The Khussa: A Piece of Cultural Heritage
Whether it’s Eid or a birthday, university or office, are you ever going to question whether or not you should wear a Khussa?
History of Khussa
A timeless piece of our cultural heritage and tradition, a Khussa is a type of leather footwear that has been around for centuries. With the earliest influence in pre-Mughlai times coming all the way from China, khussay (plural of khussa) were initially made with wood as the sole. However, due to practical issues, this idea was dropped fairly early on. Pakistani’s soon made the khussa into their own style by combining buffalo and cow leather together, with the former used for the sole to make it sturdy, and the latter for the upper covering, as cow leather is more pliable and easier to design.
While it began as the footwear of choice for the common man, it was soon taken up by royalty. The Mughal emperor Jahangir, son of Akbar, made the khussa famous by introducing embellished versions of it. As his shoe of choice, it became well-known and new designs began coming out, made with threads of real gold and silver, with gems, stones, and gorgeous embroidery covering the upper part of the khussa.
Source: Kolhart
Image: Woman wearing black khussa
Image Description: Feet of a woman in jeans wearing minimalist black Kolhart Khussa
This association with royalty accelerated the significance of the khussa in Southeast Asia. Artisans from Multan, Bahawalpur, Chakwal and Punjab (both Pakistan and India) flocked to create new and innovative designs of the khussa.
Significance of Khussa
One of the most magnificent facts about leather footwear like Khussas and Kohlapuri’s, both sold by Kolhart, is that they are made through incredibly sustainable and environmentally friendly methods. Made entirely by hand, the leather is cut, stitched and embroidered by the artisan, including stitching the soles together with paste and cotton threads. One of the main reasons that Kolhart believes in producing these leather footwears is because we are committed to eco-friendly
Current Trends
Although they’ve never actually gone out of style (look back at fashion trends of the last 20 to 30 years, and you’ll still find fashionistas donning a classic khussa!), recent trends have made sure that the khussa is a solid part of your wardrobe. Whether you’re pairing it with jeans or shalwar kameez, a maxi dress, or a churidar, khussay really help pull any look together.
Source: Kolhart
Image: Woman wearing black shoes
Image Description: Feet of a woman wearing minimalist black Kolhart Khussas on a green sofa
These days, the styles of khussay available in the market are immense. You can choose khussay that are designed with embroidery, dabka, tilla, kora, gota, beads, sequins, mirrors, pearls, sells, ribbons, mukesh and even velvet! The choices are manifold, and each design accentuates the beauty of the khussa.
While a colorful khussa has its own significance and place, recent trends are shifting towards a more minimalist look even in our traditional footwear.
Here at Kolhart, we pride ourselves on our minimalist looks for our khussas and kolhapuri’s, whilst keeping our heritage of craftsmanship alive. If you’re looking for something stylish yet minimal to add to your wardrobe, something that reminds you of your diverse culture while being a solid fashion statement (especially one that can go with every type of attire, whether it’s eastern or western, formal or casual) then look no further than Kolhart, and join us in keeping our cultural diversity and heritage alive!