African Sneaker Brands Go Global

A new generation of sneaker entrepreneurs is making waves across Africa.

From Nairobi to Dakar, brand founders are following in the footsteps of pioneers like Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu, an Ethiopian businesswoman who first made the global footwear industry wake up to the potential of locally made shoes.

Originally inspired by traditional rubber-soled selate and barabasso shoes, Alemu struck gold in the noughties, producing her brand of sneakers,…