Ethiopian firm eyes export market
12/10/2009
Ethiopian footwear manufacturer Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu believes her eco-friendly SoleRebels brand of athletic shoes can make a big impression on international markets.
She employs 40 people in her workshop in Addis Ababa’s Zenabework neighbourhood at the moment making footwear that she claims has zero carbon emissions.
Launched in 2005, SoleRebels running shoes and sandals are sold in the United States and Europe.
“For a long time, used tyres have been used here to make traditional sandals, so I decided to take the idea further and use the same material with organic cotton and local leather to make SoleRebels,” Ms Alemu told local media recently.
The shoes are wholly handmade and the workshop can produce up to 500 pairs of sandals, or 200 pairs of athletic shoes every day, with an export price of between $15 and $30 per pair.
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