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Auxilia Katongomara Showbiz Reporter
BACK in the day, plastic shoes manufactured by one of the country’s oldest shoe manufacturers Bata were the in-thing. The plastic shoes were ideally made for the whole family, gumboots for the men, grasshoppers for the young boys and sandak sandals for the ladies.
The sandak sandals were a hit or favourite of many ladies as they were very fashionable and available in all colours to suit individual need.

A conversation with some women in Bulawayo brought back fond memories of the sandak era.

They laughed, enjoyed and relived the moments when the shoes were a must have for most ladies.

“Sandak shoes were something special, and the red and blue ones were the most common. You could feel very special and fashionable by having a pair of them.

“However, they required one to have clean feet, not cracked feet as most of your peers would laugh at you,” said 37-year-old Siphilisiwe Mabhena.
She said the sandaks were a national shoe as evidenced by the shoes advert that was composed and sung by Oliver Mtukudzi.

However, with time and evolvement of fashion trends, the sandak shoes soon disappeared from the scene and became a thing of the past.

Almost a decade later, another shoe similar to the sandak came along on the fashion scene. The shoes were referred to as summer ballet sandals but locals termed them ‘Baccossi’.

Baccossi, an abbreviation for Basic Commodities Supply Side Intervention, were basic foods sold to Zimbabweans during the economic crunch of 2008. This is why the plastic sandals which were found in different colours were termed baccossi as they had flooded the market as if they were being donated for free and their affordability.

The Bacossi were ideal especially in the rainy season as they were not soaked by the rain just like gumboots.

They were made of soft plastic, easy to maintain and were comfortable. Most women liked them as their feet could be aired freely in summer.

A few years on, another style of jelly shoes has popped up on the scene, giving a chance to those who did not get the chance to wear sandak, a feel of how plastic shoes feel like.

Just taking a walk on the streets of Bulawayo, one can easily see that the new crop of jelly shoes is becoming one of summer’s fashion trends as winter is slowly winding up.

They have bounced back with a new suede and interlaced upper which has been added to avoid them looking like plastic shoes. Their new designs have made them versatile and most ladies have worn them for both formal and casual look as they fit in easily because of their new pattern.

Women are seen walking easily in the comfortable shoes that are found in all colours namely blue, black, purple and brown.

A visit to the flea market stands tells the same story as they are now readily available as well as at China shops in the city.

The old ‘baccossi’ were all plastic and were mostly ideal for the rainy season just like the sandak shoes of yesteryear.

A vendor at a local flea makert, Sindiso Dube, said the sandals were a must have for all women.

“Very soon, they will be like the Baccossi as they are selling like hot cakes due to their affordability as well as comfort they have.

“We are importing them from South Africa where they are also popular,” she said.

The Baccossi shoes are going for $5 at the local flea markets and $3 at the China shops in the country.

In addition to being fashionable for a brief period in human history, these shoes can sometimes also be practical. For example, the partially enclosed design makes jellies ideal for casual wading in rivers and streams, as they protect the feet from rocks while allowing the shoe to drain freely and dry quickly on dry land. For people with feet of the right size and shape, jellies can also be very comfortable casual shoes.