Katki Chappal/ Leather Footwear of Odisha

This craft gets its name from Cuttack as it originated in the Dhadapatna village of the district around fifteen years ago. As of today, these chappals are made only in Barang in the district. The women from Moharana caste make this leather footwear.  Earlier, they were made to be worn only on special occasions, however, now they are used for daily wear. They are slip-on with neither laces nor straps.

Katki chappals are made with stitching awl, tag lifter, measuring tape, shoe last, whetstone, sharpening stone, pincer and skiving tool. The motifs are embroidered with resham or silk threads. The design and decoration of these chappals have remained the same throughout their existence. Footwear like shoes and sandals are also produced besides slippers.

A unique characteristic of katki chappal is that both parts of a pair can be worn on either of the two feet.