Ghana Month: Ahenema, the royal slippers walking through time

On a wooden table in the bustling commercial hub of Adum in Kumasi, strips of leather and tires are carefully arranged. With steady hands, artisans cut, shape and stitch them into a pair of slippers that carry centuries of tradition. These are ‘Ahenema’. A footwear that was once strictly reserved for royalty. For generations, royal slippers formed an essential part of the regalia worn by chiefs and queens among the Akan, Ga and Ewe ethnic groups in Ghana.

By Caleb Ahinakwah