Jootis with Multi-Color Threadwork and Sequins
Gentle hand-wash separately in cold water with a mild detergent. Avoid soaking. Iron on medium heat while slightly damp.
Description
Poppy red and the memory of a festival morning, stitched into every step. These jootis are worked in the North Indian tradition of khussa craft, where skilled artisans bend supple leather into elegant silhouettes and bring the upper to life with dense threadwork in many colours. The sequins are placed with the kind of patience that belongs to a quieter age, catching light the way a dupatta catches wind. Leather, long the foundation of jootsiwala workshops in Agra and Jaipur, gives the sole a suppleness that softens with wear, conforming gently to the foot over time. The poppy red ground makes the multi-colour embroidery sing rather than compete, and the overall effect is festive without being loud. These are shoes for women who understand that adornment, when done with restraint, speaks loudest. Pair them with a cotton salwar suit in ivory or mustard for a daytime celebration, or let them ground a silk anarkali during an evening gathering. They carry the spirit of a handmade thing, and that spirit travels with you.
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Behind this piece
The jooti is one of North India's oldest closed-toe shoes, its lineage tracing back through Punjabi and Rajasthani courts where cobblers stitched leather by hand and embroidered the surface in silk thread and mirror-work. These particular jootis carry multi-colour threadwork alongside sequins, a tradition still practised by artisan communities in cities like Patiala and Jaipur, where the craft passes through families rather than institutions. The poppy red and black colourways honour a vocabulary of bold contrast that has always belonged to festive Indian dress, grounded in leather that softens and conforms with wear.
How to style
Wear the poppy red pair with an ivory Lucknowi chikankari kurta and sharara for a mehendi or sangeet, letting the footwear carry the colour. The black version grounds a heavy Banarasi silk saree in deep jewel tones, balancing ornate fabric with structured simplicity at the foot. For a festive brunch, pair either colourway with an anarkali in block-printed cotton and oxidised silver jhumkas. The sequins catch light without competing, making these jootis a natural choice wherever handcraft dressing calls for one considered, confident accent at ground level.
Fabric & care
Leather jootis require gentle, consistent care. Wipe the surface with a barely damp soft cloth after each wear to lift dust before it settles into the embroidered threads. Never submerge in water or machine wash, as moisture weakens the leather sole and loosens the thread tension around sequins. Allow them to dry in shade, away from direct sunlight, which fades colour and dries leather prematurely. Stuff with tissue paper between wears to hold shape, and store in the cloth bag provided. A light leather conditioner applied occasionally will keep the base supple across many seasons.
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