# School Shoe-Inspired Moccasins Grade Africa and Grasshoppers Turn to South African Culture By Amy Duong | Published 2019-11-07 | Fashion Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grade-africa References: [highsnobiety](https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/grade-africa-grasshoppers/) & [gradeafrica](https://gradeafrica.com/) South Africa-based brands Grade Africa and Grasshoppers join forces to create a set of footwear designs. The duo unveil a series of shoes that feature two silhouettes in total. The main inspiration behind the footwear is drawn from the footwear worn by local South African students. The joint effort is to emphasize the message of both the brands' heritage background and reminding others of the strong roots of its culture through the collaborative effort that creates jobs for the local craftsmen. The capsule features a [Moccasin Low and a Moccasin High](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/reigning-champ-x-ghbass) -- the Low option features Tan, Suede, and Ezweni, the High boasts Floater and Suede. Both designs feature the leather hangtag that showcases the African continent. Image Credit: Grade Africa and Grimm Shots ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.8/10 - Popularity: 27% | Activity: 17% | Freshness: 9% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Fashion](https://www.trendhunter.com/fashion) > [Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/shoes) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Heritage-inspired Footwear:** Duo brands create footwear designs inspired by South African students' footwear, emphasizing heritage and culture. - **Collaborative Craftsmanship:** Joint effort creates jobs for local craftsmen, showcasing the strong roots of South African culture. - **African Continent Showcase:** Footwear designs feature a leather hangtag showcasing the African continent. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Footwear Manufacturing:** Opportunity to create heritage-inspired footwear designs that capture the essence of local cultures. - **Craftsmanship and Artisans:** Potential for collaboration with local artisans to showcase traditional craftsmanship in footwear production. - **African Fashion and Design:** Platform to promote and highlight African-inspired designs and aesthetics within the fashion industry. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Collaborative Minimal Moccasin Shoe](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/heritage-p204.md) - [Trout-Inspired Textural Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mocaturf.md) - [High-Top Moccasin-Style Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/huckberry-x-easymoc-scout-boot.md) - [Cross-Cultural Footwear Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rahul-mishra.md) - [Collaborative Sustainable Footwear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/moclaughlin.md) - [Iconic Irish Footwear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/iconic-irish-footwear.md) - [Africa-Honoring Collaborative Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/superstar-sneaker-model.md) - [Artfully Dynamic Collaborative Mules](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tareet-1.md) - [Songstress-Backed Mule Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jorja-smith.md)