There’s a certain kind of shoe that doesn’t need an introduction in most South Asian households — the humble jutti. Flat, comfortable, and shaped by hand rather than a machine, it has been part of everyday life and every wedding season for generations. At Mafco, we’ve watched this simple shoe grow into something much bigger: a designer piece that women across the world are now falling in love with.
If you’ve seen our latest collection, you’ll know exactly what we mean.
What makes a jutti special
A jutti is, at its heart, a handmade shoe. The leather is cut, shaped and stitched by skilled hands from start to finish, and any embroidery or stone work is added one piece at a time — nothing about it comes off a machine line. That’s really the whole point of a handmade jutti. No two pairs turn out exactly alike, and every pair carries a little bit of the artisan’s own touch. It’s slow work, and it shows.
The stone-embedded collection
Our newer designs lean into that same handmade tradition while giving it a fresh, festive finish. Each pair is finished with hand-set pearls and crystal stones, laid out in patterns that catch the light a little differently depending on how you look at them.
Right now this style is running in four colourways — a warm gold, a soft rose pink, an ivory cream, and a striking black with silver stone work. The gold and ivory pairs feel right at home for daytime weddings, mehendi functions or festive wear, while the rose pink brings a softer, more romantic touch that a lot of our buyers are choosing for bridesmaids and sangeet outfits. The black pair is the one we’d point to for evening wear — it dresses down a simple outfit or dresses up a plain black abaya without any real effort.
What we love most about this style is how easily it moves between different types of clothing. Pair it with a kurta and it looks traditional. Pair it with an abaya or a burkha and it becomes the one point of colour and shine in an otherwise simple outfit. Pair it with jeans, and it still works just fine. That kind of versatility is genuinely hard to find in a single shoe.
Comfortable enough to wear all day, not just for photos
A lot of embellished footwear looks beautiful in pictures and then sits in the box because it’s actually difficult to walk in. Juttis were never built that way. The sole is soft and flat, there’s no painful break-in period like you’d expect from stiff leather shoes, and the fit is forgiving because of the way the leather is cut. Brides wear them through entire wedding functions, and customers tell us the same thing about long days out — they simply forget they’re wearing them, which says a lot more than any product description could.
Curated from our home in Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Mafco is based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and every jutti in this collection is sourced and curated by our team right here before it ships out to boutiques and buyers across the world. Being rooted in Tamil Nadu, a state with its own deep textile and craft traditions, has shaped the way we look at footwear too — we care about the same things a good weaver or artisan would: honest materials, real handwork, and pieces that are actually made to be worn, not just looked at. Chennai has also become a convenient hub for us to pack and ship orders quickly, whether they’re headed across India or further out.
Why buyers outside India keep asking for more
Something we’ve noticed over the last couple of years is how much interest is coming in from outside India. Sri Lanka in particular has become one of our fastest-growing markets, and it isn’t hard to see why. Wedding fashion across South Asia has become far more connected — brides in Colombo are following a lot of the same trends as brides here in India these days. At the same time, modest fashion buyers across South Asia and the Middle East have been looking for exactly this kind of shoe: handmade, detailed, and comfortable enough to wear through a full day of celebrations, whether that’s under a kurta or an abaya.
We’re proud that a shoe made by hand, and shipped from our base in Chennai, is now travelling that far.
A few ways to style them
- With a kurta or Kurtha set for a festive daytime look — the gold and ivory pairs work especially well here.
- Under an abaya or burkha, where the embellished toe peeks out and adds a quiet touch of sparkle.
- With lehengas for sangeet or mehendi functions, matched to your outfit’s colour palette.
- Even with simple western wear, if you like mixing traditional footwear into everyday outfits.
Caring for your handmade juttis
Because these are handmade with delicate stone and pearl work, a little care goes a long way. Keep them away from water and direct heat, store them in their box or a soft pouch when not in use, and wipe the leather gently with a dry cloth after wear. Treated well, a good pair of juttis will easily outlast a few seasons of trends.
Designed to stand out, made to last
Every stone-embedded pair goes through the same unhurried process — hand-cutting, hand-stitching, and hand-placed embellishment — before it ever reaches a shelf. We don’t mass-produce this collection. That does mean quantities are limited, but it also means the quality stays consistent from pair to pair.
If you run a boutique or a wedding store, or you’re simply someone who appreciates footwear with a story behind it, we’d love for you to take a closer look at this collection. New colours and patterns are added regularly, so it’s worth checking back every so often.
Browse the full range on our website, or reach out to us directly for enquiries — we’re always happy to talk juttis.