DHL collab showcases African shoemaking
International logistics company DHL, headquartered in Bonn, Germany, has teamed up with Cape Town-based shoemaker Veldskoen in the creation of 365 pairs of leather footwear, each made by 66 pairs of hands in Durban.
The “unlikely” collaboration, as described by the two firms, marks DHL’s first fashion partnership with an African brand. Earlier, relatively unexpected, ventures into the fashion world have included a t-shirt co-created with the luxury brand then known as Vetements (recently relaunched as Vtmnts) in 2016, plus a limited-edition sneaker alongside German footwear retailer MyBudapester in 2019.
This time around, DHL and Veldskoen jointly commissioned South African artist (and self-described “motorbike adventurer”) Reggie Khumalo to design the exclusive mural-style artwork incorporated on either shoe’s quarter. DHL’s own branding features on the shoes’ heel counter, as does a tab bearing the colours of the South African flag.
Crafted from full grain reversible leather with a full leather lining, each pair of Dear Everyone shoes also has a hand-painted wedge sole and comes complete with interchangeable red and yellow laces.
Chief executive of the shoe company, Nick Dreyer, commented: “When DHL approached us with an idea to collaborate on a limited-edition shoe to highlight South African fashion, it was a no-brainer for us. Being selected as the first African brand for their next collaboration was super exciting.
“DHL has afforded Veldskoen a moment to show the globe the talent, creativity and manufacturing ability that Africa has to offer. We have produced a high-fashion shoe, while every stage of the development process and every link in the supply chain has been carefully considered from a sustainability point of view.”
In the interest of fairness, the shoes (priced at £228 or roughly $300 per pair) are only available for purchase through a “drop lottery” system - live until April 15 - via a co-branded website. According to the partners, a “buyer picker system” will randomly select the names of 365 would-be shoppers from a list of those who have pre-registered their interest on the site.
Image: DHL/Veldskoen.
