Kohlapuri chappals are traditional Indian footwear that have been in vogue from the earliest of time and refuses to go out of fashion! This ethnic footwear is made of leather and till date, hued and tanned with vegetable dyes. It is an open toed sandal, with a T-strap placed in-between the thumb and second finger of the feet. There is a small leather strap reminiscent to a toe ring gripping the thumb finger of the feet.
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Etymologically, the term kohlapuri got its name from the village Kolhapur, in Maharashtra where it was first made. The use of this footwear dates back to as early as circa 13th century. In ancient times they were also known as Paytaan, Kapashi, Pukari etc, all of which are also names of the villages where the footwear was manufactured. Originally buffalo skin was used to make kohlapuri chappals and as a result sometimes they weight over a kilo too, depending on the weight of the sole. The heavier the sole, the better it was considered in terms of sustainability keeping in mind the heat and terrains of the regions of Maharashtra.
A quintessential kohlapuri sandal with red tassel
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Kohlapuri chappals became a global affair in the early seventies with the Hippie movement in the United States, however the frenzy was short-lived. With the advent of Nineties, there was a global revival of this footwear and it continuous till date. Kohlapuri however have travelled a long way, in terms of their look. There is a lot of experimentations done with these slippers. The fashion cosmos have come up with coloured kohlapuri (quirky mono colours, neon colours), kohlapuri with quirky embellishments, etc. However, the quintessential tan brown kohlapuri, with/without heels with the little red tassel has remained the favori
New-look kohlapuri slippers with embellishments from The Loom.
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New-look kohlapuri slippers with embellishments from The Loom.
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New-look kohlapuri slippers with embellishments from The Loom.
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Funky new age neon kohlapuri from The Loom
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Monochrome kohlapuri in unique aqua blue from The Loom
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In terms of fashion, the versatility that kohlapuri chappals offer is mind-boggling! Though quintessentially they look amazing with traditional Indian outfit, however their awesomeness is certainly not relegated to that. Kohlapuri chappals can look amazing with numerous outfits and here is a style guide for the same:-
1) The Classic – Hola to all the liberal arts affinitive people out there! Having a déjà-vu yet? Yes, no matter how cliché this sounds, kohlapuri was and still remains a must for every college going kid with sorted self-esteem and with anti-establishment/Marxist/Commie inclinations! Belonging from a liberal arts college myself, the quintessential sight of men/women wearing the crisp white kurti, blue tattered denims, jhola and of course, the kohlapuri chappal, is something very dear to my heart! But let’s bring a little twist, to this very look. As much as we love the ideal combination of white and blue jeans, try wearing the same with a kohlapuri. The entire look does not take away the classic look at all, but only adds a bit of desi quirk, for all the good reasons!
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The classic western combination of white shirt and blue denims could look amazing when teamed up with this quintessential pair of kohlapuri from The Loom.
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2) Denim on Denim – There is no qualms about how badly we loving wearing denim on denim. Go a step ahead and infuse some ethnic vibes to the denim on denim look by wearing kohlapuri chappals and some pretty junk jewelry! Try the look; you wouldn’t regret a morsel of it.
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Next time you wear denim on denim, wear it with these funky neon kohlapuri chappals from The Loom
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3) Mini-Midi-Maxis – We can’t wait to bring out those dresses with the sweltering summer just around the corner. This summer, try wearing as many khadi/cotton dresses as you can. be it a mini, a midi, or a maxi cotton/khadi dress, these breathable dresses look amazing with a pair of kohlapuri chappals!
Pink ombre dyed cotton dress and Kohlapuri from The Loom
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Black Ikat maxi dress and kohlapuri from The Loom
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Quirky cotton/ khadi dresses look great with kohlapuri chappals.
4) Shimmy with Shorts- Nothing gets more awesome than wearing cotton shorts with kohlapuri! However, try wearing long-sleeved ruffles as your blouse. Carry a boho sling to add to the quirk- wa-lah, you are ready to rock the streets!
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Silver–beige kohlapuri from The Loom
Quirky cotton shorts, long sleeve boho tops and kohlapuri slippers equals to too much awesomeness
By Roshni Sen
