Taoheed Bayo (B.S. ‘20), a U of M student from Nigeria, recently turned his hand to shoe design and created a pair of custom sneakers for Nike he called “Afro-Yutes.” (Yute is a slang term for youth.)
Bayo, who will graduate this spring, is studying mathematics and actuarial science at the University, while also working as a part-time model. He entered an essay contest called Nike By You x Cultivator, which asked entrants to describe what message they would share with the world through the medium of designing a pair of shoes. Part of Bayo’s winning entry read, “Africa is the centre of the world, we are no third world. The yute are now equipped to fight the alien system that plagued our ancestors. … We are ambassadors of our origins and people, so whether we like it or not, it is our inherent duty to change the narrative.”
