African Sneaker Brands Are Making Waves
"Unveiling the Creative Journey of BATHU, DRIP, and KEEXS – Africa's Rising Stars in Sneaker Culture"
African sneaker brands are making waves and it is the perfect time to explore what they can offer, especially with the growing community of sneakerheads/sneaker aficionados in Africa, it's only natural that sneakers brands across Africa begin to cater to this community and collaborate with creatives to showcase the significance of footwear in African culture. Over the past few years, a plethora of footwear brands have emerged in Africa, creating comfortable, durable, functional, and aesthetically pleasing sneakers and footwear. For most of these brands, these products are tied to various stories and inspiration of creativity drawn from the base of African cultural diversity and richness. This has birthed a new space of sneakers exploration that needs to be seen for what it is, highlighting the issues of accessibility and price of sneakers from the more popular sneaker brands, general sneaker lovers/aficionados around the world are camping to see other options to explore (you saw what I did with the words there?). This is one of the reasons why new brands have emerged over the past few years, most especially in Africa. To introduce you to what footwear brands in Africa have been up to, let’s explore these three footwear brands from Africa that I have highlighted just for the uniqueness of what they do.
BATHU is a South African footwear brand with over 30 stores across the country. Founded in 2015 by the self-professed sneakerhead, Theo Baloyi, the brand was born out of the desire to create a homegrown footwear brand that South Africans could resonate with, just like sneaker enthhusiasts in other countries. This connection to the local culture is reflected in their colorful and vibrant sneakers, paying homage to the lively and diverse continent of Africa. Bathu sneakers predominantly feature colorful mesh uppers and leather panels, designed to offer comfort, vibrancy, and breathability, ideal for the continent's varying weather conditions and terrains. The name 'Bathu,' derived from South African slang for 'shoe,' embodies the brand's commitment to drawing inspiration from its community. This is further evident in how they name the colorways of their sneakers. Notably, Bathu has had remarkable collaborations, including the recent partnership with its CEO, Theo Baloyi, on the KHALANGA silhouette. With a wide range of lifestyle shoes that double as collector's items due to their captivating stories, Bathu is the go-to brand for those seeking footwear rooted in storytelling and careful craftsmanship.
ICONICS: JOURNEY REDEFINED, MOJA X, KHALANGA
WEBSITE: bathu.co.za
DRIP is another South Africa-based brand, founded by Lekau Sehoana, a South African in 2019. The brand was built based on recycled materials, to make its products accessible to everyone. Inspired by Sehoana’s story of growing up in Ivory Park with no shoes, his goal was to create footwear that would be accessible to everyone. The brand has a wide range of footwear, ranging from lifestyle sneakers to clogs. They are primarily designed to be easy to slip on, typically recognized by a full mesh upper in vibrant colors adorned with a DRIP logo patch. Notable collaborations have marked DRIP's four years in existence, the most recent being a partnership with FILA, resulting in high-top sneakers available in various colorways. The brand has recently undergone a rebranding phase, introducing four distinct sneaker silhouettes, including the innovative running shoe named BOOMRUN. This move further solidifies DRIP's commitment to crafting functional and comfortable shoes. DRIP stands apart from other African brands with its dedicated attention to both comfort and functionality. If you're in search of a super comfy pair of sneakers, DRIP has it all. Their products can be found online and in stores across South Africa.
ICONICS: LIKWIDZ GUM, MELLOWZ, SOLEMATE
WEBSITE: dripsa.co.za
KEEXS, an innovative African social impact footwear brand, was founded in Nigeria by Babajide Ipaye in 2015. The brand's inception was inspired by the need to provide sneakers for people with larger shoe sizes, driven by Babajide's struggles with finding suitable footwear in his childhood. Thus, KEEXS offers an extensive range of sneaker sizes. The brand's essence lies in creating African-inspired sneakers, drawing inspiration from musical legends like Fela Kuti and cultural identities such as the Eyo Masquerade and Adire fabric. Their low tops and slip-ons showcase meticulous design and craftsmanship, exuding effortless style and elegance. These sneakers are easily distinguishable by their full leather uppers adorned with prints that celebrate their African inspiration, complemented by an excellent rubber sole, and the KEEXS logo symbolized imitates “chop knuckle”, a Nigerian term for a fist bump, symbolizing togetherness and celebrating a fellow Tribe member wearing KEEXS (coined from KICKS). The brand stands out among other footwear brands for its affordability, and it also has a unique way of giving back to the community through its GIVE BACK platform which donates up to 10% of every purchase to poverty alleviation projects. For those seeking beautifully designed sneakers rooted in storytelling, available in a wide range of sizes, KEEXS has it all. Their products can be found online and in stores across Nigeria.
ICONICS: AFRONAUTS, EYO, LOVE NOTE, AH-FREE-CAN, ASO EBI
WEBSITE: www.keex.com
