Sandal - LOTS

They believe in providing support for heirloom leather shoemaking, upholding respectful design and low environmental impact. For Mohinders, this means adhering to the following practices:

Regionality. Sharing our collections' makers and place of origin, in Northern Karnataka; working with the people who have always made this style of shoe, (vs. appropriating designs for production elsewhere).

Heirloom.Centralizing heirloom materials, designs and processes in our products – heirloom bag-tanned water buffalo leather, shoe designs that evolved in Athani, and techniques passed down to the third- and fourth-generation shoemakers who work with us.

Environmental impact. We reduce our footprint through: dedication to traditionally-tanned water buffalo leather; fewer synthetics and more biodegradable materials; naturally-dyed colors; organic and recycled packaging choices; creating shoes that last and age beautifully.

Collaborative design.Our shoes are designed to last for years, not just a season. This means: crepe rubber soles to protect footbed stitches and midsoles; lining leather and footbed cushion, for a custom fit that lasts; design choices that allow easily re-soling, extending your shoes’ life.

Every pair of Mohinders takes over 37 steps to make, start-to-finish. Every shoe is made-by-hand; master shoemakers specialize in different parts of the process like weaving, skiving, stitching, hammering, and fitting on a last. Up to six shoemakers, often relatives, will pass an in-progress shoe around a workshop until it’s complete. 

We’ve worked with the same Athani-based cooperative of shoemakers since 2012 in a collaborative effort to create Mohinders signature styles.

The water buffalo leather used to make Mohinders is produced in small family tanneries about an hour’s drive from Athani. The way it’s made is an old, small-batch and manual process called bag-tanning.

Bag-tanned leather is a method of turning hides into shoemaking-ready leather. It’s done by hand, using a few simple ingredients: water + limestone for pre-tanning, then acacia tree bark + myrobalan as sources of tannins.

Each item is a unique display of craftsmanship.

Our collection comes from a town called Athani, India. It’s located in Northern Karnataka, a region with a centuries-long shoemaking history.

Sometime in the last two centuries, artisans in the region came up with a new design for woven leather slip-ons with a distinctive braid around the edge, which is the basis for our collection.

Every pair of Mohinders is made in Athani, by third- and fourth- generation master shoemaking families.

Link to size guide.

At first, your shoes may feel stiff or too tight. The break-in is a sign of quality shoes and handmade leather.

Use these tips to get past the initial sting. Over time, the full-grain leather upper and leather footbed will mold to your foot for a custom fit.

  - Woven Sandals + Slides + City Slippers

Get your bare feet wet and wear them around the house for about 30 minutes.

 - Woven Flats + Shoes

Spray water generously inside each shoe, then wear your shoes with socks for about 30 minutes or get your bare feet wet then wear them for 30 minutes.

 - Solid Flats + Shoes

Get a pair of socks wet, then wring them out. Wear them with your shoes around the house for a few minutes (not too long) or get your bare feet wet then wear them for 30 minutes.