Leather Shoemaking Family

〣 Location: Athani, Karnataka | India
〣 No of Artisans: 50 
〣 Specialty Skill: Leather Craft & Weaving

"Anyone can make a leather shoe, but only an artist can craft it to perfection... we are very proud of what we do and really love when someone wants to know our story."

The Products

Cavani weaving, a braid-like weaving style, is a technique deeply rooted in the shoemaking traditions of Athani, North Karnataka. The Puspak (flying machine, in Hindi) and Raghu (swift in Hindi) showcase the signature feature of Cavani weaving — bonding the shoe’s upper and midsole together. The slip on design was conjured up by our very own creative producing community. Every pair is made by hand; from cutting of the leather, to its weaving, stitching, hammering and fitting, each pair of hands dedicates itself to one part of the process. The end result, bringing together the handiwork of more than five shoemakers and sometimes their family members, is one that will make a life-long companion as you walk through life.

The Community

Our leather shoemakers, hailing from a small village of just over 11,000 people, have been deemed “Master Shoemakers” by communities near and far for their centuries-long tradition of shoemaking. Many of them left education at any early age to pursue a livelihood in shoemaking, a family tradition spanning centuries. The Bhandare and Suryavanshi family, our resident shoemaking partners, are part of an artisan-led co-operative (founded in 1998), enabling them to act as micro-entrepreneurs and support their wider community of artisans. Our Barehands chose to partner with these families thanks to their high-level of skill, dedication to tradition and service to their broader community.

Crafted by this artisan community: