ABABA X A KA SO

Created in collaboration with Soul of Africa Shoes and A Ka So.

This new design project is inspired by the unique art of the Kara people, inhabitants of Ethiopia.

The Kara people are one of Africa’s most authentic tribes, known for their abstract body-painting. This captivating transformation uses the skin as a canvas and the earth as a palette.

Belgium-based A Ka So co-created this distinctive pattern with six young male and female Kara artists, fusing one of Africa’s oldest art forms with a contemporary spirit.

The distinctive foot-print sole upholds all the key principles of a true barefoot design, inspired by the oldest human footprints left on Tanzanian soil over 3.7 million years ago. The ABABA is Wide, Thin and Flexible, letting your feet move as nature intended.

Each pair is hand-made in Ethiopia at a newly-launched factory near Addis Ababa, working to share the art of shoemaking and create new opportunities for employment. Profits from the sale of every pair are used to support inspiring local projects by the Soul of Africa Trust.

These projects focus on providing support and employment opportunities to Women and providing access to care and education for children. Since inception, the Soul of Africa Trust has enabled nearly 18,000 boys and girls to have a more positive start in life.