Why some people still prefer the handcrafted shoe shops of Dhaka
Many people prefer to wear shoes handcrafted by local artisans. It allows them to modify the design - be it colour, type or size. There are more than 100 such shoe shops in Dhaka
Mirza Zakaria Baig, a 52-year-old entrepreneur and traveller, has been a regular customer of the capital's local shoe shops for nearly 10 years.
As an avid traveller, he usually goes trekking to countries like Nepal. On his travels, he wears high-end brand shoes such as Woodland, Timberland and North Face. However, he also wears shoes handmade by artisans at the shops on Eidgah Road in West Dhanmondi.
"The quality of the handmade shoes by local artisans in Dhanmondi is much better than that of top brands in the country," said Zakaria. Before moving to Dhanmondi, he used to make shoes in his hometown of Faridpur.
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Zakaria is not alone, many people prefer to place orders and make shoes of their choice, handcrafted by local artisans. They can typically order shoes and pick the various aspects of their designs themselves - be it colour, type or size.
Around six shops on West Dhanmondi's Eidgah Road take orders and make shoes for their clientele. The shoe shop owners said that there are more than 100 such shops in Dhaka. There are some shops in Wari's Jaikali Mandir area and some in the back of Mirpur Stadium.
The price of a pair of shoes varies depending on the quality of the shoes. Normally, the artisans charge Tk 1,000 to Tk 3,000 for each pair of shoes, and sometimes more.
The domestic market size of footwear was around Tk 17,000 crore in the fiscal year 2018-19, according to a research conducted by Eastern Bank Limited in 2019. The domestic demand for footwear is about 200 to 250 million pairs a year.
According to the Export Promotion Bureau data, Bangladesh's export earnings from footwear in 2022 increased by 25.63% to $1.28 billion from $1.02 billion in 2021. Of the $1.28 billion, $795.53 million was from the shipment of leather footwear.
Inspired by this growth, the world's two leading sportswear giants – Nike from the USA and Adidas from Germany – are set to open showrooms in the city within the next two months.
But customers like Zakaria prefer locally crafted shoes, expanding our economy, supporting the artisans and helping preserve our culture. "The leather is ours; the artisans are ours and they are good at stitching too. These shoes fit my feet well," said Zakaria.
As a hiker, Zakaria orders a lot of running and trekking shoes. He provides his own design to the local artisans and they successfully make the shoes. These shoes are cheaper and last longer than other high-end brand shoes.
"For example, I bought a pair of branded shoes for Tk 12,000 and the local shops can make the shoes with the same design for Tk 3000. The problem is that people are influenced by advertisements and they tend to buy brands," he said.
Mohammad Mazharul has been ordering shoes from the shops in the Dhanmondi area for the last ten years. For him, custom shoes are a necessity as he has polio and it affects his feet. He used to wear readymade shoes but they would cause discomfort and pain. Due to this, his doctor suggested he make special shoes suited to his condition, and these have been working very well.
Mohammad Mazharul and Mirza Zakaria Baig are just two of many regular customers of Babul Shoe Store, the oldest shoe-making shop on Eidgah Road.
"The shop was set up in 1972, soon after the War of Independence," Gonesh Rabi Das, the 38-year-old owner, said. His maternal uncle first set up the shop and ran the business.
On the walls of the shop, there are different types of shoes on display, including Chelsea boots, Oxfords, Broke shoes, Pam shoes, Loafers and Kabli. The largest size of shoe on display is 47. There are some exceptions to the shoes they will make, for example, they do not make Keds or Converse. They also do not take orders for women or for children under the age of 10.
"There are many issues with women's shoes like colours, designs; it is difficult to match and so on," explained Gonesh Rabi Das.
Warranty and facilities
Customers receive an eight-month warranty for a Tk 1,000 order or a one-year warranty for orders over Tk 2,000. The warranty covers a number of issues - if there is damage to the sole, or if the glue or stitches come off, etc. But there are some conditions, for example, if the soles decay from walking, then there is no warranty.
The main customer base is corporate job holders and students. A part of their base is also customers who cannot find shoes in their size in markets or branded shops.
Customers place orders for shoes primarily for three reasons: firstly, some customers like a pair of shoes but they do not like the colour of the shoe. In this situation, the shop makes the shoes with colours the customers want. Secondly, some customers have some custom designs they got off the internet and the shop makes them accordingly. Thirdly, there is an issue of size. Though there are some showrooms that provide bigger sizes, usually the customers do not find the designs comfortable to wear.
"We make the right size of shoes for them. We can make big-size shoes like 46,47 or 48," said Gonesh Rabi Das. The price for making bigger shoe sizes is more than Tk 3,000.
It takes artisans at the shop a week to complete a customer's order. At Gonesh's factory, there are eight artisans who work on the upper part of the shoe and four who make the lower part.
"Our artisans make shoes with their hands, as a result, it takes time," he said.
The sole is imported from China and the leather is bought from different tanners in Dhaka. They do not typically make shoes with high-quality leather, they use third-grade leather at the shop. The quality of this leather is good and it is durable for at least a year, even with heavy use. High-quality leather is exported and making a pair of shoes with this leather would cost from Tk4,000 to Tk5,000.
When asked why people come to them when there are top brands shops in the city, Gonesh Rabi Das replied, "I think, they do not find satisfactory designs; as a result they come to us with a design. The longevity our shoes provide is satisfactory too. Customers with corporate jobs tell us that a pair of shoes lasts six months even after rough use."
In recent times, the number of orders has decreased; the shop usually receives two to three orders daily on average. Business at the shops had been a bustling affair even twenty years back. Over the years even though the demand has gone down, they still have a sizable, loyal customer base.
"People who have gotten used to wearing our shoes still come to us on a regular basis. I believe they will continue to come," said Gonesh Rabi Das.
