Our craft
Made slowly, by hand, in Colombo
Every Paadha pair is cut, lasted and stitched by hand in our Colombo workshop. It takes our makers around two days, and it is why the shoes last for years.
The process
How a pair is made
Cutting
Each upper is cut by hand from a single hide. Our cutters read the leather first, keeping its strongest, finest grain for the toe and heel.Lasting
The leather is pulled over a wooden last and left to rest for a day, so the shoe takes its shape slowly and keeps it.Stitching
Most of our shoes are Blake-stitched or Goodyear-welted. The sole is sewn on, not glued, so it can be replaced when it wears through.Finishing
Edges are trimmed and burnished, and every pair is polished by hand and checked before it leaves the workshop.
The leather
Chosen for how it ages
We use full-grain calf and suede from tanneries we visit, chosen for how it ages rather than how it looks on day one.
Full-grain keeps the hide's natural surface, so it breathes, softens to your foot and darkens into a patina that is yours alone.
Built to last
Worn for years, then resoled
Because the soles are stitched, a worn pair can be resoled rather than thrown away. Look after the leather and the uppers will outlast several soles, getting better each year you wear them.
“A good pair of shoes should get better every year you wear it.”