Shoes in a Snap

Addis Ababa,Ethiopia -Nowadays, it is not unusual to see the people of Addis sporting clothes made in Ethiopia. This trend is most remarkable where shoes are concerned, with brands like Solerebels, and Sheba Shoes gaining international prominence.

In 2002, Ethiopian shoe manufacturers seemed doomed to fail when Chinese and other foreign shoes galore entered the market. The demand for Ethiopian shoes decreased dramatically when these foreign shoes, which had very nice and flashy designs but low durability were imported to Ethiopia.

But after 2007, things began to look up for Ethiopian shoe manufacturers when they learned from their mistakes and started making attractively designed shoes with all the sturdiness of the older models.

Bermero Shoes is a part of this resurgence. Bermero, located in Piassa next to Oslo Café around Taytu Hotel, opened its doors to customers in 2011. Meron Tezera, 34, part owner and manager of the store, says she and her husband chose the title of their company because of their names. Read more

“My husband’s name is Berhanu. We took the first three letters of his name and four from mine to create Bermero,” Meron explained. Read more