India’s rich craft heritage is reflected not only in traditional art and textiles, but also in the everyday objects shaped by generations of skilled craftsmanship. Across regions, traditional techniques have evolved around local materials, climates, lifestyles and practical needs, creating forms that continue to influence contemporary design.
Footwear is a particularly interesting example of this evolution.
Across India, regional footwear traditions have developed distinctive construction methods and visual identities. Many of these forms were originally created with function in mind, but their craftsmanship and design language have increasingly become sources of inspiration for modern footwear.
The braided leather detailing associated with the Kolhapuri chappal is one such example. Created through the careful cutting and weaving of leather strips, the braid demonstrates how a functional technique can also become a distinctive design element. Its appeal comes not only from the finished pattern, but from the precision and skill required to create it.
What is changing today is not necessarily the craft itself, but the context in which it is being used.
Traditional techniques and details are finding their way into contemporary footwear designed for increasingly fluid wardrobes. Familiar elements such as leather braiding can be incorporated into simpler, more versatile silhouettes that work across both Indian and Western clothing. In this context, craftsmanship can retain its handmade character while adapting to modern expectations around comfort, functionality and everyday wear.
This evolution is important because craft survives through relevance. Preserving a traditional technique does not necessarily mean keeping it confined to its original form. It can also mean creating opportunities for that technique to be understood, appreciated and reinterpreted by newer generations.
There is also a larger story behind these techniques: the people and knowledge that sustain them. Working with leather by hand requires precision, patience and years of practice. These are skills that cannot simply be replicated by machinery, as the process carries an element of human judgement and experience. Every braid reflects a technique refined through repetition and passed down over time.
The relationship between traditional craft and contemporary design therefore need not be one of preservation versus change. Instead, it can be a process of adaptation, where established techniques find new applications without losing their connection to their origins.
Indian craftsmanship does not have to remain confined to nostalgia or traditional settings. It can influence modern design, respond to contemporary lifestyles and continue to carry the character of the communities and techniques from which it emerged.
Perhaps the most meaningful way to carry craft forward is not to keep it unchanged, but to give it the space to evolve.
