Every brand has an origin story.
MATHEWS RANGE, ISIOLO, KENYA
circa 2015
Ours starts in Kenya, raising money
to protect our rivers.
Rhino Charge is Kenya's toughest off-road competition — no roads, no route markers, just a straight line between checkpoints and whatever stands in the way. It runs every year to raise money for Rhino Ark, who protect the mountain forests that feed Kenya's rivers — the water towers the whole country depends on. We've driven it for years. Breaking down, digging out, having the time of our lives, all for a cause bigger than the finish line.
One year, to help raise funds, we were gifted a box of wooden sunglasses to sell.
So we did. Every pair, gone by lunch.
Then came the question that wouldn't stop.
Where can i get these in Nairobi?
You couldn't!
So we set out to make a pair that was ours: designed by us, named after places that moved us, built to the standard we'd want on our own faces at the Charge.
This is where kobe was born.
Pole pole kama kobe
[ poh:lay poh:lay ] — Swahili proverb
"Slowly, like the tortoise."
It took us over a year to get our first ten designs right. Because we wouldn't put our name on anything we weren't proud of.
That's exactly why the name fits. The tortoise never rushes — but it always arrives.
Every pair still carries that spirit. Never rushed. Always arrives.
The life it's built for...
We've lost count of the sunnies that slid clean off our face at the worst possible moment — dust everywhere, hands full, nowhere to catch them. That's the pair we set out never to make.
Kobe frames are built for the part of your day that doesn't pause for sunglasses — long drives, rough roads, hands full. Light enough to forget. Polarized. And most importantly, snug enough to stay put every-wear.
The Journey...
We started in Kenya. The first pairs were shaped, assembled, and sold from right here, by Njoroge, a craftsman who carried the whole process himself. When COVID reached Kenya, we lost him — and for a while, we didn't know if we could carry on.
When things started to open up again, we took a trip. Not sure what came next, only that we needed to make the journey.
Somewhere along the way, people started finding us. They'd spot the sunnies, ask about them, and buy a stack of frames right out of the back of our truck to take home and sell to their friends. From Jordan to Perth. No shop, no plan, just people who believed in a small brand more than we'd expected anyone to.
It told us the idea was already bigger than one workshop.
Why these shapes
We don't chase trends. Every Kobe frame starts from a shape that has suited faces for decades (round, square, the soft rectangle), because a classic shape lets the wood do the talking.
Then the grain makes it yours. No two pieces of wood are the same, so no two pairs are either.
Each frame carries the name of a place that stopped us in our tracks. Sahara. Namib. Oahu. Wear one and you carry a little of it with you.
Born in Kenya. Global mindset.
So we went looking for suppliers anywhere in the world who could build to the standard we'd started with in Kenya.
Real wood, so no two grains — and no two pairs — are ever quite the same. Layered and pressed for strength, then shaped by hand. Quality spring hinges. Polarised lenses, not just tinted.
Tucked behind the hinge of every pair, a small "kobe" mark.
And we plant trees. More than 5,000 so far, on farms in Kenya with Trees for the Future. Fruit-bearing agroforestry, so families can eat and the soil stays strong. We've walked those farms. Small habit, right direction.
Built for all day. Built for wherever you're headed next.
Wear your journey.
Our Fellow Travellers
Worn everywhere
Nairobi | Kigali | Dar es Salaam | Zanzibar | Kampala | Cape Town | Johannesburg | Lagos | Accra | Casablanca | Tangier | Algiers | Dubai | Abu Dhabi | Amman | Tbilisi | London | Lisbon | Athens | Santorini | Barcelona | Madrid | Ibiza | Paris | Moscow | Istanbul | Antalya | Cappadocia | Berlin | Munich | Warsaw | Reykjavík | Tokyo | Beijing | Mumbai | Delhi | Chennai | Kathmandu | Manila | Palawan | Bali | Melbourne | Sydney | Perth | Vancouver | Toronto | Montreal | Victoria | New York | Portland | Dallas | Mexico City | Bogotá | Medellín | Salento | Cartagena | Lima | Cusco | Iquitos | Rio de Janeiro | Port Louis
Frequently asked questions
Can I return them if they're not right?
Yes. Return any pair within 30 days in its original condition and we'll refund you. Custom or engraved orders are final sale — we'll always flag those before you buy.
When will my order arrive?
We ship from within your region wherever we can, so most orders arrive faster than expected. Yours leaves us within two business days, and you'll get a tracking email the moment it does. Delivery times vary by destination — you'll see an estimate at checkout.
How much does shipping cost?
Nothing. Shipping is free on every order, wherever you are.
What if my pair breaks?
Every pair is covered for 12 months against manufacturing faults — hinges, joints, lens defects. Get in touch and we'll sort it. Accidental damage isn't covered, but tell us what happened anyway. We'll see what we can do.
Are the lenses polarised?
Yes. Every pair has properly polarised lenses with UV400 protection, blocking 100% of UVA and UVB. They cut glare, not just dim the light.
Is the wood real?
Yes. Every pair is built around real wood, layered and pressed for strength, then shaped by hand. That's why no two come out the same — the grain runs differently through every piece.