Afridrille Shoes Merge Style and Women Empowerment

Step your soles into style this summer with the Afridrille, a fully-customizable espadrille shoe, designed in Austin, Texas, handmade by Maker Mums in Kenya. For this socially and environmentally responsible brand, the style is classic and can be customized to the customer’s taste by choosing from a variety of colourful options. What makes the Afridrille so special is that it is hand-made by Kenyan women also known as Maker Mums. These women get paid fairly and one hundred per cent of the net income goes towards providing care for special needs children in the country. This creation of positive socio-economic impact could be the main reason why many have genuinely connected with the Afridrille’s brand story and contributed in massive amounts to its crowdfunding campaigns on both Kickstarter and Indiegogo. The Maker Mums, the custom work they do on every shoe and how their communities are impacted from the proceeds of every shoe sale literally goes to show that there is life in every stitch.

The design process for Afridrille shoes is simple. It is the result of long-term partnerships with suppliers and makers on the African continent – a union which in turn benefits everyone involved. The shoes are silk-screened by hand at partners, Color Creations while the leather insoles are sourced from a local boutique tannery and the tags are hand-made by Maasai craftswomen. The soles of the shoe itself are made with a Spanish jute rope lined with vulcanized rubber to make it last years long. All of this work results in a pair of shoes that costs less than one hundred dollars altogether, which is a very reasonable price. If you are in doubt, consider the design process and what it takes to make these shoes a reality.

Afridrille shoes are made with comfort in mind. In Africa, walking is a major means of getting from one place to another for most people so it is important to have shoes that are casual, flat comfortable and easy to walk long distances in. Hence, the Afridrille’s structure and design is made for comfortable walking. Take a peek at the Afridrille’s campaign video about its design process and to learn about how it all began from concept to finish.

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Jamila Kyari

I’m a seasoned communications and marketing consultant with a penchant for all things stylish and chic. Follow me on social media and subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates on industry trends and much more!

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