders Daria and Fiona walk confidently in their Zmeika shoes, taking the fashion world by storm. Anyone who sees them is instantly stunned by their fantasy-like choice of footwear. For them, this is just the beginning. I am excited to see more iterations of villains seen through the eyes of Zmeika. I am even more excited that the brand and its founders are committed to shining the light on the breathtakingly intricate world of Russian folklore and the mysterious villains that roam it.

“The next collection we wanted to do was going to be about Baba Yaga (Баба Яга). It would have certain features that resemble that character but still remain modern and fashionable. So, I think we’re going to stick to the folklore stories. I think it’s more about Koshei Bessmertnii (Кощей Бессмертный), all of these traditionally bad characters, just because I think it’s more interesting,” says Fiona.