Shop trendy Kolhapuri chappals at Secunderabad’s SD Road
Hyderabad: Everyone has a love for traditional Kolhapuri slippers and shoes, especially during the festive season, but where to find good quality ones remains the question for many.
If you’re thinking you have to head to Maharashtra or Rajasthan, you are wrong. You can simply walk into the Kolhapuri slipper market on SD Road near Manju Theatre in Secunderabad. There are quite a few shops here that offer their latest collections for reasonable prices, beginning from just Rs 300.
Not just Kolhapuris, one can find ‘mojari’ shoes, ‘juttis’, and other fancy sandals too. Even men have plenty of options to choose from and the shop owners say that a new collection has just arrived from Maharashtra. One’s bargaining skills will come in handy at these shops, and nowadays they have online payment options like Paytm, Google Pay, and PhonePe as well.
A look into the history
Kolhapuris were first worn as early as the 13th century in Maharashtra. Previously known as Kapashi, Paytaan, Kachkadi, Bakkalnali, and Pukri, the name indicated the village where they were made.
However, over the years, artisans from Karnataka also picked up the art of making leather slippers that are tanned using vegetable dyes. Kolhapuris are really comfortable to wear during rains, Hyderabadis take note!
One of the shop owners said his family has been in the business for over 60 years in the same area. “My grandfather began the business, which was later taken over by father and now me. We don’t make these chappals but source them regularly from reputed places in Kolhapur. During Covid-19 lockdown, we had to shut shops and stay home, which was very troubling. We had to take many loans to start the market again and we are hoping for a sales year. The sales are not like how they were a few years ago; I request people to come to take a look at our collection,” says 42-year-old Mohammed Nawab.
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