Our story

Since 2009, SAWA has been manufacturing its sneakers ethically in sub-Saharan Africa—first in Cameroon, then in Ethiopia.

By sourcing our materials in Africa and processing them locally, all the added value of our project benefits the Continent.

We pay close attention to the quality of our sneakers. The upper body of the shoe is made of 100% full-grain leather, with a fully leather-lined interior extending from heel to toe. The sole is stitched for high abrasion resistance.

The story of SAWA began on May 20, 2009, in Douala.

Cameroon was celebrating the 37th anniversary of the country's unification. A few minutes later, we found ourselves surrounded by three soldiers accusing us of military espionage—we had taken a photo of... their jeep.

We thought we could get out of it by simply deleting the pictures...

But the story actually ended with a 5,000 CFA note (around 7 euros).

"You have to pay for the beer, brother," they told us.

That 5,000 CFA bill magically turned us from spies into brothers.

And just like that, our Cameroonian adventure had begun.

Our project was nearly derailed by all the “beers” we had to pay for.

The N’dokoti Factory

Our very first sneakers came out of this small factory at the end of a red dirt road, in the heart of the N’dokoti neighborhood. We managed to set up a modest production unit with a few machines we found locally, and others we brought in from Italy. We could also count on a former boxer, a few local shoemakers and seamstresses, and a lot of adventurers…


Yves Bessala

A former boxer who transitioned into shoemaking.

He had a habit of wearing a white lab coat directly on his skin, like a doctor.

So we nicknamed him Doctor Bessala.

From Yves’s hands came our very first model, which we naturally named DR. BESS.

Ethiopia

Since 2011, our shoes have been manufactured in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. While the road is still long and challenges remain—complex logistics, low productivity, and more—our project grows stronger with each season. Our shoes are high quality, and we can count on a loyal team that takes pride in what we’ve accomplished together since the beginning.

African Bazar

“Paying for beer”—to a customs officer, a shipping agent, a police officer, etc.—had become part of our daily life in Cameroon.

Until one day, the cost of all that “beer” made it impossible for us to consider continuing.

But the final blow didn’t come from Cameroon.

In 2011, Egypt and Tunisia decided to change their destinies...

The Jasmine Revolution abruptly cut off our supply of Egyptian rubber and Tunisian shoelaces.

Our products

Our sneakers feature a distinctly vintage silhouette.

Our collections revolve around five different models, inspired by retro tennis and retro basketball styles.

They are designed for men, women, and children.

Our products are crafted to the highest standards: we use full-grain leather, fully leather-lined interiors (from heel to toe), stitched soles, and more.