The company's initial intention was to design a shoe that was durable enough to handle surface conditions in Africa, according to founder Leslie Bentil. What makes the label so special is the high-end stylish look, nothing at all like practical all-weather boots. 

The Gutta Soles founder recalls the initial idea behind the venture: “I came up with the idea after seeing a sneaker with a few fabric pieces glued to it. I had the idea to create a sneaker that could be worn in Africa without being destroyed due to the surface conditions - dirt roads, broken concrete, and no roads. We worked with what we could find and realized we could help alleviate waste issues if we could produce more shoes out of recycled car tires and fabrics. And then once we saw the demand for our creativity, we realized that it could economically empower the artists involved, so we created the company.”

Leslie was born in the USA, but maintained strong ties to his parent’s homeland. On a trip to Ghana in 2012, he noticed that local artisans held great creative potential, but lacked the basic infrastructure and necessary knowledge to turn their marketable products into an economically stable stream of income. Since Leslie had experienced the lack of cultural exchange between poorer countries and the “first World” first hand, intercultural and interdisciplinary exchange is very important to him. In addition to his role as the founder of Gutta Soles, he is also the Afrobeat/hip hop artist known as Kromanteng, and uses his music to build a bridge between people and cultures. “Building bridges” is therefore also the guiding principle of Gutta Soles – creativity as a path to economic independence.