Art On Your Feet: These Brands Are Using Footwear As Their Canvas

I know the millennial in you is jumping with joy on seeing quirky hand painted kolhapuris, slides and juttis from Chokhaa. Spunk up your basic tee and jeans with a pair of neon kolhapuris that says ‘don’t kill my vibe’. Or check out a bright yellow pair of ‘kudi pataka’ juttis that will complement your plain white kurta so well. 

Hand painted shoes from Funky N Trendy will make you want to empty out your entire shoedrobe and get a customised pair to suit every single quirk you have. Zany prints and a riot of colours, this is the kind of footwear that turns heads and starts conversations. I am eyeing a pair of yellow and black slip ons that say ‘sarcasm swadanusar’. Perfect for when I am having one of those days.

You have worn pop culture on a tee, how about your shoes now? Game of Thrones fan, Badhuche will put your love for the show on a shoe for you. Tribal, kalamkari, madhubani, jazzy, floral, geometric - whatever your design aesthetic, you can have Badhuche customise a pair. You can even match your sneakers with a hand-painted watch of the same design from their watch collection.

Guys, solid colour shoes are cool and all but have you tried sporting digital anime prints or multi-coloured scallops or retro cassettes on your shoes? Urban Pitara is here to pull you out of your comfort zone and transport you to this uber cool fashion space where hand painted shoes rule the roost. Our pick: the galaxy themed black shoes, FTW!

Have your shoes dipped, dyed and painted in all the things you love and identify with. Even if it’s a pizza! Let your foodie or wanderluster personality spill over to your feet with Funkfeets hand painted designs. Then, simply put your feet up and let them do all the talking. Like the red french fries sneakers that will scream your love for fries before guys. 

Jolaa will help you break away from the prim, proper, understated, regular categories in footwear with its unisex, hand painted, statement shoes. Jolaa does doodles the best. Give them a little brief on things you are low-key obsessed about in your life and Jolaa will work their magic in creating a pair that’s all you. Think cupcakes, ghosts, rainbows, pandas or unicorns.

BTS or Batman, Simpsons or Sesame Street - Unhinged Customs makes sure your shoes are as close to who you are. The detailing is impeccable, each hand painted pair is nothing short of a work of art. You need a pair like this to adorn your shoe rack even if you have too many shoes (no such thing!) at the moment.

Zubiya’s hand painted slip ons are too cute to resist. Whether you are looking for something to amp up your outfit or just comfy at-home slippers that aren’t boring, Zubiya has what you need. Drama queen, gurl boss, beach please or keep calm (I need this in my life RN) - few of the many things you can get on a pair of slip ons that spell out who you are (or could be).

The Handcraft has awesome hand painted ballerinas you would want to hoard up on. These go really well with your Indo-western or casual fusion wear. Get your city’s skyline painted in monochrome or a map of the world with all the places you have been to highlighted on it. The possibilities are endless.

If you love wearing leather juttis, you might want to give those boring black and tan ones a break for now because we are introducing you to The Haelli and its collection of fun and colourful juttis. Is a panda your spirit animal? Find plenty of Pandastic options here. Like a pair in baby pink that says ‘half panda, half human’. Or a classic tan with polka dots that says ‘I am not fat, I am a Panda’. Cute, na?

The best way to clean your custom-painted footwear is to gently wipe them with a soft wet cloth. Don’t worry, most brands use water-proof paints but still avoid washing your shoes too much or putting them under direct sunlight.