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FASHION: Bathu is a relatively new sneaker brand that has somehow managed to get the attention of local sneaker heads.
As much as people were wearing MaXhosa this year, many of those outfits were completed with a pair of Bathus. 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.
Bathu has had a marquee year by winning the hearts of consumers while complementing the brands around it, rather than imposing on them, not to mention attracting famous names such as Khanyi Mbau and Somizi Mhlongo-Motaung.
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.
Read: Bathu, the local shoe brand we can all get behind
“We pride ourselves on being an experiential brand. Look at what’s happening in store in terms of customisation. You’re not only buying a shoe, but getting the end-to-end experience. If you want to take it to the next level, we take you to one that international brands on this continent haven’t reached in terms of being experiential. Expect more experiences,” he said.
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.
Read: Local designers cry foul on counterfeits
“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. We strive for diversity in terms of what we stand for: some people are for heritage, others are for township stories and so on. We try to reach them all,” said Baloyi.
There’s something sleek about the brand’s Moja edition. Completely in white, they make one feel as if one’s wearing G-Unit sneakers, which were dangerously clean when they came out.
We recommend getting a pair of these steps, as they encompass the energy of a vibrant country and continent on the rise.
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