As much as people were wearing MaXhosa this year, many of those outfits were completed with a pair of. Simply put, this is the sneaker of the year and it’s local – which makes it that much sweeter. Drip Footwear isn’t to be slept on, either, as its rise has been almost as prolific.
On Tshwane’s Helen Joseph Street, Drip Footwear and Bathu are next door to each other. The owner of Bathu, Theo Baloyi, spoke to #Trending a few months ago at the launch of its collaboration with a famous beer brand. The small shop was buzzing with media types seeking to get Bathu’s first collaboration customised by the artists in the shop. Rocking MaXhosa shorts and socks along with a pair of his own kicks, Baloyi spoke like a man with a vision in mind.
He shared a few of the pillars that helped Bathu transcend being simply funky sneakers. This company is only a few years old, yet it has the same pull as a brand with a well-established ethos.“Two of our pillars in the business are inclusion and diversity – inclusion in terms of our consumers, service providers and other businesses. We also want to focus on telling African stories together.
You so lacky your brand still not in Small Street