Someone has been dripping vivid colours all over South Africa. Across the streets and inside shopping malls, paint-streaked takkies are popping up. Lekau Sehoana is the artist behind this footwear revolution. These creations are symbolic of his personality, passion – and a lifetime of perseverance. “I went from not having shoes to having a sneaker line,” Sehoana says. But getting there meant building himself up twice over.
Sehoana was raised in a shack in Ivory Park, Johannesburg. His talent emerged in Grade 8 when he was faced with the conundrum of what to wear to school for Casual Day. “My mum was raising four kids unemployed,” Sehoana explains. Fashion wasn’t the family’s primary concern. But the pressure of keeping up with other teenagers weighed down on Sehoana. He needed to innovate. Using denim, parts of a bag, and the sewing skills he learnt from his grandmother, Sehoana transformed old shoes into a statement item that became the talk of the town. Soon, everyone wanted a pair of their own. To meet their demands, Sehoana launched a business which continued until his matric year.
While studying further and working, Sehoana maintained his goal of designing a shoe line. After years of planning, he founded Drip Footwear in 2019. “Dreams don’t always come true the first time around,” Sehoana says. “But that’s not a reason to give up.” Today, his tenacity is taking South Africa by storm. “I hope my journey can inspire young entrepreneurs,” he says. With creativity and commitment, Sehoana is putting his best foot forward.
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