Why are we calling it the Markhor Chappal? 

It's the first of its kind, a sneaker style sandal that has become Markhor’s signature style amongst the traditional Peshawari Chappals being made all around the world. We’re truly proud to be the owners of this unique design we pioneered, that is being loved around the globe, 

We have been excelling at making Peshawari Chappals since the beginning. Our community’s love and support for our chappals gave us the courage to experiment further with the style. We wanted to see how we could push this traditional chappal into becoming a modern day footwear worn in the streets without losing its core essence.

(image credits: Imtayaz Qassim Studios)

Design:  

Markhor’s vision as a brand is to promote and combine traditional craft with modern design to create the ideal footwear for our daily lifestyle. The aim was no less than this while creating the Markhor Chappal.

“Markhor Chappal is a modern interpretation of the classic Peshawari Chappal. My idea was to keep the craftsmanship involved in the making while modernizing the silhouettes of the chappal for everyday use.

The construction of traditional Peshawari Chappal involves a lot of stitching that is rooted in one place, which is the side strap. I started the design process by decluttering the stitching onto the straps and replacing the heavyweight tire sole to a cushioned EVA sole. As a result, able to create the perfect everyday footwear that can be styled with endless modern-day attire options.

— Noor Ain, Creative Director at Markhor, on how she came about with the design and concept of the Markhor Chappal.

Material:

At Markhor, leathers and other raw materials are handpicked very carefully from some of the best tanneries in Lahore. The idea for the Markhor Chappal was to transform the traditional footwear according to today’s streetwear fashion wave, for which we studied some of our favourite sneaker brands to get conventional material inspiration from them. 

In order to add breathability and comfort, mesh has been used in the lining of the backstrap and a ribbon attached on the tongue to help in the wearing the chappal. For the sole, a softer material (EVA) was used that allows you to spend longer in the chappals without tiring your feet.  

The Markhor Chappal comes in two colours, black and white, bringing together the contrasting characteristics of the two hues, the ying and the yang to present the perfect whole.

(image credits: Imtayaz Qassim Studios)

Craftsmanship:

The craftsmen at Markhor took some time to shed light on the processes involved in the making of the Markhor Chappal.

“Markhor Chappal is a very unique design. You won’t find a design like this anywhere else in Pakistan. We don’t believe in covering up flaws in our footwear. Our aim is to use only the finest quality leather. Normally what other brands do is that if there are any flaws or marks on the leather, they use it in areas that are not visible to the eye. But we don’t do this at Markhor. If there is any piece of leather that has a mark or flaw on it, we don’t use it at all. Our main aim is that whoever we send our footwear to, they feel happy when they receive it.”

— Ishtiaq Ahmed, Upperman.

“If you observe the sole closely, you will see that there is the use of EVA in it, which provides comfort to the wearer. It is very important for a footwear to not only be designed thoughtfully but it must be comfortable as well. We take great care of this factor when making the Markhor Chappal.”

— Sattar Ahmad, Solemaker.

With the Markhor Chappal, a new chapter opened for the traditional Peshawari Chappal, offering it a new identity and way of life. 

This new version is a timeless and versatile piece that easily adapts to whichever situation you put it in. The kind of footwear that makes you feel good about yourself when you slip it on. One that will never go unnoticed and won’t apologize for it. Be ready to make an impact.

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