With the changing season also comes a shift in indulgences. Leisure changes from outdoor adventures to an exploration of comfort found indoors, making the home a space of curiosity and interest: its inanimate inhabitants embodying stories of faraway lands that let the mind wander.
In one of her travels, Abaca Store’s Bea de Jesus stumbled upon such an item in Jaipur. Classic Kolhapuri footwear are made by hand using camel leather and have been used in the Maharasthra region of India since the 13th century. A shoe that in the past weighed up to two kilograms because of its thick sole, the footwear proved perfect for the hot Indian summer and the region’s mountainous terrain. These days, the leather slides or Kolhapuri Buntos are lighter and are still hand made, promising its wearer comfort and a piece of tangible tradition.
For the coming rainy days, make your home a place to be and explore its promise with a pair of traditional Buntos on your feet. On the lucky days of respite from rain, take the Kolhapuri Buntos outdoors too, because either way, history proves this traditional footwear works.
Kolhapuri Buntos and other bags and footwear are available online at Abaca Store. For updates on product availability, check their Instagram.
This story was originally published in Northern Living, July 2016.