Meaning
Cheap canvas-and-rubber shoes — named after the Bata brand whose plimsolls and 'crepe'-soled shoes shod generations of Jamaican schoolchildren and working people. Affordable and hard-wearing, a pair of 'Bata' was the everyday shoe of the ordinary household, contrasted with a coveted pair of imported 'Clarks'. Like 'bally', it stands for the plain, honest, budget shoe.
Examples
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Wi did wear Bata to school, not no fancy brand.
We wore Bata to school, not any fancy brand.
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A pair a Bata cheap an it last.
A pair of Bata is cheap and it lasts.
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Him crepe Bata white an clean.
His crepe-soled Bata shoes are white and clean.
Origin
From the Bata shoe brand; the everyday budget canvas/rubber shoe. See [[bally]], [[clarks]].
How it’s used
Cheap canvas/rubber shoes (from the Bata brand); the budget everyday shoe. See [[bally]], [[clarks]].