In Abidjan, the rainy season is coming to an end, but people never put away their "leke"—cheap, water-resistant, plastic sandals, which have become a symbol of Ivorian cultural identity.
"Everyone has worn leke," said Rokia Daniogo, a 33-year-old shopkeeper, as she sat on a street corner in the huge market in the bustling Treichville district, where shoppers browse hundreds of stalls.
"All the children wear leke, even the babies," she added.