Traditionally, pastoralists wore sandals when grazing cattle to act as a barrier between their feet and the relatively rough terrain. Sandals were also worn by some communities when using the bathroom for hygiene purposes. Most of this footwear was crafted from animal hide, a style that continues to inspire the current generation of Kenyan shoemakers.
When Mohammed Omar Said completed his high school education at Tononoka Secondary School in 2006, he was unsure of what the next step should be. Rather than move back home to Malindi, Omar stayed on in Mombasa to find employment. He tried his hand at several jobs but none seemed a good fit for him. After two frustrating years, Omar finally threw in the towel and returned to his hometown. It was a difficult decision to make, but one that set Omar on a path he had long been seeking.
Soon after arriving in Malindi, Omar paid a visit to one of his childhood friends. Omar found his friend busy at work making sandal straps. While the two caught up, Omar watched as his friend transformed pieces of leather into designs that would be fitted onto shoe soles later. By the time the two parted ways that day, Omar’s interest was piqued.
He knew nothing of the business and lacked the skill, but Omar was drawn to the craft of shoemaking. In the months that followed, Omar continued taking on odd jobs – this time with the intention of saving up as much money as he could to start a business. The venture was a big leap of faith but Omar decided to gamble on himself.
In 2008, Omar set up shop and made his first sandal straps under the tutelage of his friend. Straps were the only part of the sandal Omar and his friend could make since the sole required use of machinery to cut them to the correct size. Omar was exhilarated by his accomplishment but the initial excitement was replaced with a hunger for more. Making the straps was not enough; Omar wanted to make a complete shoe. Since he had no money to buy the needed equipment, Omar began using his own foot as a blueprint to cut out the soles. Needless to say, the first pair of shoes Omar made were crooked and not the best quality. He had anticipated this but saw it as a chance to improve his design skills. Eventually, with a lot of practice, he finally made fully hand-crafted sandals for his clients.
Once Omar had perfected his skill, he was met with the next challenge: finding market for his products. While Malindi was a great place to set up his business, the demand for sandals was low. Omar began making trips to Mombasa to hawk his shoes, where they fetched a great price and sold fast. Having to do all these tasks by himself was difficult but Omar persevered. He enjoyed the craft and managed to make do with his one-man team. Then in 2010, Omar received his first bulk order. To get the sandals done on time, Omar employed two workers to make the straps and invested in a sole-cutter. Omar has since delegated the strap-making to his team while he continues making the soles – with the aid of the sole cutter – and handling the sales.
Omar’s belief in himself and courage to choose the path less trodden is inspiring through and through, we celebrate him as one of our #KeCrafters
