How to Identify Genuine Kolhapuri Chappals

Kolhapuri chappals are among India’s best-known handmade footwear, and also among the most copied. Here is what makes a pair genuine, and five simple checks before you buy.

What makes a chappal “Kolhapuri”?

The Kolhapuri chappal has a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, granted in 2019. Its registered proprietors are two state bodies: LIDCOM in Maharashtra and LIDKAR in Karnataka. The GI covers eight districts – Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara and Solapur in Maharashtra, and Belagavi, Dharwad, Bagalkot and Vijayapura in Karnataka. Only pairs made in these districts by traditional methods may be sold as Kolhapuri chappals, and makers and sellers can register as GI Authorised Users.

Five checks before you buy

1. Ask about the GI tag. A genuine maker or seller should be able to show that they are a GI Authorised User, or tell you where and by whom the pairs are made.
2. Check that it is real leather. Genuine leather has a natural smell, creases softly when bent and has a slightly fibrous cut edge. Rexin and synthetic “leather” look shiny and plastic-like, crack along creases and smell of plastic.
3. Look for hand work. Braids, punchwork and stitching on a handmade pair show small irregularities, and no two pairs are exactly alike. Perfectly identical, glued-on details usually mean a factory copy.
4. Be realistic about price. A handmade pair in genuine leather takes hours of skilled work. Pairs selling for a few hundred rupees are usually synthetic.
5. Know where it was made. A trustworthy seller tells you which region the pair comes from and who made it.

Fit and care

Leather softens and shapes to your foot with wear, so if you are between two sizes, take the larger one. Wipe with a soft, dry cloth, keep the pair out of heavy rain and never leave it soaking. If it gets wet, let it air dry completely in the shade. See our size chart.

Kalapuri’s Kolhapuri chappals

Kalapuri is a registered GI Authorised User for the Kolhapuri chappal (see the certificate). Every pair is made by hand in genuine leather in the Kolhapur region. Shop Kolhapuri chappals for women, for men or for kids, or read facts about Kalapuri.