These sneakers are synonymous with Taliban, evoking a sense of dread

Called Cheetahs, the sneakers are produced by Servis Shoes, one of the largest shoe companies in Pakistan

The unassuming white leather high-top sneakers with green-and-yellow trim are a best seller for a roughly half-dozen shoe vendors in a sprawling bazaar in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

But they are not in demand because they’re the latest fashion trend. For many Afghans, the sneakers evoke only one emotion: fear.

That’s because they’re beloved by Taliban fighters as a status symbol even as they have become a gruesome marker of an unending war, the sneakers’ white silhouette often cutting across Afghanistan’s battlefields of dirt, sand and blood.

Called Cheetahs, the sneakers are produced by Servis Shoes, one of the