Kolhapuri Chappals a True Icon of Original Indian Handicraft

Kolhapuri Chappals A True icon of Original Indian Handicraft. If there is one chappal that Indians will never get tired of, then it’s one and only, the world famous Kolhapuri chappals. Beautifully hand crafted and designed, these chappals are not only cheap, but also easy to wear, comes in attractive designs and colors as well. And what’s the best part? They are always made by tanning vegetable dyes, thus making them completely eco- friendly as well. Kolhapuri chappals are one of the oldest Indian handmade Chappals. They are also called Kolhapuris and are open toed, T-strap sandals which are originated from the historic city of Kolhapur in the state of Maharashtra, India. To make a Kolhapuri Chappal craftsmen use many tools like Hammers of different sizes, Punches, Rappi (Knife) and Sewing Machine. These chappals are made from processed leather of Mainly buffalo, goat or bull hides which are used in the manufacturing of these chappals. This leather is processed and grazed. The process of making the chappal starts with removing the hair from the hide,making it clean. Salt & lime powder is usually mixed with water in a big tank & the hides are soaked in it for four days. As the skin becomes softer it is stitched with Sisal leaves into a big bag form. Harada (Myrobalan fruits) pieces, Babul pieces with water are mixed in a wooden bucket called as Teep for about five to six days. This mixture is then filled in the leather bag in the upper portion for about 7-8 days and further the mixture is filled to the lower portion and tied for about 8 days. The craftsmen prepare a flat surface of babul tree for drying the leather under the sun for 2-3 days & afterwards they are kept in storage. Leather is washed again and again to make it soft & simple tools are used to make it ever smoother. After the design & size are finalized, the craftsmen use a stencil to mark the shape & size. Layers after layers are stacked together to prepare a sole, to bind those leather or cotton threads are used to stitch them together tightly. After the sole is ready, the craftsmen then proceed to make different types of decorative straps using soft leather stripes & punched leather pieces. These different types of knots & stitches are one of the main qualities of a Kolhapuri chappal & sometimes local adhesives and solutions are also used to stick different parts. Lastly a shoe cream, a color mixed with little water is used to get a yellowish,reddish color or a desired colour of your choice. The straps are then attached to the base part of the chappal & for ornamentation purpose different type of threads and zari are used. Named after the city, Kolhapuri chappals have a very strong character, one that is easily identified by their aesthetics and stitching monopoly. Local craftsmen also have different names for these chappals; like Kapase, Kurundwadi, Nache Mayuri, ShahuMaharaj, Maherban,Paper Kapashi etc. At Shoolin, we are trying to preserve, conserve and maintain the rich heritage of these Kolhapuri Chappals marketed by us. While making these chappals the kind of leather we use gives a cooling effect to the feet. Different parts of the animal skin are used for making different things, like head skin for the strap, tail skin for thread and goat skin for the braid. Oil is always used to remove the wrinkles on the leather. Buffalo and bullock leather is bag tanned locally by artisans using vegetable dyes. The entire process of making the various parts of the chappal takes about more 35 days which is quite long due to the manufacturing techniques being traditional and conventional. Moreover, once the chappals dry out, they always shrink in size resulting in smaller sizes and fit. Chappals are easy to use, and look stylish with traditional as well as western outfits. They are believed to be good for our health as they cool the feet and reduce body temperature. This footwear is free from allergic properties, unless the wearer is allergic to certain kinds of leather. One of the best combinations is to pair Kolhapuri chappals with jeans. Simple, easy and very spunky. Wear any jeans you wish with a lively colored top, something that would suit the color and design of the chappals you wear. They can be teamed with maxi skirts also thus embracing the boho style, choose the closed toe ones pointed upward for this look. They could have embellished materials like velvet with elaborate embroideries. Play mix and match with tradition and team these up. Harem pants, chinos are other options are also suitable. They could be worn as regular in hot summer days when the heat just cannot get any worse. You could try some nice candy colors in these for the summer days. Want to go traditional? Team them up with heavy churidars and add that simple perfect touch to your traditional look. PS – Please see the detail video of how the world class Kolhapuri Chappal is made. For B2B Trade Enquiries Contact – Shoolin Enterprises Shoolin.global@gmail.com www.shoolin-enterprises.com Cell Number : +919422048509 / +918380948017 .

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