The late South African president and global freedom icon, fondly called Madiba, stepped out of the infamous Robben Island prison in 1990 after 27 years of imprisonment and hard labour, wearing white sneakers, US size 10, marked with a blue Hi-Tec logo. Frank van Wezel, chairman and founder of the Netherlands-based sports manufacturer, fondly recalled, “They were a classic pair of Hi-Tec Wimbledon tennis shoes, gifted to Nelson Mandela by his then-wife, Winnie.” When it went up for auction in 1996 to support the Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMCF), Van Wezel wasted no time in placing the winning bid.
Though scruffy and worn, their significance remained undeniable, reported WWD at the time. “Those shoes carried the man who wrote Long Walk to Freedom on the day he finally gained his freedom. His journey began in our sneakers.
They held so much history—and humour, too—since there certainly weren’t any tennis courts on Robben Island! “But Mandela always had a playful spirit,” van Wezel was quoted as saying. In December 2018, van Wezel decided to return the sneakers to their rightful home after displaying them at Hi-Tec’s Amsterdam flagship store. Now permanently showcased under glass at the Stellenbosch store in the Cape Winelands, the sneakers invite onlookers with the words: “Step into greatness”.
Exclusive sneaker release honours Madiba’s legacy In 2021, Hi-Tec launched the limited-edition Freedom 67s, a fresh take on the iconic Hi-Tec Wimbledon sneaker. This successful release not only celebrated heritage but also looked to the future by raising funds for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (NMCF). As part of the initiative, 67 pairs of the exclusive Hi-Tec Freedom Grails 67s were given to freedom ambassadors like Jimmy Nevis, Schalk Bezuidenhout, DJ Speedsta, and Zola Nene.
Their mission was to honour Mandela’s legacy by raising awareness and making donations to the NMCF. “Following the initiative, we decided to make a sneaker that is permanently accessible to all South Africans. “Hi-Tec has since debuted the Freedom OG sneaker, so everyone can feel empowered to walk in Madiba’s footsteps.
“Additionally, with every purchase of this shoe the company donates back to the NMCF,” explains Louise White, Integrated Brand Manager at Hi-Tec. NOW READ: Heritage Day braai: The best sheba recipe for your shisanyama pap.
