Our founder

Meet Salman.

Born and raised in Kampala, Uganda, Salman started the brand to share the craftsmanship of Africa with the world — one pair at a time.

From
Kampala, Uganda
Role
Founder & Creative Director
Collections
Nigeria · Zimbabwe · Uganda
Salman, founder of the Salman brand
SalmanKampala, Uganda
The story

From Owino Market to the world.

Salman grew up between the busy stalls of Owino Market, watching cobblers turn scraps of leather and fabric into shoes that lasted for years. Those afternoons became a lifelong fascination with how things are made.

Travels across the continent introduced Salman to the adire dyers of Nigeria and the stone-mason heritage of Zimbabwe. Every place had its own language of pattern and colour — and each one deserved to be worn with pride.

The Salman brand brings those stories together: shoes made by hand, from honest materials, carrying the heritage of three nations in every step.

“A good shoe carries you. A great shoe carries where you come from.”

Salman, Founder

The journey

How Salman came to be.

  1. 01

    Kampala roots

    A childhood spent among the cobblers and tailors of Kampala.

  2. 02

    Learning the craft

    Apprenticeships in leatherwork, pattern-cutting and hand-stitching.

  3. 03

    Across the continent

    Partnerships with artisans and textile makers in Nigeria and Zimbabwe.

  4. 04

    Salman is born

    Three heritage collections, one brand, made by hand.

See the collections Salman built.

Browse the catalog