The “lêkê”, poor man’s shoes that have become a symbol of Ivorian culture

In Abidjan, the rainy season ends but we never put away our “lêkê”: called “jellyfish” in France, these open plastic shoes, water-resistant and inexpensive, have become a symbol of identity Ivorian culture.

“Everyone wore +lêkê+,” says Rokia Daniogo, a 33-year-old trader, sitting on a street corner in the huge market in the Treichville district, where hundreds of stalls overloaded with goods and Various objects.

“All children wear…