When it comes to the sneakerhead community in South Africa—specifically in Cape Town—there aren’t many who can claim to have been there from the very beginning like Rolo Rozay. In his own words, he’s been around and done it all. Among other things, he’s a reseller and shared candidly with us some of what he’s learned and observed from being in the sneaker game for as long as he has. Sneakerheads, pay attention!
Rolo Rozay’s Early Love for Sneakers
Q: Where did your love for sneakers begin?
Rolo Rozay: The love for sneakers started from a very young age—like Primary School, you understand? But there’s a lot of stuff that inspired that passion. I remember taking note of things early on, like watching George of the Jungle—those shoes were my favorite! Then there was The Substitute with Mark Anthony, where he was running in the hallway with a Nike V-neck that had the big Swoosh on the back.
Moments like that made me pay attention to sneakers. It’s the small things, you know? Even music videos back in the day were a big influence. Before sneaker culture was a visual thing, it was all about print media. Word Up magazines, XXL, Vibe—those were the sources I used to see what was trending. That’s where I drew inspiration from.
We didn’t even realize back then that we were creating a culture. It was just a group of like-minded people coming together, doing what we loved. It’s only in hindsight that we see how it all came together.
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Cape Town’s Unique Sneaker Culture
Q: How would you describe Cape Town’s sneaker culture?
Rolo Rozay: We Cape Town heads are known for rocking the big bubbles, tracksuits—all those styles. If you look back at the ‘90s, you’ll see how we dressed, and we still have people who only wear those styles today.
The game has changed now. For example, the Nike Air Max TN (AOS) dropped in 55 different colorways, so you see how sneaker culture has evolved. We even did a documentary about our sneaker scene, and it debuted in Dubai at Sole DXB. That shows you how much our style resonates globally. People overseas recognize what we do here and how we rock sneakers meant for NFL players—shoes we never had access to, but still made part of our culture.
Think about it: many of us never saw Ken Griffey Jr. swing a bat or Dan Marino throw a touchdown, but we still wore their sneakers. That’s how deep the culture runs.
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The Resale Market and Its Controversies
Q: The resale game can be controversial. What are your thoughts on it?
Rolo Rozay: Everybody is reselling now. Even the guy who won a raffle will flip the shoe as soon as he gets it. So why would you only call out the person who buys multiple pairs as the ‘reseller’ when the person who won the raffle is also reselling? The definition of a reseller has changed a lot.
People assume that just because someone has a platform or buys multiple pairs, they’re the bad guy. But the truth is, everybody is in on the game. People even pay others to stand in line for raffles now. So instead of complaining, you either adapt or you cry—it’s that simple.
I’ve seen regular Air Force 1s being resold for crazy prices, which is wild. But that’s just where the culture is now. Everything is resellable. It’s not just about the big names anymore. If it’s got demand, it’s getting flipped.
Rolo Rozay’s Personal Favorites and the Future of Sneaker Culture
Q: What’s your all-time favorite sneaker?
Rolo Rozay: The Nike Air More Uptempo. Growing up, I saw them on TV and wanted them badly. Almost 20 years later, I finally got my hands on a pair. It’s just one of those shoes that I’ll always love.
Q: What are you rocking daily now?
Rolo Rozay: These days, I’m all about comfort—so it’s either Yeezy slides or Crocs. I wouldn’t say the sneaker game is dead, but there’s not much that excites me like before. Maybe some Jordan retros here and there, but overall, the hype cycle is crazy now. Everything that drops is instantly considered ‘hype.’
At the end of the day, it’s about being comfortable and rocking what you love.
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Watch the full interview.
