Everywhere we turn today, we see people wearing different types of sneakers. For men, women, old and young, sneakers are loved and represent a staple of casual fashion. The interest for sneakers has grown through the years. But, African inspired sneakers existed long before Nike decided to design a few pairs.
Shoes are both useful and aesthetic, providing many with protection in non-optimal environments and helping people to work more efficiently. The available evidence about past African culture suggests that most Africans did not wear shoes, and it has proved difficult to find archaeological evidence or a timeline of the beginning of the existence of shoes or footwear.
Most figurines, paintings and statues show Africans barefoot and it is thought that interactions with Greeks, Arabs and Europeans may have prompted this shift from barefoot to sandaled feet. Later, through Europeans establishing trade routes during the 1400s, Africans began creating their own footwear modelled on Western examples.
Today as then, shoes are a symbol of status and only the wealthy are able to afford them. Due to the cost of shoes and indeed warmer climates in Africa in comparison to Europe, most Africans still do not wear shoes, and prefer bare feet or sandals unless for official purposes like work or ceremonial functions.
Traditional African Footwear
From evidence gathered by anthropologists, traditionally materials used to make shoes were leather, rawhide, wood and metal. Leading ethnicities that are known for their traditional footwear include Buganda from Uganda and the equestrian Hausa of Niger and Nigeria whose thigh-length boots provided protection while riding camels or horses.
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In Ghana, Ashanti ceremonies abound with references to footwear as the king’s feet are never to touch the ground. The Yoruba elite are also known for their elaborate beadwork on their boots as are the Cameroonians who had metal cast shoes.
In southern Africa the modern design of a home-bred shoe (veldskoen) is believed to have been based on the traditional Khoisan footwear observed by settlers. The name derives from two words vel (skin) and skoen (shoe) and is named appropriately as the shoe is made from tanned leather or a soft rawhide upper attached to a leather foot-bed and a rubber sole without tacks or nails.
Today the soles are also made from car tyres. The shoes were made popular by the Dutch East India Company and proved fashionable and functional during the Great Trek as they could withstand the harsh conditions. These tough and comfortable shoes were used extensively by the Rhodesian Army during the Rhodesian Bush War (1964-1979) and were favourite footwear for the Selous Scouts, who through the creped sole could walk without leaving a track in comparison to the soles found on infantry boots.
Veldskoens are still very much a part of southern African culture in Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe as they are worn by all classes and professions but especially farmers and safari guides.
Perhaps due the warm climate and price of shoes, sandals are very much a favourite in southern Africa and can be embroided or plain as in the Tswana dancing sandals to denote cultural relevance. Zulu izimbadada (casual sandals with a horizontal strap), dabul’zwane (dancing shoes that split the big toe from the other four) and izingcab’lela originate from ox leather shoes historically worn in rural KwaZulu Natal area.
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When migrant workers travelled to the major cities they incorporated urban materials such as car tyres soles and straps into the design, and today brand names and global designs add flair. These branded Zulu shoes are symbolic of dual identity of the migrant worker and the city dweller and are sold extensively in South Africa as souvenirs or for practical use.
Gumboots: A Symbol of Resistance
Gumboots or Wellington boots became a cultural symbol and a symbol for resistance for South African miners during the apartheid era. What has now been popularized as the “Gumboot Dance” isicathulo was a coded communication system between African workers in the mines similar to Morse code which used the different taps and stamps as a language of communication where a strict rule of no talking in the mine tunnels beneath the surface prevailed.
This adaptation and use of gumboots as protective footwear was not voluntary for the African miners but was enforced as a cheaper option to prevent skin ulcers, foot problems and lost work time, rather than draining the sometimes knee-high infected waters in which the miners stood for hours every day.
Nike and the Black History Month Collection
Each February since 2005 Nike has celebrated both the advancements and heritage of African-Americans through the brand’s universal language, kicks. From sports to social media and everything in between, Black culture and individuals have and continue to propel and inform society in countless ways.
Nike Air Force 1 BHM Black History Month Shoe Collection Video #55
Whether you think Nike’s Black History Month collection is a good thing or not, you’ve got to admit that it feels kinda good to have sneakers designed with us in mind (even if it’s just to take our dollars!).
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Revered for its simplistic yet premium design, the 2011 Nike BHM Collection stands atop its own mountain as arguably the best comprehensive collection to date while featuring the first appearance of basketball silhouettes. Dedicated to basketball’s earliest pioneers whose game shoes were predominately black, each silhouette featured lavish golden Swooshes and accents harkening to the NBA athletes “Call to Greatness”.
Featuring the first official appearance of the now synonymous BHM Lignature, eight different Nike silhouettes including the Nike Hyperdunk and Hyperfuse were crafted alongside eight Jordan models and six Converse offerings for the slew of brand athletes suiting up for the NBA’s 13 Martin Luther King Jr. Utilizing a synonymous pattern of red, green and yellows, each silhouette came clothed in a tonal inspiration to the aforementioned country’s international cultures.
In the same year that brought us the famed Nike Chukka and a bevy of Flyknit constructions, Nike Basketball was churning out some of the best signature silhouettes of the decade, featuring the iconic Kobe 8 System, LeBron X and KD V. Currently enjoying its 10th anniversary, the “Be Bold, Be True” collection was accompanied by a short film featuring a spoken word piece by author Joekenneth Museau and produced by 9th Wonder.
Anchoring its on-court models with royalty-infused shades of purple and metallic gold, the presiding athletes crowning attainments are represented within the Nike KD 6, LeBron 11, and Jordan Melo 10 while being joined by a nubuck-treated Dunk Low and Lunar Air Force 1 High.
Following an assortment of colorful exhibitions, the halfway point of the decade enjoyed a curtailed, monochromatic theme playing on the notion of an optical illusion while reinstating the 10-year anniversary of the AF1 that started it all.
In keeping with the latter year’s expanded roster of honorary athletes, 2015 paid tribute to Hall of Fame coach John Thompson, Inglewood skater Theotis Beasley, soccer star Kevin-Prince Boateng, two-time track and field Gold Medalist Brianna Rollins, NFL wide receiver Jerry Rice and legendary women’s basketball head coach C.
Incorporating a similar cloth-inspired digitized print, the 2016 collection celebrated both Black heritage and excellence by looking through the impactful lens of Serena Williams, Sanya Richards-Ross, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul.
It would be three years before the regal attribution of golden hues returned to the commemorative collection, with 2017 infusing the shimmering metallics from 2014 with the greyscale ensemble from 2015. Coated in a decorative marble aesthetic, the monochrome inclusions elegantly blended black and white in reference to the strength of harmonious movement while punctual golden accents symbolized the power of unity.
The Pan-African flag was initially called upon to serve as the very first celebration of Black History month from The Swoosh with an aptly colored Air Force 1 in 2005. Accompanied by a short film narrated by Michael B. Jordan, the ensuing collection tasked the sporting world with extending the same respect and fairness in and off their respective fields, fueled by the notion that no matter the playing field, equality should have no boundaries.
Diminishing its number of offerings to a tightened lineup of seven silhouettes, 2019’s troupe concentrated on the incalculable impact of the vast amount of cultures presiding within the African continent. Coated in a blissful, oceanic wash of blue, the Nike KD 11 honors the heritage of Sierra Leone with a traditional-inspired patterned print proclaiming the sock liner.
While the past nine years’ worth of collections received official releases, the year of the Nike Dunk’s revival saw The Swoosh render its on-court signature roster in Player-Exclusive renditions for the first time in the collection’s history.
With the turn of the decade came the final installation in a near-decade-long run of Nike’s basketball models directing the ensemble of BHM efforts each February. While a return to the famed assembly is far from likely in the new year, the recent additions of Ja Morant and Jayson Tatum to Nike and Jordan’s signature roster could proffer the Beaverton brand to enact a resuscitation.
Other Sources for African Inspired Sneakers
Here are four other places where you can buy African inspired sneakers to represent your roots during Black History Month:
Tawia Designs
Chicago bred Ghanian designer Emmanuel King is the mastermind behind this line that reupholsters the popular Nike Roshes with kente and mudcloth fabrics for $150-$200.
2Woo
If you want a more customized look, Etsy seller 2Woo has a few African print slip on sneakers that appear to be either handpainted or fabric painted on. Although Dublin based shopowner Sally Rosal does not appear to be melaninated (my new favorite non-word) or woke - based on her interchangeable use of African print, Aztec, and tribal - her $50-$70 designs surely are cute.
Mamie Ansah
If you’re more of a Chuck Taylor person, Mamie Ansah has the perfect customized Converses for you and your family, even the babies!
Presently at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta is an exhibition that tries to answer many of the questions people may have about the history of sneakers. Titled The Rise of Sneaker Culture, the show traces the evolution of the sneaker from its origins in the mid-nineteenth century to present day.
For a better understanding of the complex history of Sneakers, the exhibition includes film footage, interactive media, photographic images, and design drawings. Originating from the Bata Shoe Museum, The Rise of Sneaker Culture was organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Bata Shoe Museum. Curated by Elizabeth Semmelhack, senior curator of the Bata Shoe Museum, viewers are presented with an in-depth history of sneakers.
