Freedom Walker by Tu

The Freedom Walker are exclusive kicks made in commemoration to our Madiba’s Long Walk To Freedom. Feast your eyes on the interesting details on these sick kicks:
> A nod to Madiba’s awesome dress sesnse
> The rugby world cup that he held in his hands
> His younger self at the beginning of the walk to freedom
> The 24 karat gold “WALK” lace protector
And a heck of a lot more!

This piece is a personal one – I took everything I love and put it down on the digital canvas – Madiba, shoes, graphics, Africa my home, (not so much the Whisky [right]) – they all have a very special place in my heart.

Hope you enjoy it :)

Faces of Africa winning design, Freedom Walker. with Tu by DuncanBoxie

Our faces of Africa theme competition required our designers to come up with a design that had a firm grasp on iconic African figures through history. Tu not only delivered in this department, but also uplifted his design to a funkier younger market. This is a truly amazing African design!

1. What were you thinking when you first started the design?

Well I first had the idea of making shoes. I love shoes. I have close on 30 pairs and I am always looking for another… So when I put one and one together – Freedom Walker sneakers first came to mind. All the other related details just made themselves, like how Michaelangelo’s David was cut out of the rock it was trapped in. It started with shoes and Madiba, and ended with Madiba’s shoes :)

2. What does this design make you feel?

For fear of invoking a cliche, it makes me feel some hope for this country of ours, which is, I’m saddened to say, something of a rarity these days. It reminds me of our authentically awesome rebirth and unity, and not the state (pun intended) of bickering that we find ourselves in right now. Politically uncharged, contemporary and youthful, it almost pleads the people, the youth of today, to remember the spirit that Madiba toiled with – not of hate, not of loathing, not of greed, not of corruption, but love and tolerance.

3. How long did it take you to complete your piece?

What a genuinely cliched question, you’d think after being asked this of EVERYTHING I’ve ever done, I’d have a proper answer. Altogether, probably a day or two, but on and off it was probably altogether two weeks. Not all the elements of the design were there when I started.

4. What difficulties, if any, did you find whilst trying to come up
with an African design concept that captured the Faces of Africa
theme?

It was picking a face that was the biggest thing – I discounted Madiba initially as he’s such a cliche and there’s very little that hasn’t been done with him already. I went through all the other usual suspects (including Zuma which I really really enjoyed) until this idea struck and I just had to go for it. I really don’t like cliches, in case you haven’t noticed.

5. Do you feel this design relates to South Africans only, or do you
feel it speaks to the collective wold community?

If there’s one thing that’s a true export of South Africa, it’s not the diamond, the gold or the ostriches, it’s Madiba and what he stood for. In that way, I certainly think it speaks to the world. Although everyone will interpret the man and the design in different ways.

6. Is this your normal style or an experiment?

As much as I hate to have a set style, I would say that this one was probably my usual style, with a bit of a twist in terms of the usage of patterns.

7. If you could place any other famous struggle leader from around the
world on this design, who would it be?

This one’s pretty much a trick question, as there’s probably only Che who’s as recognisable as Madiba in the caste of a struggle leader. Otherwise, I’d probably go for Gandalf, he’s the ultimate struggle leader :)

8. If you could change anything in this design what would it be?

Colour count! :P The 6 colours of our flag does not do justice to the rich patterns of Madiba shirts.

9. What kind of person do you see wearing this design?

Young people, people who understand what Madiba stands for, our international brothers visiting for 2010, and of course hopefully Madiba himself.

10. If you could pick any Springleap.com artist to recreate this piece?

Tricky, there’s the usual suspect of Tokyogogo, but as for a personal style, I’d rather see mikdog having a go at this :)

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