Nothing goes better together than South Africa and hockey shoes? No, not ice hockey, field 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.
The formative years of recent Central & Sub-Saharan African Culture occurred during the Bush War & Border wars — Conflicts which dominated South Africa and Zimbabwe (Formerly Rhodesia) during the Cold War. Outside of Africa and certain military circles both of these wars have faded into obscurity...
At the height of the Border and Bush wars, both South Africa and Rhodesia found themselves geographically, economically, and diplomatically isolated and facing the best efforts of the USSR, North Korea, Cuba, Egypt, and several members of the Soviet Bloc. With their adversaries providing training, arms, logistics and advisory support to a rainbow of communist terrorists, militant groups, and Sub-Saharan nation states it was anything but a fair fight. The resulting violence was characterized by its fast pace and indiscriminate brutality — with frequent terrorist attacks on public infrastructure and civilian populations.
This period of counter-insurgency combat in the African savanna and wildlands forced tactical and material improvisation. Scrambling to stay competitive, Sub-Saharan African operations would develop doctrines and equipment that would stay relevant for decades to come.
South Africa’s elite Recce units (short for “Reconnaissance”) were some of the cream of the crop in counterinsurgency. Both were experts in tracking & long-range patrols far behind enemy lines, often in small groups vastly outnumbered by the enemy. 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 in punishing African conditions, there was a desperate need for lighter, faster footwear than what the standard issue European-style combat boots of the time had to offer.
Limited by attrition and embargos, Troopies frequently purchased their own kit on the private market...
From a collection of illustrations about Rhodesian Culture. You can see the iconic rubber circle on the side of the shoes in the illustration, as well as the familiar double-buckle army boots.
Inexpensive (being quite literally the cheapest shoes from Bata at the time) and effective, perfect for when you want to ruck the entirety of the African savannah in hot pursuit of some “terrs” or a mooi meisle. They didn’t leave the same boot print as standard issue combat boots did, allowing some measure of plausible deniability and concealment for any “Recce’s” operating somewhere the commies didn't want them to be. Nothing like a little vacation on the coast of Angola.
In researching the primary suppliers of Bush and Border Wars equipment, we kept stumbling across Bata. They are without the predominate footwear manufacturer in Africa, and knowing the illustrious history of the Takkies we did everything we could to get in touch with them.
In fact, there is only one Bata factory in the world who can still make the famous "takkies" — and that is very same factory that made them when Zimbabwe was Rhodesia. The original style of that period is entirely off the market, and we worked directly with the manufacturer using archival models and other original references. Make no mistake, besides a different tag (with our name on it), these are 100% authentic to the OGs the Selous scouts wore. Flexible, lightweight and covert, the Bata Takkies are an excellent choice whether your combat involves any bushwhacking or just trying to survive downtown in an American city.
Specs
- Made in Zimbabwe (Formerly Rhodesia)
- Genuine New Production Bata Product
- Canvas Upper, choose black or green
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Rubber zig-zag outsole for extra grip OR NEW low-durometer 'anti track' sole for maximum LARP
- Iconic styling cues of 1960s era hockey sneakers
- Metal eyelets & rubber toe cap for lasting durability
Sizing
We've translated the native UK shoe size to the US size. These sneakers fit true to size from what we've seen, so we'd recommend going with your usual sneaker size, or a size up if you're between sizes.
If the shoe feels a bit tight, try unravelling the laces fully, and re-lacing the shoes. You may need your own set of laces depending on your foot shape.
