Multani Khussa

Khussa is a style of South Asian handcrafted footwear produced in Punjab Pakistan.

Khussa are made by artisans mostly using vegetable-tanned leather. The uppers are made of one piece of leather or textile embroidered and embellished with brass nails, cowry shells, mirrors, bells and ceramic beads. Even the bonding from the upper to the sole is done by cotton thread that is not only eco-friendly but also enmeshes the leather fibers with great strength. Some product range also uses bright and ornate threads.^[1]

In ancient times these were worn by multitude and royalty. As it evolved through the centuries and is being produced by individual artisans, products vary in designs and colours. It encapsules cultural diversity, local ethos and ethnicity.

The ethnicity of the traditional skills accentuate into poetry when intermingled with the contemporary colours and designs. Applique in form of differently designed figures are cut out of leather and sewn on the vamp manually. The design would dictate the nature, colour and shape of the appliqué. It could range from an intricate appliqué which itself could incorporate other design features like embroidery, punches, weaves, etc., to a simple cut out shape from any material like leather, textile, synthetic, etc.

History

Multan has a very long tradition of leather crafts ranging from handbags, leather stools to Khussa, Kolhapuris and Jootis centered at Rajasthan, Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka & Punjab. The production of these heavily embroidered juttis date back to the period of Kings and Queens. In those times, these juttis were embroidered with real gold and silver threads and decorated with precious gems and pearls. But, with the passage of time, these were replaced by artificial materials, beads, bells etc. in order to make them affordable for everyone. These juttis & Khussas are made of buffalo, cow or camel leather soles, while the upper part comprises leather or simply textile. Both the parts are joined together by a paste and then stitched by white cotton threads.

Khussa is referred to a man's closed shoe with an extended curled toe, while as juttis have flat fronts. In juttis, rear is normally covered but Khussa have an open look from behind. Produced mainly in Multan and Rajasthan, West Punjab, these juttis were flat soled and there were no left-right distinctions between them.

References

↑ Jutta Jain-Neubauer; Bata Shoe Museum (2000). Feet & footwear in Indian culture. Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd. p. 126, 175. ISBN 81-85822-69-7.

Footwear

Men's dress shoes	Blucher Brogues Brothel creepers Derby Monks Oxfords Slip-ons (Loafers) Spectator shoes (Co-respondent shoes) Venetian-style shoes Winklepickers Wholecuts

Women's dress shoes	Ballet flats Court shoes High-heeled footwear Mary Janes Mojari Mules Peep-toe shoes Saddle shoes Slingbacks Slip-ons (Loafers) Venetian-style shoes Winklepickers

Other shoes	Driving moccasins Flip-flops Galoshes Platform shoes Sandals Self-tying shoes Slides Slippers Veldskoens

Wooden footwear	Bakya British clogs Cantabrian albarcas Clogs Getas Klompen Namaksin Padukas Pattens Sabot Träskor

Military footwear	Ammunition boots Bunny boots Combat boots Jackboots Jump boots Jungle boots Tanker boots Trench boots

Sport-related footwear	Athletic shoes Ballet shoes Boat shoes Climbing shoes Cross country running shoes Cycling shoes Football boots Hiking boots Ice skates Inline skates Jika-tabi Kung fu shoe Minimalist shoes Motorcycle boots Mountaineering boots Plimsolls Racing flats Riding boots Roller shoes Roller skates Safari boots Skate shoes Ski boots Swimfins Water shoes Wrestling shoes

Fashion boots	Chelsea boots (Beatle boots) Chukka boots Go-go boots Knee-high boots Over-the-knee boots Platform boots Thigh-high boots Ugg boots

Work boots	Australian work boots Cowboy boots Engineer boots Hip boots Rigger boots Steel-toe boots Waders

Other boots	Jodhpur boots Wellington boots

Traditional footwear	Abacas Abarkas Alpargatas Avarcas Balghas Bast shoes Clogs Espadrilles Galesh Giveh Haferlschuh Hnyat-phanats Huarache (shoe) Hwas Jorabs Moccasins Mojaris Mukluks Opanaks Peshawari chappals Snowshoes Valenkis Warajis Kolhapuri chappals

Historical footwear	Areni-1 shoes Buskins Caligae Chopines Crakow (Poulaine) Hessians Pampooties Pirate boots Sabatons

Shoe construction	Bespoke shoes Blake construction Goodyear welt

Lists	List of shoe styles

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/1/2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.

Multani Khussa

History

See also

References