Kenyan shoe brand, ENDA marks 2nd anniversary, sets ambitious growth plan

Kenyan shoe firm enterprise taking bold steps in the manufacturing industry to reinstate hope in Kenya’s prowess to deliver quality products to the world market.

Two years ago, a shoe named the Iten, designed, assembled, and manufactured in Kenya by company Enda, hit the streets to the frenzy of interested parties.

This was a quiet triumph that went over the heads of many people, but that marked a decisive chapter in the future of Kenya’s ability to be efficiently provident in matters production.

“We’re on a mission to bring Kenyan athletic excellence to runners everywhere and fuel economic development in Kenya with a vision of every runner going further, faster, and helping others every day,” Enda Running states.

Inception

In a country recognized for its thorough athleticism over the course of many years, various stars have been made through the tracks, but something somewhere was a miss. From marathon icons such as Paul Tergat, Catherine Ndereba, Henry Wanyoike, to shorter distance racers such as Asbel Kiprop, Vivian Cheruyiot, among a throng of names, these runners always crossed finish lines victorious, but in a pair of sponsored running apparel that was from major corporations such as Nike. From the kits, to the most important bit of the runner’s paraphernalia pack; the kicks, or the shoes, or the trainers as regarded by different people, did not originate from Kenya. A sense of pride had to be restored.

The show company was founded by Navalayo Osembo and Weldon Kennedy. They met in 2015 over the shared frustration that Kenya wasn’t benefiting enough from a hard-won global running reputation.

From the robust mind of Navalayo; a social entrepreneur, a humanitarian worker, a lawyer, an accountant, a mentor and a runner-in-training & the rich social and political campaigner and communicator with extensive experience in the US, Europe, and East Africa, Weldon, the company had found a divine gift with a ribbon tied around it that would get the ideas of a shoe consortium off the ground and running.

They both brought different pieces of the idea together and realised that making a Kenyan running brand could be good for both industrial development as well as building the image of Kenya in the world.

Legacy

Kenya’s highland areas especially are known to produce very talented runners by design, as the unfiltered members of the region are known to ignore automobiles such as cars just to complete simple tasks such as going to places like school, work, and this norm has created successful world champions.

To celebrate their indigenous ethic, the brilliant minds at Enda have been able to conceptualize kicks that can empower such communities and any interested trainers.

‘’The idea start in 2015 and it took us a year to create a prototype we were truly excited to run in. We ran our first Kickstarter campaign in June 2016, basically showing the world our prototype and asking if people would pre-order a pair in order to make it possible for us to make the first production run. The campaign was successful, and it then took us another year to complete that first production run. So August 2017 is when the first Endas, our light-weight trainer named Iten, hit the market.’’ Enda explains.

This gesture is a positive attribute and will encourage localism in a continent that needs to stop the vicious cycle of foreign capitalism. More local products can boost foreign exchange and expand sources of income, along with more perks such as employment opportunities.

“The inspiration for Enda is the great legacy of many Kenyan athletes who have inspired the whole world and pushed the boundaries of human potential time and again. Specifically we knew we wanted to make a running shoe as it’s the critical product for a runner. It’s the tool that runners obsess over, yet we didn’t see a lineup of shoes that matched Kenyan running culture and Kenyan training. So we decided to change that, and now runners around the world can get Kenyan running shoes at Endasportswear.com.’’ Enda narrates.

Shortcomings

Just like life, where there is light, there is darkness. Despite their courageous strides to pioneer something of great significance, there will always be hurdles along the way, and this only propels them to be more creative, and more prepared for the challenges ahead.

‘’There are two main challenges we face. First, no one in Kenya has ever made shoes and apparel at the level of quality we are doing now, so working with factories to make new products in new ways while meeting the highest standards is very challenging.’’ Says Enda.

You can imagine going up against multinational and international companies such as Adidas who are light-years ahead of the firm with head-starts in capital, infrastructure, political stability, you name it.

‘’Second, there are of course many famous brands in running footwear, so we’ve got a lot of work to do to connect with customer and get them to try and new brand. We’re confident once they run in our shoes they’ll love them, but getting them to make that first purchase is going to be tough until our brand and reputation are more established.’’ Adds Enda.

Prospects

From a host of prestigious runners, celebrities, and conglomerates embracing the inventory into the Kenyan corporate world, the shoe is looking to revolutionize the shoe game one more time with a new addition to their family at the top of next year.

‘’Our only shoes on the market so far are our light-weight trainers, the Iten. It’s available in red, black, and green all with white soles, celebrating the colours of the Kenyan flag.

We ran the Kickstarter campaign for our 2nd shoe, the Lapatet, a more cushioned shoe for longer runs, in April. That campaign was successful as well, so the Lapatet will be hitting the market in January, 2020.’’ Enda announce.

With the sky being the limit, the company continues to enjoy quiet success and even had a crowd funding activity in the spirit of Harambee just to see through their rare but achievable fete.

‘’The biggest achievement yet has to be making premium quality running shoes that say “Proudly Made in Kenya” on the tag. After that, the achievements that bring the most joy are those of the people running in our shoes. From people running marathons to those who get up every morning to train, it’s a thrill to know we’re helping runners be their best through our shoes.’’ Enda concludes.