SAWA MADE IN AFRICA

Launched in March of this year, SAWA (refers to the people from Douala) shoes are the first 100% African-sourced and African-made trainers on the market. Sporting a vintage-inspired aesthetic, the trainers boast the easy familiarity of a true classic-in-the-making.

Founded by three friends in Paris with a shared love for Africa and for shoes: Fabio Di Iorio, who worked in product development at Le Coq Sportif and Adidas Originals; Mehdi Slimani, who also worked in product management at Le Coq Sportif, and Frédéric Barthélemy, who still has a day job, but plans to devote himself to SAWA full-time in the very near future.

According to the trio, The SAWA story is about people, a story about a challenging economy against the North to South flow. Their idea is to show that you can purchase raw materials in Africa and transform these into finished goods...in Africa! That's why their canvas is sourced from Cameroon, the leather from Nigeria, the laces from Tunisia, the EVA from Egypt, the rubber from Egypt, the packaging from South Africa and it is all made in Cameroon!

“In a nutshell, Fabio, Mehdi and Fred are people who love to create and live without boundaries,” they point out. With a company as well-executed as SAWA, boundaries don’t stand a chance.

You can find their products already stocked in some fashion savvy countries such as in Dover Street Market in London, Comme des Garçon store in Tokyo and Soula in Brooklyn.


The SAWA trainers


The very familiar "Le Boxeur" match box and notebook from Cameroon!

I love this great idea, it is an inspiration to all those businesses and organisations who think Africa cannot produce! I thought the brains behind this idea were Cameroonians, although I am a little disappointed, I am still very proud of how they are showcasing our beloved country and continent.
Great work guys!

Stay sweet
Dulce
xxx