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soleRebels (Bostex PLC)
soleRebels makes shoes and accessories out of recycled tires and local fabrics, sold online and in its own stores around the world.
soleRebels is an Ethiopian footwear and accessories brand that turns old car tires, discarded inner tubes, and hand-woven local cotton into sandals, sneakers, and bags. The company sells directly to customers through its own website and a small chain of branded stores, plus wholesale to retailers abroad. Its pitch is simple: handmade, fairly paid, environmentally friendly shoes at prices well below what big Western brands charge for comparable "green" products.
The raw material story is the engine. Workers cut strips from worn-out tires for soles that are tough and nearly free, and weavers spin and dye cotton the traditional Ethiopian way for the uppers. That keeps costs low and gives each pair a story shoppers can feel good about. The company built its reputation on paying workers above local market wages and sourcing almost everything within Ethiopia, which it markets heavily to environmentally conscious buyers in Europe and North America. Founder Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu started the business in 2005 in Zenbaba, a poor neighborhood of Addis Ababa, with a handful of local craftspeople. It grew into one of Africa's best-known consumer brands, with stores in Addis Ababa and international outposts, and it has been profiled by major global media as a model of "trade not aid" manufacturing. The company is privately held — the Bostex PLC name reflects its legal structure — so detailed financials are not public, which makes it hard to judge profitability or scale from the outside.
The honest caveats matter. soleRebels is small next to global shoe giants, depends on export markets and shipping costs, and has faced the same pressures as other Ethiopian exporters: foreign-currency shortages, logistics headaches, and a difficult operating environment at home. It competes less on technology than on craft, story, and price, which means its brand and distribution partnerships do most of the heavy lifting. For a shopper, it is a way to buy a durable sandal and support an unusual manufacturing model; for Ethiopia, it is a rare example of a homegrown consumer brand that made it onto the world stage.
Saved answer · last researched 10 Nov 2026