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Africa’s creative fashion is catching the eyes of many around the world, with a balance between old traditions and new, and an interest in homemade ways of working and materials, to tell stories through them. With many brands moving to slow production rather than high-quantity manufacturing to allow pieces, such as shoes, to speak more of individual identities.
A good example of this can be seen with the Lagos-based footwear brand, Maliko which was founded in 2018. They work with traditional handmade footwear and leather goods to develop contemporary products that remain connected to heritage. The products are all handcrafted by leather and weaving artisans to demonstrate traditional techniques, but also to focus on topics such as consumer accessibility.
Maliko celebrates quality, design, and durability, shying away from short-lived trends, but producing statement pieces that can last years. The brand’s approach of blending traditional African craft skills with modern footwear offers a neat and sophisticated style. This is a distinction from many African brand’s preference for embellishment and instead centres the attention on materials and structured form, creating an item with more of an understated feel in contemporary African fashion.
The brand’s passion for constructing leather, the addition of texture within the shoes, and elegantly detailed soles can be observed throughout the brand’s SS24 collection. The ease and understated quality of the shoes mean that the construction of the handmade elements, as well as the materials used stand out; many of the designs present structured foundations and soft uppers so that they can be worn comfortingly, appearing robust yet wearable.
The first shoe certainly catches the eye, its well-defined and self-assured shape.
This shoe is quite robust, the sole seems sturdy and supportive, providing a good foundation for the shoe. The construction of the upper displays a fine hand for leather work, providing a sleek and refined design. The material itself looks quite polished and well-finished, indicating an investment in durability and craftsmanship.
Another good feature is that the shoe can remain elegant despite being quite simplistic. The design isn’t based on heavy adornments, and even so, it is visually appealing due to the crisp outline and robust silhouette. The linking between the top half and the sole could possibly be more relaxed, giving a more harmonious blend. Nevertheless, the shoe is obviously a reflection of the overall collection.
This second shoe looks more casual, although it is clear that the attention is on construction, which this shoe displays, just with a more casual style.
This shoe appears to have the upper material moulded perfectly to the foot and looks to be a comfortable shoe to wear. The leather texture adds character to the shoes.
My favourite thing about the shoe is the way in which the various materials interact. The sole seems solid and constructed, and the upper feels soft and pliable. I really like this contrast, and it makes the shoe look visually appealing, indicating that the designers thought about combining comfort with durability.
But there can be a little more definition along the edges of the top material, to make it more definitive to the upper, so the shoe could be sharper, and better finished at the edges, as this is visible, as you can see, to give it a sharper aesthetic, and make the brand’s work clearly visible.
The third shoe, and third within the range, can be considered quite loud and striking; the materials used are highly textural, and the entire form of the shoe is defined in quite an outstanding manner, which will attract the eye. The sole is structured in a very solid way to help it maintain its stability, and the upper is essentially the focus point of the design.
This shoe can also be seen as another sign of Maliko’s concern for the handmade quality of a product. The materials seem to have been worked by hand, and this contributes greatly to the texture and feel of the design. That said, the design could be restrained in its details. Small detailing aspects might be considered to make the construction and the shape more apparent.
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The fourth shoe also puts an emphasis on the minimalist look and feel of the shoe.
This shoe is a simple, fluid-looking silhouette that has an appeasing appearance to it. The upper fits well against the foot, and the sole of the shoe has a decent enough thickness about it to appear contemporary.
Perhaps the most pleasing thing about the design is how adaptable it seems. The shoe would look good both for casual and for quite formal occasions, thus having practical benefits. It could be with a little bit more texturing or fine detailing.
This fifth shoe uses a more explorative idea of how to form and use a shoe. Visually, it has a more sculptural form with its own defined shape for the sole and the upper portion. The shoe has a lot of attitude and isn’t another obvious idea.
While this shoe is also quite adventurous, it is still a quality product. The leather appears to be very well chosen, and the build process appears to be considered. One consideration with this shoe may be that its appearance could be too heavy for some styles. If the proportions were slightly shifted such that there was a lighter interplay of sole and upper, the visual may be more delicate.
The sixth shoe also follows the collection’s emphasis on a solid leather construction and considered finish. The look and feel is built to last as opposed to follow trends, and it can be presumed that this will be the case for this design. The sole provides good support to the rest of the shoe structure.
This design is one that is very clean to look at, and this works in its favour. The shape and the materials immediately communicate the intention of the shoe to the viewer, making it quite simple to see. Simplicity means that the quality of the leather and build are evident. This design could potentially be more visually arresting if it had a small feature or detail, such as subtle stitching or a shift in texture, without making it look too complex.
The seventh shoe is recognisable by its textured material. It is that which adorns the front of the upper that is responsible for providing the characteristic to the shoe, giving it a handmade appearance; a look, and feel, that directly corresponds to the artisan values Maliko strives to portray.
The textural material paired with the structured base gives this design quite good balance. If I were to change anything, I would possibly have the edges of the material a bit more aggressively finished off, giving it a more luxurious feel.
The eighth shoe displays an organised and confident profile. It also shows what seems like a chunky sole, which contributes to a contemporary and somewhat architectural feel to the shoe. Structure provides a solid feel and “oomph”.
However, the design is relatively straightforward and could be improved by smoothing the join of the upper to the sole, which would make the design seem sleeker and more elegant.
The ninth shoe displays an elegant and balanced design between looking stylish and is comfortable to wear. The material looks flexible and adaptable to allow for natural foot movement and to maintain the shape of the shoe. It is both comfortable and stylish.
This shoe also indicates that this brand works hand-in-hand with handcrafted work. Based on the materials and the stitch-work, one would assume that the shoe has been handcrafted. However, the style may require more contrast between the colours or textures to give it more interest.
The tenth shoe seems to provide more definition within the collection of shoes. It looks like it would be a shoe with a bold silhouette and a textural interplay between the materials.
The shoe successfully showcases the brand’s willingness to experiment while retaining the craftsmanship. Some reduction of the smaller details of the design would assist the form to be cleaner; the number of small design elements can work to each other’s detriment.
The Maliko brand can be grouped with other Nigerian brands that work with footwear and fashion to bridge modern design and African influences; this could include brands such as Keexs Kakawa, and Ethnik. Although brands such as these have generally pushed further with the application of bold colours, patterns and have extended product variety, the Maliko designs are characterised by structured form and a stronger sense of form. The designs are more heavily reliant on construction and the use of leather. When comparing them to some of the other Nigerian brands, it can be identified that Maliko utilises footwear design more heavily to express design through construction, while other brands work more with pattern and storytelling.
Looking at Maliko’s footwear range, it is clear that the designs focus highly on workmanship and thoughtful design. It shows good quality materials, good structure and clear signs of handcrafted work. There are no excessive embellishments to distract from the materials and craftsmanship.
Maliko could be viewed as an established Nigerian brand with a defined creative identity. Their main strengths lie in the use of hand craftsmanship, quality materials and enduring design. As Maliko grows, a focus on improving finishing detail and better integrating different elements will help develop the brand further and provide greater impact across the African fashion scene and globally.
By Seun Emmanuel
