The Story Of Footwear In India
Be it the Chinese lotus shoes, Japanese okobos, Roman gladiators or Indian mojaris– the fetish for stylish footwear is age-old.Societies all over the world have exhibited their culture through theircouture. Cultural beliefs, values and traditions have always reflected upon the elements of our outer appearance, and footwear is no exception.
History of Indian Footwear
In feudal China the social status of people could be perceived from the shoes they wore. In the Southern Dynasty, ordinary people wore shoes made of fibre cloth, which was usually exclusively blue, green or white, whereas nobles wore leather and silk shoes.
And in India padukas or toe-nob sandals were worn by holy gurus. This simplistic style of footwear was made in religiously symbolic shapes, like fish. Meanwhile, Indian kings and queens wore juttis or clothed shoes, which wereembroidered with precious gems, pearls, silver and gold threads.
The word pada (‘foot’) is cited in the ancient Hindu scripture — Rigveda, as representing the universe namely the Prithvi (earth), Vayu (air), Akash (sky) and the element of the realm beyond the sky.
In the Hindu epic Ramayana, King Dasaratha who had a curse on him, sent his son Rama (an incarnation of god Vishnu) for 14 years of exile, at the behest of his wife Kaikeyi (step mother of Rama) as she wanted her son Bharata to be crowned as the king. Rama, his consort Sita and brother Laksmana went into a forest to spend their period of exile. But Bharata did not want to have the kingdom. He, therefore, met Rama who was living in the forest and beseeched him to return to Ayodhya. When Rama told Bharata that he will return only after completing his fourteen years in the forest, Bharata requested for Rama’s paduka to serve as his proxy, to be crowned in Ayodhya Raj Singhasan (King’s throne) of Kosala country and to serve as an object of veneration for Rama’s followers.
Bharata carried Rama’s golden sandals (padukas) with great reverence by placing them on his head as a mark of his obedience to his elder brother. Bharata ruled Kosala as Rama’s proxy in the name of “Ram’s Padukas”.
Different Types Of Traditional Indian Footwear
Presently, trends in the shoe industry are focused on integrating historic designs with new age contemporary patterns. Shoemakers around the world are pioneering the art of incorporating traditionally worn footwear into mainstream contemporary fashions and fashion trends.
Modern shoe designers have transformed the ancient austere looking functional footwear into style statements with a touch of panache.
Juttis are one suchtraditional style of footwear that have retained its shape, style and heritage through all these years of civilization. Jutti or nagra was first patronized by the Mughals and were extremely popular amongst the kings and the queens who belonged to the richest era of Indian history. Rajasthan in particular was a hub for latest fashion trends in footwear, where the making of these exquisite shoes first originated. The style of Jutti back then was far more ornate and richer in texture and design which incorporated fine gems, stones, and precious pearls. With the passage of time, nagra shoes gained a lot of popularity in Punjab, and underwent through various forms of experimentation and innovation.
“Jutti” (also spelled as Jhutti, Juthi, Juti) is an Urdu word for a shoe with a closed upper attached to a sole. Inherently Punjabi and typically Indian, the jutti, also known as ‘mojari and ‘nagra’, is traditional footwear worn mostly in North India. Originally made out of pure leather and have exquisite embroidery and additional embellishments that give it a unique appeal. From day to day wear,weddings, religious occasions, to parties and festivals, juttis provide an essential ethnic appeal to the person wearing them. They are timeless fashion and make a major part of the fashion industry.
The Process Of Making Juttis And Handmade Footwear In India
Exclusively handcrafted by skilled craftsman who primarily hail from Punjab, the making of Juttis is a tedious task. Construction of one pair of juttis involve people from different communities: the “Chamars”, who process raw hides which are used along with a vegetable dyeing process. The “Rangaars”, color and paint it while the “Mochis” assemble the pieces together and do the final stitching and embroidery. Earlier, Juttis were embroidered with pure gold and silver wires all over, popularly known as ‘tilla‘ covering the entire surface of the pair.
The process begins at a tannery where raw hides are processed using the method of vegetable tanning. For this, a substance called tannin, extracted from the bark of Kikkar or Babool trees, is used. It is in the tannery that an animal hide becomes strong, flexible, water resistant and consequently, wearable.
For coloring, sarfoola (yellow) and arsigulabi (green) powdered pigments are mixed in water to create a thin solution of different shades of red. These are then applied to the leather-pieces using a local shaving brush. After this, the painted leather is cut out into different shapes according to the requirement of the shoe design and the latest trend in shoe fashion. The shoe upper for instance, is made of one piece of leather or textile, embellished or embroidered with cowries, mirrors, brass nails, bells, ceramic beads and other adornments. Clubbing the upper and back (known as Adda) to the sole (known as Talla) is done using cotton thread which enmeshes the leather fibers with efficiently.
Embroidering the jutti involves the use of stencils, for cutting and tracing designs on to the leather parts of the shoes. They range from simple cut-out shapes to be filled with simple embroidery, to intricate punches, weaves and embroidered designs.
The Style And Creativity Of Juttis
Since juttis are very popular all over India, different styles, patterns and adornments have been added to keep up with the changing generations. One can find a vast array of juttis that come in all kinds of colors. Several modern-day inspired patterns have been added along with a traditional touch, and this has become a style craze with women across the world. Apart from the traditional thread and bead work, motifs and images have been used to stylize the jutti with a more modern twist bringing a touch of latest fashion. Cartoon characters, retro images and pop art scenes have also been experimented with, to a large extent. Shoes in colored threads and beads, shells, cowri, etc. are weaved too in modern day today. Some designs are intrinsic and delicate, while some juttis showcase plain or colored leather with just a few additional add-ons.
From The IKF Desk
Several Indian fashion designers and brands have finished off their creative ensembles with the evergreen and ever stylish jutti. Dr. Rohini, founder and creative director of a brand like Pretty Peach is one such example of pursuing her extraordinary love for all things fashion. Despite being a practicing, ENT, Head & Neck, Skull base Surgeon, she kept her Indian heritage alive through Pretty Peach which provides a wide range of products right from their exclusive juttis with a modern twist to strappy sandals and modern clothing.
The process begins with sketching/ digitally illustrating the designs, handpicking high quality fabrics like pure silk, satin, georgette, cotton, etc or using specially created printed fabrics, after which even the smallest beads and sequins are picked out carefully. The team at Pretty Peach strive to provide excellence in design, quality and while still being affordable. We love their modern yettraditionally chic Juttis along with other footwear that can be perfectly styled for various occasions. Check out their website for more products like accessories, clothing and more.
Source: https://www.iknockfashion.com/the-story-of-footwear-in-india/
