The Peshawari chappal (slipper) is handcrafted traditional footwear whose origin appears to be unknown — some say it came from�Peshawa, while the other speculate ancient Pushkalavati (in the Khyber-Pakhtunwala province), but that’s also a ‘maybe’.�Wherever it may be from,�it has been much in news lately.
Peshawari chappals in a local shop.Source: http://price.paktron.net/2014/03/peshawari-chappal-or-paul-smiths-shoes.html
Known as ‘saplai’�in Pashtun-speaking areas where nit is also a common sight, �the�chappal is worn with the traditional shalwar kameez, and comes in limited designs. �The chappal has been more in vogue lately due to endorsement by cricketer-turned-politician�Imran Khan.
The chappal is made so that two wide strips of leather cross each other in a way that it is partially open from the front, making the toes slightly visible and also making the back of the foot semi-exposed where it is buckled over to the outward side of the foot�s ankle. There is also a front-open version of the chappal called Panjdaray saplai which is mostly worn in summers.
Apart from�tyre-rubber, which makes it a sturdy long-lasting wear, other�basic materials consist leather, fabric, industrial gum, belt strap, water and oil.
Traditionally, they�come in shades of black and brown; limited versions of hand-knotted soft leather chappals are also available. Lately, some enterprising �show-makers are creating fancier versions with exotic colors and gold thread embroidery and have introduced a women�s line too.
But is this hurting the local artisan? That is yet to be determined.
On the other hand, if the local artisans�are not given due credit and the chappals start getting manufactured at a commercial scale without their involvement then the answer would be affirmative, unfortunately.
References:
http://www.dawn.com/news/1092257
http://peshawari-chappal.tumblr.com/post/126667226666/peshawari-chappal-and-its-history
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peshawari_chappal
http://spreebirdculture.blogspot.com/2013/04/peshawari-chappal.html
http://tribune.com.pk/story/65279/from-peshawar-with-love/