South African Bata 'Takkie' Hockey Sneakers

Nothing goes better together than South Africa and hockey shoes? No, not ice hockey.

Typically played on grass or hard packed dirt, field hockey is substantially different from ice hockey (obviously.) As you can imagine, countries around the equator can't find ice to save their lives, but field hockey remains a popular pastime especially in the warmer commonwealth (or ex-commonwealth countries.)

With the commercialization of synthetic rubber and the advent of new shoe manufacturing methods post WWII, all varieties of 'field hockey' shoes exploded in popularity. Brands like Converse, Palladium, and Chuck Taylor were nothing short of a worldwide phenomenon.

So hockey shoes were light weight, cool, athletic, and ideal for moving quickly.

That sounds like it could come in handy.

This period of counter-insurgency combat in the African savanna and wildlands forced tactical and material improvisation. Scrambling to stay competitive, South Africa would develop doctrines and equipment that would stay relevant for decades to come.

South Africa’s elite Recce units (short for “Reconnaissance”) were the cream of the crop in counterinsurgency. They were experts in tracking & long-range patrols far behind enemy lines, often in small groups. In truth though, they did far more. They became the “go-to” fighting force for nearly everything, from airborne raids to underwater demolitions.

With all that trekking and punishing embargos came the need for lighter, faster footwear than the stiff & heavy European styled combat boots that were commonly issued.

Limited by attrition and embargos, Troopies frequently purchased their own kit on the private market...

In our various dealings with South African suppliers and quite a few imports of the legendary Waxi Boot, we kept stumbling on Bata. 

They were without a doubt a footwear juggernaut in Africa, and knowing the illustrious history of the Takkies we did everything we could to finally get in contact with them. Turns out, the Zimbabwean factory is still pumping out shoes, albeit much more modern models.

Theoretically, if they wanted to, they could go full retro and make the very same models they did in the 70s and 80s...