African shoes

COAST AND KOI: Statement Shoes Made in South Africa

by Natalie Kimani|04 October 201730 November 2017|Design, Fashion

Loud, audacious and proudly unapologetic about their personality. They say you can tell a lot about someone from their shoes, and the eye-catching Coast and Koi speaks volumes. Designer Caryn Wilensky founded the luxurious South African brand in 2005 after...

Inspired by Africa: TAWIA DESIGNS by Emmanuel Tawia

by Natalie Kimani|27 September 201730 November 2017|Design, Fashion

It started with a compliment. While in college, founder - Emmanuel Tawia King - would make shoes as a hobby. By simply wearing his designs, he’d receive compliments and inquiries on where they could purchase a pair as well. However,...

Oliberté: The World’s First Fair Trade Certified Footwear Made In Ethiopia

by Natalie Kimani|06 September 201730 November 2017|Business, Fashion

Tal Dehtiar is the man responsible for the world’s first Fair Trade Certified footwear brand. The Canadian, with an MBA from Hamilton’s McMaster University, had always wanted to create an internationally successful and socially conscious product made in Africa. He...

Sandal Your Soles with Rwandan Shoe Brand, UZURI K&Y

by Natalie Kimani|04 September 201730 November 2017|Business, Fashion

Every personal shoe collection needs sandals. On a continent that receives its fair share of sunny days and heat waves, these chic alternates to flip-flops are a necessity. However, just because you need them doesn’t mean that they should be...

SAWA Shoes: The ‘No Charity’ Footwear by Mehdi Slimani

by Natalie Kimani|31 August 201730 November 2017|Design, Fashion

Founded in 2009, SAWA is a proudly ‘Made in Africa’ footwear brand based in Ethiopia. It’s also the first sneaker to be fully produced on the continent. TDS first highlighted this shoe brand by Algerian-born, France-based shoe designer, Mehdi Slimani,...

THANDO’S SHOES: Foldable Ballerina Flats Inspired by Africa

by Natalie Kimani|31 August 201730 November 2017|Business, Fashion

You don’t really understand how uneven the sidewalks of Nairobi are until you have to traverse the city the day after leg day. Heel wearers are often lauded as brave or denigrated as utterly disrespectful to the shoe craftsmanship for...

Nio Far by Milcos: Giving Shoes The Bògòlan Treatment

by Natalie Kimani|21 August 201721 August 2017|Design, Fashion

Senegalese footwear brand, Nio Far, wants to get mud all over your shoes. Mud cloth, that is. From afar it would appear that founder and designer, El Hadji Malick Badji – alias Milcos Badji – has simply created a footwear...