‘Peshawari Chappal’ Makes its Way into the European Market

Peshawari chappal is a traditional footwear of Pakistan worn especially by Pashtuns in the Khyber Pakhtunkhawa region. The shoe takes its name from the city of Peshawar where it originate from while chappalis the local word for flip-flops.
The ‘chappal’ is on sale on Paul Smith’s online store. This ‘chappal’ is being sold for 300 UK pounds or over $500; this is at least 20 to 30 times higher than the price of the high-end ‘Peshawari chappals’ being sold in Pakistan.
Peshawari chappal is worn by men casually or formally, usually with the Shalwar Kameez dress. In recent days there was an uproar against this placement and branding of the ‘chappal’ as Mr. Smith failed to credit the design to Pakistan or even the specific region from where the design originates. Mr. Smith calls the ‘Peshawari Chappal’ ‘Robert’; the online store, however, is now crediting the design to be inspired by ‘Peshawari chappal’.
This is an indication that Pakistan’s traditional goods are in demand across European countries; this is something our designers and manufactures must look into. Due to technological advancements, our local manufacturers can now reach out to these European markets directly through the Internet.