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Minimalist sneakers that go with everything
Minimalist sneakers earn their place in the cupboard because they work with almost every outfit. Choose a plain upper in white, stone or natural, and keep the sole thin and clean. A pair like this goes from the office to the beach without a second thought.
Look for natural materials such as hemp, cork and plant leather. They age well and develop character. Avoid loud logos and busy panels if you want one pair to do the work of three. Fewer shoes, worn more often, is the whole idea.
5. Kalk Bay Knits: Recycled Knit Runners
Our fifth pick comes from the Cape coast, where knitters turn recycled bottles into soft, light yarn. The result is a runner that feels like a sock and holds its shape after many washes.
Recycled knit is light, breathable and dries quickly after a surprise shower.
It suits long days on your feet. Pair it with shorts in summer or chinos at work. Rinse gently and let it air dry.
Karoo Thread makes its sneakers from hemp that is spun and dyed in small batches. The colours are earthy and muted, so each pair works with jeans, dresses or work trousers. The canvas is tough, and it gets softer with every wear. These are shoes you can live in, week after week.
4. Karoo Thread Hemp Classics
Fynbos Footwear draws its colours from the mountain: soft greens, dusty pinks and warm sand. Every pair uses recycled laces and a natural rubber sole that grips well on wet tar and rock. The shape is simple, with a rounded toe and a low profile.
Wear them with a summer dress or a pair of rolled jeans. They also look good with socks in a bold colour.
A good white sneaker should go with jeans, shorts and a work skirt, and it should still look fresh after a wet week in the Cape. Natural materials make that easier every day.
Karoo Thread makes its sneakers from hemp that is spun and dyed in small batches. The colours are earthy and muted, so each pair works with jeans, dresses or work trousers. The canvas is tough, and it gets softer with every wear. These are shoes you can live in, week after week.
3. Seapoint Soles Clean Lows
Seapoint Soles began as a beach clean-up project, and it still shows in every pair. The soles are made from collected rubber and natural latex, which gives a soft, bouncy step on pavement and sand alike.
Each sole is pressed by hand and tested on the Sea Point promenade before it ships to a customer.
Pair them with linen shorts for weekends or smart chinos for Friday casual. They are light enough to pack in a beach bag, and strong enough for every day.
Karoo Thread makes its sneakers from hemp that is spun and dyed in small batches. The colours are earthy and muted, so each pair works with jeans, dresses or work trousers. The canvas is tough, and it gets softer with every wear. These are shoes you can live in, week after week.
2. Baobab Basics: the Cape Town Hemp Studio
Baobab Basics keeps things plain on purpose. The range has just a few styles in hemp, each with a clean white sole and a small stitched label. The fit is roomy through the toe, so your feet can spread out on long days. Simple shoes, made to last years rather than seasons.
A good white sneaker should go with jeans, shorts and a work skirt, and it should still look fresh after a wet week in the Cape. Natural materials make that easier every day.
Pick one neutral pair and wear it all week. Hemp and recycled knit hold their shape, wipe clean easily and look good with almost anything in your cupboard. Simple and honest.
Karoo Thread makes its sneakers from hemp that is spun and dyed in small batches. The colours are earthy and muted, so each pair works with jeans, dresses or work trousers. The canvas is tough, and it gets softer with every wear. These are shoes you can live in, week after week.
1. Takkies Originals Hemp Low-Tops
Takkies Originals is where our story began, with one hemp low-top and a small team in Muizenberg. Since then, the range has grown, but the idea has not changed. Use natural materials, waste as little as possible, and make shoes people want to wear.
Every pair is made close to home, so we can see how it is built and fix what is not right.
That is how we keep quality high. Come visit us on Beach Road and see the workshop for yourself.
