In June 2025, at its Spring/Summer 2026 menswear show in Milan, Prada sent models down the runway in leather thong sandals that looked unmistakably familiar to millions of Indians: the Kolhapuri. Flat sole, open toe, T-strap, tan leather. The internet noticed immediately — because this wasn’t an homage anyone had asked for, and the sandals were reported to carry a luxury price tag in the region of a lakh.
The original costs a fraction of that. And it has a name, a place, and the people who make it.
The Kolhapuri isn’t a trend. It’s a protected craft.
The Kolhapuri chappal comes from Kolhapur in Maharashtra, and it has been hand-stitched by Indian artisans for generations — traditionally from vegetable-tanned leather, without a single nail. In 2019 it was awarded a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, formally recognising it as a regional craft of Maharashtra and Karnataka. That’s the same class of protection held by Champagne or Darjeeling tea: a mark that says this thing belongs to this place and these people.
So when a European luxury house shows the silhouette on a runway without, at first, naming its origin, the reaction in India wasn’t precious — it was fair. After the backlash, Prada acknowledged the sandals were inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear. But the episode said something bigger about how Indian craft gets valued: the same design is “ethnic” and cheap when an Indian artisan makes it, and “luxury” when a logo is stitched on.
What the real thing actually costs
A genuinely handmade, genuine-leather Kolhapuri from an Indian maker typically costs between ₹1,200 and ₹2,500. Not because it’s lesser — because there’s no logo tax. You’re paying for the leather and the hours of hand-work, and more of that money reaches the artisan instead of a marketing budget. The craft is the luxury. It always was.
If anything, the Prada moment is a gift to Indian makers: it told the world this silhouette is desirable. The question is just where you buy it — and whether the money goes to the people who invented it.
Who makes ours
We’re Stepsoft, based in Kanpur — one of India’s oldest leather-craft hubs. We make handcrafted men’s Kolhapuris in genuine leather: traditional, embossed, and cushioned orthopedic versions for people who want the look with all-day comfort. No runway markup. Just the real thing, made by hand, shipped across India.
If you want the sandal Prada just discovered — buy the original. Explore our handcrafted Kolhapuri collection, or read our Kolhapuri buying guide to learn how to spot a genuine-leather pair from a synthetic fake.
Last updated: August 2026.
