The perfect handmade shoe.
All year long.
The perfect handmade shoe.
All year long.
All year long.
It took us two years to find the ideal canvas, design the soles, refine the pattern, and hone our craft. The Afridrille is the most comfortable espadrille we’ve ever worn. With its refined but simple design, we’ll be damned if it’s not the best looking, too.
Life in Every Stitch
Every pair of Afridrilles is measured, cut, embossed, sewn, ironed, reversed, sewn some more, pinned, hand-woven, stretched, cleaned, and inspected by our Maker Mums.
We take great pride in the jobs that we are creating for our Maker Mums. These women have risen from the margins of society to become some of their communities most empowered citizens. When you purchase these products you are participating directly in the lives of these women and joining us as we continue to thread the needle of sustainable change in Maai Mahiu, Kenya.
The Afridrilles provides quality jobs to empowered women in Maai Mahiu, Kenya.
The World's Most Powerful Shoe
The World's Most Powerful Shoe
The Canvas
We tested every canvas we could get our hands on to find a fabric with the right combination of durability and comfort — not too stiff, but not too stretchy. The winner? A Kenyan canvas made in a plant owned by three sisters with an exceptional commitment to their workers.
Made from 100% East African cotton, you can walk happily knowing your shoes support Kenyan farmers, too.
36° East
Maai Mahiu is located at 1° South, 36° East. We embed that angle into each pair of shoes in the slant of the vamp and the diagonal in our beaded tabs so that our customers are reminded where their shoes are made and by whom.
All Heart
All Heart
...and Sole
Ubuntu is all about connection, which is why we put a map of the world on our soles. These soles were made for us by a family-owned company in Murcia, Spain, where espadrilles have been made by hand for generations.
With a vulcanized rubber lining and a jute rope core, our soles are as durable as they are beautiful.
Hand-Printed Lining
Kenyan fashion is all about patterns and colors. Subtlety isn’t normally our thing. These shoes though? They wear their Kenyan pride on the inside.
Our Afridrilles are lined with a soft, breathable cotton fabric to help them stay dry and comfortable all day long. Each lining is printed by hand with our Ubuntu tribal pattern, so you’ll never forget where they came from.
Custom Afridrilles!
We've partnered with Zazzle to enable you to design your own pair of Afridrilles! Choose from dozens of patterns, colors and linings to make a one-of-a-kind pair: Custom Espadrilles
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(UBUNTU LIFE)RED Afridrilles
Regular price
$85.00
By far the best shoe we’ve ever made. The only shoe we’ve ever made. Now in partnership with (RED)...
Versatile, casual, and comfortable, the Afridrilles are constructed from top quality materials with a dash of Kenyan flair. And while every pair of shoes we make empowers the women who make them, our (UBUNTU LIFE)RED really stand out for one important reason: These shoes save lives. 20% of each sale goes to the Global Fund to support their fight against HIV and AIDS.
- Handmade in Maai Mahiu, Kenya
- Materials:Â Kenyan canvas, genuine Kenyan nubuck leather, traditional jute soles with vulcanized rubber for durability
- Sizing:Â True to size. Not available in wide sizes.
- Currently ONLY available in Men's sizing.
- Every product supports meaningful, full-time employment in Kenya, AND contributes to the fight against HIV and AIDS
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