Hollywood endorsement for Kenyan running shoe
29/03/2019
Enda was founded in 2015 by entrepreneurs Nava Osembo-Ombati and Weldon Kennedy. Their belief was that Kenya’s reputation as the home of many world-class runners ought to mean it can also produce world-class running shoes. After a successful crowdfunding campaign, the brand launched its first product, the Iten, which featured several nods to its Kenyan heritage.
In an interview with US media, Ms Nyong’o, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2014, said she had decided to support Enda after learning that the brand’s shoes were made in Kenya. She explained: "I was really impressed. It's about time that we had a home-grown sneaker. So I like the innovation behind it, and decided to support it."
In response, Ms Osembo-Ombati, Enda’s CEO, said: "We're still a small company, but with a big vision of having runners around the world wearing Kenyan made shoes. If our shoes can impress Lupita, we hope more people will give them a try and see just what a small company working closely with athletes can do."
Ms Nyong’o, whose parents are both Kenyan, was born in Mexico but brought up in Kenya.
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