These white shoes, called “Kalash”, are widely sold in cities in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, and the Kurds describe them as an essential element that completes their distinctive popular costume.
The manufacture of this type of shoe, which the Iraqi Arabs call “Jiwah”, is unique to artisans who have inherited the craft from their ancestors. It takes 3 days of painstaking work to make a pair, and it is sold for around 50 dollars. . .
“The heels are made of highly compressed fabric, leather and ox bone, and the shoes are woven from cotton yarn,” says shop owner Jassim Jamil, adding that it takes 3 days for manufacturers to prepare a pair.
Artisans renew the used Kalash by molding it, repainting it with white pigment and coloring its edges with special pens.
Craftsman Ramadan Anwar says: “We first mold the shoes and wash them with water, before repainting them with a dye specially prepared for this purpose. We also color the edges of the shoes with colored pencils. This process takes about half an hour, and we get paid about three dollars for it. The number of customers increases on occasions and holidays.” .
The Kurdish neighborhoods of Horaman on the Iraqi and Iranian side are considered the main source of this type of footwear, the sales of which have recently fallen, due to the fall in the value of the Iraqi dinar against the dollar.
Manufacturers and merchants of this type of folk shoes in the Kurdistan region of Iraq claim that their prices have come down a lot in recent months due to the influx of large quantities of them to local markets from Iranian regions. by Hauraman.
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