The rise and rise of lugabire
TYRE companies manufacture a tyre and warranty the tread for fifty thousand miles. A sole on an ordinary shoe can wear out in less than a year. The good news is you can now own foot wear that will last forever? It is simple, buy Lugabire — sandals made from old car tyres. It is the latest fashion
TYRE companies manufacture a tyre and warranty the tread for fifty thousand miles. A sole on an ordinary shoe can wear out in less than a year. The good news is you can now own foot wear that will last forever? It is simple, buy Lugabire — sandals made from old car tyres. It is the latest fashion craze around town.
You can’t tell how long you’ll have them. “But once you own a pair, it will be around for a long time to be used by your grandchildren and great grand children,†Florence Byarugaba of Exposure Africa Craft on Buganda Road says.
Long ago, Lugabire were worn by the poor. Those whose chance of owning a pair of shoes was like that of a camel passing through the eye of a needle. If you are from a rich family, you might only have seen Lugabire on the shamba
boy’s feet.
Little wonder history associates them with hard times. Stephen Rwangyezi, an expert on culture and history says the name Lugabire (Rugabire in Runyankole) might have come from the word Rwagaba which means war has started.
Centuries back, Lugabire were the ‘four-wheel drive cars’ of the day. They were worn by people going on long and dangerous journeys. Lugabire could help one tread through the roughest terrain and impenetrable areas since there were no cars or roads.
“They were sandals for the jungle. Once you put on your Lugabire, it meant you were ready to face anything and ready to walk anywhere regardless of the distance,†Rwangyezi says.
Rwangyezi asserts that the Lugabire concept started long before the car tyres were introduced. “The car tyre is a recent concept. Long ago, Lugabire were made from cow hides,†he says.
Centuries later, Lugabire has stood the taste of time, only changing form and maintaining its trade mark.
If you are the kind who swears never to be seen putting on a pair of Lugabire, think twice. You are probably out of touch with the changing fashion trends. Forget the days when herdsmen had a monopoly over these once dreaded black oval shaped sandals.
Today, to own a pair, you must be a classy stylish and fashionable person.
“They are unique and those who go for them want to appear different,†says John Mugisa, a Lugabire seller at African Village.
Today’s Lugabire come in all shapes and sizes for both men and women.
The Abdul type is the most famous one. The front of the sandal is pointed and bends upwards. The other type are the flat sandals mostly favoured by ladies. They come in black and brown colours. A pair will cost you between sh18,000 to sh30,000. One can get a pair in most crafts shops selling African products.
Kalifani Ntambazzi, a keen follower of Uganda’s crafts history, says the Lugabire craze reached its peak during the Amin days.
“It’s the bayaye (rogue) who used to make them. They used to call them Engato Za Yesu (Jesus’ shoes) because of their resemblance to the sandals Jesus used to wear,†Ntambazzi says.
With time, more skills were applied to make them small and more fashionable. The latest trend is just an addition to the improvements which started long ago.
The advent of the shoe in Buganda was with banyankole who came to Buganda to work as casual labourers in coffee plantations. They came wearing these shoes and so carried the name which the Baganda altered slightly and called it Lugabire, replacing R with L.
The Baganda hesitantly adapted to the culture of Lugabire. Pride might explain why it took long for people to pick up the Lugabire craze when they first appeared in Kampala. The Luganda saying, banadababatya (how will people see me) held many back.
Rwangyezi says the shoes were for people who live a hard life. The original version was not a luxury but a necessity. “In the village people walk with two pairs, the soft leather type and the hard type. When the going gets tough, one puts on the Lugabire,†he says.
The concept of Lugabire has slightly changed with modernisation. It is centuries old, but had never attracted the eye of the fashion lovers like it has done today. Lugabire have undergone a revolution in terms of make, the people who wear them and price.
A walk through Kampala will bring you to a world where Lugabire have been turned into a fashion statement.
According to Byarugaba, the improved types of Lugabire have been around for the last two years. The modified version of Lugabire has cross-straps made with leather. The sandals are designed as a brand by craftsmen in Ndeeba, Katwe and other city suburbs.
But before you mourn the death of the ‘original’ Lugabire, fret not! You can still comb the stalls of a village market for the original make. However, your feet might develop a strange shape. The silver lining on this cloud is that with Lugabire, you are assured of wonderful aeration.
You can’t tell how long you’ll have them. “But once you own a pair, it will be around for a long time to be used by your grandchildren and great grand children,†Florence Byarugaba of Exposure Africa Craft on Buganda Road says.
Long ago, Lugabire were worn by the poor. Those whose chance of owning a pair of shoes was like that of a camel passing through the eye of a needle. If you are from a rich family, you might only have seen Lugabire on the shamba
boy’s feet.
Little wonder history associates them with hard times. Stephen Rwangyezi, an expert on culture and history says the name Lugabire (Rugabire in Runyankole) might have come from the word Rwagaba which means war has started.
Centuries back, Lugabire were the ‘four-wheel drive cars’ of the day. They were worn by people going on long and dangerous journeys. Lugabire could help one tread through the roughest terrain and impenetrable areas since there were no cars or roads.
“They were sandals for the jungle. Once you put on your Lugabire, it meant you were ready to face anything and ready to walk anywhere regardless of the distance,†Rwangyezi says.
Rwangyezi asserts that the Lugabire concept started long before the car tyres were introduced. “The car tyre is a recent concept. Long ago, Lugabire were made from cow hides,†he says.
Centuries later, Lugabire has stood the taste of time, only changing form and maintaining its trade mark.
If you are the kind who swears never to be seen putting on a pair of Lugabire, think twice. You are probably out of touch with the changing fashion trends. Forget the days when herdsmen had a monopoly over these once dreaded black oval shaped sandals.
Today, to own a pair, you must be a classy stylish and fashionable person.
“They are unique and those who go for them want to appear different,†says John Mugisa, a Lugabire seller at African Village.
Today’s Lugabire come in all shapes and sizes for both men and women.
The Abdul type is the most famous one. The front of the sandal is pointed and bends upwards. The other type are the flat sandals mostly favoured by ladies. They come in black and brown colours. A pair will cost you between sh18,000 to sh30,000. One can get a pair in most crafts shops selling African products.
Kalifani Ntambazzi, a keen follower of Uganda’s crafts history, says the Lugabire craze reached its peak during the Amin days.
“It’s the bayaye (rogue) who used to make them. They used to call them Engato Za Yesu (Jesus’ shoes) because of their resemblance to the sandals Jesus used to wear,†Ntambazzi says.
With time, more skills were applied to make them small and more fashionable. The latest trend is just an addition to the improvements which started long ago.
The advent of the shoe in Buganda was with banyankole who came to Buganda to work as casual labourers in coffee plantations. They came wearing these shoes and so carried the name which the Baganda altered slightly and called it Lugabire, replacing R with L.
The Baganda hesitantly adapted to the culture of Lugabire. Pride might explain why it took long for people to pick up the Lugabire craze when they first appeared in Kampala. The Luganda saying, banadababatya (how will people see me) held many back.
Rwangyezi says the shoes were for people who live a hard life. The original version was not a luxury but a necessity. “In the village people walk with two pairs, the soft leather type and the hard type. When the going gets tough, one puts on the Lugabire,†he says.
The concept of Lugabire has slightly changed with modernisation. It is centuries old, but had never attracted the eye of the fashion lovers like it has done today. Lugabire have undergone a revolution in terms of make, the people who wear them and price.
A walk through Kampala will bring you to a world where Lugabire have been turned into a fashion statement.
According to Byarugaba, the improved types of Lugabire have been around for the last two years. The modified version of Lugabire has cross-straps made with leather. The sandals are designed as a brand by craftsmen in Ndeeba, Katwe and other city suburbs.
But before you mourn the death of the ‘original’ Lugabire, fret not! You can still comb the stalls of a village market for the original make. However, your feet might develop a strange shape. The silver lining on this cloud is that with Lugabire, you are assured of wonderful aeration.