Check out Akala sandals!
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| photo courtesy of mfoa.africanews.com |
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| photo courtesy of getafrica.com |
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| photo courtesy of youthxchanage.net |
These are awesome. These African sandals are made from old tires (durable soles!), old clothing (like lace and jeans), and other readily available materials (beads, leather, belts, etc.). According to this article, a big tire can make 10 pairs of sandals, while a small tire typically makes 6. These sandals are particularly popular with students, who often submit pictures from magazines and websites for custom orders. The African Akala sandal business is creating jobs and boosting income for African families, as well as recycling materials that would otherwise go to waste. I found a gallery of Akala sandals here, as well as a Facebook fan page.
This is interesting to me because I am a flip-flop fanatic. The use of cowrie shells in some of the designs is reminiscent of Africanus' description of Timbuktu, where they were used as currency for small purchases. Akala sandals are an innovative idea, and I'm interested to see what other trends Africa will start in the future.
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