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EveryCow

Dung, hide and horn

Kolhapuri chappal

Flat, open leather sandals cut, stitched and braided by hand in southern Maharashtra and northern Karnataka.

Kolhapuri chappals are open, flat sandals made by hand from vegetable-tanned leather. They have a T-shaped strap over the foot, a loop for the big toe and often braided or punched decoration. The craft belongs to Kolhapur and neighbouring districts of Maharashtra and Karnataka, where families of leatherworkers have made them for generations from cattle and buffalo hides.

What goes in

Vegetable-tanned hide: 62%62%Leather thread: 15%15%Bark and plant tannins: 23%23%3parts
  • Vegetable-tanned hide862%, Cattle or buffalo leather.
  • Leather thread215%, Hand stitching.
  • Bark and plant tannins323%, Used in the slow tanning.

Rough parts by weight. The ring shows each input's share of the product.

Made step by step

Each drawing shows the operation for that step. Quantities and timings differ from house to house and herd to herd; this is one traditional way, in outline.

  1. Step 1: Ferment Soak and tan the hides slowly with bark and plant tannins.
  2. Step 2: Dry Dry the leather and cut soles and straps by hand.
  3. Step 3: Shape Stitch the sole layers together with leather thread.
  4. Step 4: Shape Braid and fit the uppers, then shape the pair on the last.
  5. Step 5: Serve Oil and finish the chappals for sale.
  6. Vegetable-tanned hide: 62%62%Leather thread: 15%15%Bark and plant tannins: 23%23%
    Finished Kolhapuri chappal, by share.

Hide to sandal

The hides are tanned slowly with bark and plant materials rather than chrome, which gives the leather its colour and stiffness. The sole is built of several layers stitched together, and the uppers are cut and braided by hand. A new pair is stiff and softens with wear. Nails are not traditionally used; the layers are held by leather thread.

Recognised and copied

In 2019 Kolhapuri chappals received a geographical indication covering eight districts, four in Maharashtra and four in Karnataka. The craft supports many households, though machine-made copies are widespread. The cattle of the region, such as the Khillari and Krishna Valley breeds, have long been the plough and cart animals of these farms.

Where it is used

Everyday footwearFestival wearGifts

The breeds behind it

KhillariDraught breed of the Kolhapur and Sangli country.DeoniBreed of the Marathwada and Karnataka uplands.

Also part of it, and being written: Krishna Valley (Breed of the Krishna basin across the GI districts.).

More on EveryCow

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Sources and further reading

About this page

Original text and drawings by the EveryCow desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The shares are a rough, illustrative ratio, not a recipe: every family and dairy makes it differently. If we have something wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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