Nairobi, March 14 -- Kenya's footwear market is transforming, shaped by a tremendous change in customer tastes and purchasing habits.

The upswing in e-commerce to tap into the growing middle class has made other international luxury brands rush to capture this important market segment, piling pressure on traditional stationary retail shoe stores.

But for Sheriffi Parvin Hassanali, having been in the shoe retail business since 1991, this is a welcome challenge as it keeps him awake to strategise his company's next move.

"I didn't know I would be an entrepreneur even though I had an interest in trading but when I landed in Kenya in 1991, friends encouraged me to explore business opportunities here and that marked the beginning of City Wa...