Aren't these the cutest little shoes?! I found a bunch of these traditional, handmade Nepali hemp slip-on's being sold around the craft laden streets of Patan on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Like little pixie shoes, they'd be great for wandering around these dusty old UNESCO heritage streets, not so great in the rainy season though! If you're a fan of hemp or want to know more about its sustainable properties you should check out my earlier post from Pokhara (hint hint!).
Shameful to admit, I know, but I have to confess that I have just discovered the wonder that is Polyvore. In my defense I have only been blogging properly now for a grand total of five months. Nevertheless, here we are, my very first Polyvore collection! As I'm currently trawling the streets (or rather the mountains) of Nepal in nothing but the same old flip flops and canvas pumps, I've now got to the point where I'm positively lusting after a pair of pretty new 'ethnicy' winter shoes. If, however I happen to find a pair of suede moccasins on my travel like the Minnetonka ones above, I will be snapping them up. I don't care if they're impractical for traveling, I miss my moccasins!
Shoes! Glorious shoes, everywhere! I've now decided that Jodhpur is my new favorite Indian city. I came across this (thankfully unmanned - and therefore devoid of pushy sales person) stall tucked away at the far end of Tambaku Bazaar, crammed full of line after line of colour-saturated, finely embroidered camel leather jutti and mojaris. Jutti are traditional, ethnic Indian footwear, mostly popular in the north. Easily identifiable by their curled up toes and often high rise ankle pieces, they were originally designed to be worn by royalty and would have been heavily embroidered with real gold and silver threads and decorated with precious gems and pearls. Most of the shoes pictured above are more akin to the flat backed mojari style - like sandals - a little more practical in a land where taking your shoes off at every doorway is imperative!
