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Kolhapuri chappals are Indian decorative hand-crafted and braided leather slippers that are locally tanned using vegetable dyes. Kolhapuri Chappals or Kolhapuris as they are commonly referred to are a style of open-toed, T-strap sandal, but also braided leather Mules or braided leather shoe type designs are also common.

History

The origin of Kolhapuri Chappals dates back to 12th century when the King Bijjala and his prime minister Basavanna encouraged Kolhapuri Chappal production to support local cordwainers. According to historic records, Kolhapuris were first worn as early as the 13th century. Previously known as Kapashi, Paytaan, Kachkadi, Bakkalnali, and Pukri, the name indicated the village where they were made.

Shahu I of Kolhapur (and his successor Rajaram II) encouraged Kolhapuri Chappal industry and 29 tanning centres were opened during his rule.

GI tag

In July 2019 Kolhapuri chappals got a geographical indication tag from the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks. These chappals were first made in Kolhapur but artisans from Karnataka are also involved in making Kolhapuri chappals for centuries. Districts such as Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara and Solapur districts of Maharashtra as well as Bagalkot, Belgavi, Dharwad and Bijapur district of Karnataka will only be able to carry the tag of "Kolhapuri chappal".

Production process & market

It can take up to six weeks to make a pair of Kolhapuris. Originally made from buffalo-hide and thread, they weighed as much as 2.01 kilos because of the thickness of the sole, which made them durable despite the extreme heat and mountainous terrain found in the state of Maharashtra.

For making Kolhapuri Chappal various operations are done step by step like skiving, pattern making and cutting, attachment of upper and bottom heels, stitching, finishing, punching and Trimming, decoration and Polishing, and assembling. Kolhapuri chappals are known to last a lifetime if maintained well and not used in rainy seasons.

In 2020, the total business market was estimated at around ₹9 crore, with over 10,000 artisans working in Kolhapur. Of the total six lakh pairs produced annually, 30% were exported. The designs have moved from the ethnic to ones with more utilitarian value and materials from primal hard materials to softer and more comfortable to wear materials. The artisans themselves designed ethnic patterns and sold, but today the traders and businessmen with demand for cheap products drive the requirement of minimalist designs.

In recent decades, the business has struggled for survival with market decline, low profits, irregular leather supply, duplicates & fakes, environmental regulations on tanneries, cow slaughter ban, among other issues.

Design & market trends

In the seventies, with the Hippie movement Kolhapuri chappals became a very popular footwear in the United States. The success faded out and recently came back influencing now models that are called toe ring sandals. A French brand called CHAPPAL exports these traditional sandals in various colors and with a feminine design to France to make it popular in that country.

See also

Kolhapur jaggery

References

1. "History of Kolhapuri Footwear". Indian Mirror. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
2. ^ "Kolhapuris: The famous leather chappal get Geographical Indication tag - Geographical Indication tag". The Economic Times. 19 July 2019. Archived from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
3. Dore, Bhavya (23 June 2019). "Chappal therapy". Bangalore Mirror. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
4. Patil, Abhijeet (21 June 2019). "Kolhapuri chappal gets GI tag after decade-long wait". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 January 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
5. "Namma Kolhapuri chappal gets GI boost". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
6. "Kolhapuri Chappals - Chappals.co.uk". Archived from the original on 7 July 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
7. Sangam, Sowmya (29 January 2021). "Cool Kolhapuris popular as ever in Hyderabad". Telangana Today. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
8. Gayakwad, Rahul (22 June 2020). "Kolhapuri chappal artisans stare at uncertain future". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
9. Sriram, Jayant (8 July 2017). "The last original Kolhapuris". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
10. "Fading footprint of Kolhapuri chappals". ETRetail.com. 1 February 2016. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
11. Gokhale, Pratham; Welankar, Parth (27 April 2019). "Iconic Kolhapuri chappals in a fight for survival". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
12. Nair, Remya (8 April 2019). "Sindoor to papad, lungis to Kolhapuri chappals, it's all made in China today". ThePrint. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
13. Paitandy, Priyadarshini (13 July 2019). "Can your footwear be vegan too?". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
14. Kulkarni, Dhaval (27 August 2017). "Kolhapuris to get a French accent". DNA India. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
15. "About us Chappal.fr" (in French).

v t e Footwear
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Other shoes	Driving moccasins Flip-flops Galoshes Platform shoes Sandals Self-tying shoes Slides Slippers (Uwabaki) Tiger-head shoes Veldskoens Zōri
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Folk footwear	Abacas Abarkas Alpargatas Avarcas Balghas Bast shoes Ciocie Clogs Espadrilles Furlane Galesh Geta Giveh Haferlschuh Hnyat-phanats Huarache Hwa Jipsin Jorabs Kamiks Kolhapuri chappals Moccasins Mojaris Mukluks Nalins Okobo Opanci Peshawari chappals Snowshoes Tsarouchi Takunya Upanah Valenkis Waraji Zōri
Historical footwear	Areni-1 shoes Buskins Calcei Caligae Carbatina Cavalier boots Chinese styles Chopines Duckbill shoes Flowerpot shoes Hessians Lotus shoes Pampooties Pigaches Poulaines Socci Turnshoes
Shoe construction	Bespoke shoes Blake construction Goodyear welt Shoe buckle Shoelaces Toe box High heels Clear heels Kitten heels Spool heels Stiletto heels Wedges
Hosiery	Anklets Bobby socks Dress socks Footwraps Knee highs Pantyhose Sock Stocking Tights Toe socks Tabi
List of shoe styles

v t e Kolhapur district topics
History	Battle of Kolhapur Kolhapur State Panhala Fort Shahu IV of Kolhapur
Geography	Panchganga River Chitri Dam Kudnur Dam Radhanagari Dam Tillari (Forebay) Dam Tillari (Main) Dam
Cities and towns	Ajara Uttur Chandgad Gadhinglaj Halkarni Hatkanangale Harali Ichalkaranji Jaysingpur Kadgaon Kagal Kolhapur Mahagaon, Gadhinglaj Mugruwadi Murgud Nesari Shirol
Transport	Amba Ghat Kolhapur Airport MH SH 134 NH 48 NH 166
Visitor attractions	Bhavani Mandap Jyotiba Temple Khasbag Wrestling Stadium Kumbhoj Mahalakshmi Temple Narsobawadi Rajarampuri Rankala Lake Shalini Palace Shree Chhatrapati Shahu Museum Siddhagiri Gramjivan Museum
Culture	Kolhapuri chappal Maharashtra Film Company Veg kolhapuri
Education	D. Y. Patil College of Engineering and Technology Private High School Kolhapur R.C.S.M. Govt Medical College and CPR Hospital Rajaram College St. Xavier's School Shivaji University Vidyapeeth Highschool
Lok Sabha constituencies	Hatkanangle ‡ Kolhapur
Vidhan Sabha constituencies	Hatkanangle ‡ Hatkanangale Ichalkaranji Shahuwadi Shirol Kolhapur Chandgad Kagal Karvir Kolhapur North Kolhapur South Radhanagari
Taluka/Tehsil	Gadhinglaj Shirol
Stadiums	Rajarshi Shahu Stadium Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Stadium Khasbag Wrestling Stadium
‡ This constituency also has portions in Sangli district See also Districts of Maharashtra

• Kolhapur
• Belgaum
• Culture of Maharashtra
• Indian footwear
• Kolhapur district
• Geographical indications in Maharashtra
• Slippers