A local footwear brand, Vokal, has received international recognition for its authentic and unique athletic appeal.
The footwear brand has been nominated for the 2022 Global Footwear Awards (GFA) in the best design category for its V8 style.
Kabelo Masia, 31, from JB Mafora in Bloemfontein, Free State, is the entrepreneurial brains behind the brand.
The GFA is an initiative founded by the Farmani Group, a design and photography company headquartered in Los Angeles, US, to honour footwear designers worldwide, from emerging designers to those in the big leagues. The winners of the 2022 awards will be announced in November.
The award nomination is a notable achievement for the Vokal brand.
Masia said it took nearly a decade to conceptualise the idea and put it on paper. He views the nomination as motivation and inspiration to grow his brand further and never give up on his goals.
“We are a small and unknown brand in the market. The nomination is a step in the right direction. It shows that we are able and ready to conquer the footwear industry,” said Masia.
The footwear brand owner said it took a while for the news of the nomination to sink in because it came as a welcome surprise. “I thought I was being pranked when the GFA contacted me via Instagram asking for my contact details and explaining why they reached out to me two months ago. The message came through after I posted the V8 design on our page.” Masia is confident that the brand has what it takes to be the first sports footwear to win the award in South Africa.
Vokal footwear’s primary target market is athletes, but the brand also caters for consumers who fancy streetwear fashion and urban culture. Staying true to its name, Vokal, the brand aims to vocalise the untold stories of African athletes and put them on the world map.
“We do not have an African brand that resonates with African athletes, and Vokal intends to change that. We want to have our brand worn by local and international athletes. We want to tell our African stories through this brand. Having such an authentic brand that relates to African athletes will change the footwear and sports industry,” Masia said.
Masia, aware that the sneaker market is rapidly growing, studied the market thoroughly and found ways to differentiate his brand to compete with established footwear brands.
“I have to make sure that whatever we design serves a particular purpose in a person’s body. We have to ensure that the brand appeals to the eye and is safe for customers. Aside from other features, the V8 sole underneath is designed in such a way that it does not become slippery on wet surfaces. Additionally, the products will undergo medical quality checks to ensure customers’ safety since our niche market is athletes,” said Masia.
The footwear designer said he has always been artistic and enjoyed sketching and drawing while he was a school learner. His design skills improved after he enrolled for an online graphic design degree at the University of London. The course enabled him to understand different design software and how to bring his ideas to life.
Masia’s V8 design and concept scored the brand a partnership with one of the world’s leading sports footwear brands. “Adidas lent us a production space to manufacture our products at their Vietnam factory. The partnership will enable us to produce quality shoes for our customers since their factory has the best equipment,” he said.
The footwear entrepreneur said that although adidas is offering them production space, Vokal is an independent company that is still finding its place in the market.
The nominated Vokal V8 sneaker edition will launch in July, four months before the announcement of the 2022 GFA winners.
Masia said further details on which athletes will be brand ambassadors and which retail stores will distribute the brand will be made public on launch day.