Kenya is an athletics powerhouse. Despite all its glory on the track and the roads, most of its runners rely on foreign-made shoes throughout their careers. However, Enda, Kenya's and Africa's first performance running footwear and apparel brand is reversing that.
Enda is the Swahili word for
go. At the core of its pursuit is the endeavour to package and sell running
shoes made in Kenya to the world to further diversify its economic stream in
the sport. Along with that, share Kenya’s rich heritage and running culture.
Where did the idea to start Enda come from?
The inspiration behind Enda lies first in the
realization that many countries globally take advantage of their reputation to
give them economic benefits. For example, if someone talks of German cars,
there is an assumption of quality. If it's Italian bags or suits, we assume
it’s of the highest calibre.
So Kenya has the best runners but not the best running shoes. This business
opportunity was obvious and Enda wants to capitalize on that.