These shoes are meant for farming!

Hyderabad-based startup tailor-makes shoes for farmers from Gongadi blankets

Hyderabad: They say every local problem will have a local solution, but finding that solution often also requires experiencing the problem. That is exactly what three design-thinking graduates did.

Hyderabad-based Santosh Kocherlakota, along with Nakul Lathkar and Vidyadhar Bhandare, came up with an innovative product that gives farmers much-needed comfort to their feet while they work in fields.

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The trio designed and developed tailor-made shoes that can be worn in farmlands, using Gongadi fabric and weaved by the local nomadic Kuruba community. Sold under the brand name ‘Earthen Tunes’, these shoes can be used everywhere, in muddy water and on rocky ground too.

The three friends, who were classmates at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, worked together on a project in 2017 after graduating and that’s when they realised that design thinking can actually help in social innovation. “We understood that we could actually work together and solve these real-world problems,” says Santosh, adding that they then embarked on what would be an eye-opening journey.

Nakul explains that they lived in villages across the Deccan region for about a year and attempted to understand the hurdles that farmers face. Once they completed their research, they identified five problems that farmers face on a daily basis. The first among them was a lack of appropriate footwear for them.

“We bought shoes made locally in these villages, which farmers use. We understood that they just don’t work. After experimenting with various fabrics, someone told us about Gongadi, the magical cloth that doesn’t get wet,” adds Santosh.

These traditional woollen blankets are weaved by hand and are among those few crafts that are slowly becoming extinct. Their ‘from farmer for farmer’ product is widely appreciated in rural areas for being saviours for farmers’ feet which would otherwise crack at the heels.

Apart from providing a comfortable alternative to farmers, Earthen Tunes is also contributing to reviving this handicraft. Sold at a subsidised rate of Rs 900, the brand is now preparing to deliver its second batch of production. The shoes can be ordered only on their website.

“You go to any footwear store and you will have special shoes for every sport and formal occasion too. But you won’t find shoes that are made for working in fields, despite farming being the dominant occupation in our country,” says Vidyadhar, adding that their product aims at not just giving comfort but also instilling a sense of pride in farmers.