04/11/2026
For centuries, the khussa has been way more than just everyday footwear. Born in royal Mughal courts, this handmade leather shoe is unique, there’s no left or right until your feet naturally shape it over time. Stepping into Bhatti sahab’s modest Multan shop felt like walking into a sanctuary for an endangered art. He’s run this workshop for over 35 years, after spending a decade mastering the trade under old-school ustads. Unlike modern synthetic shoes, an authentic Multani khussa starts with *desi chamra* (pure, vegetable-tanned leather). Bhatti sahab walked me through the grueling process: soaking, oiling, dyeing, and beating the leather until it folds like cloth. Then comes the art. Using fine metallic *tilla* wire, artisans spend weeks hand-stitching intricate motifs. His finest pieces take up to two full months of dedicated handiwork for just one pair.
But beneath the dazzling gold thread is a heavy reality: this heritage is fading fast. Flooded by cheap, machine-made shoes, fewer than a handful of true master artisans remain. Young apprentices aren’t picking up the trade. Bhatti sahab—who now lives alone at his shop after his wife passed, worries there’ll be no one left to hold the needle soon. Mid-conversation, he softly broke into a regional folk tune about the Multani khussa, his voice carrying the weight of a lifetime devoted to his craft.
Documenting masters like him reminds me why we carry cameras: to preserve the dignity of rare artisans before their songs fade into memory.
How can we do a better job of preserving and patronizing generational crafts before they vanish completely? Let me know your thoughts below. 👇
