In a 4×8 corner of Marine Lines, a 91-year-old shoe shop walks the tightrope between heritage and survival

In its heyday, the 4×8 square feet shop was occupied by six persons–including the three brothers and three karigars–who would work at a time to manufacture and sell the leather shoes as per the client’s demands.

“There used to be a certain craze for handcrafted leather shoes in those times. Except for the final stitching which involved a little machine work, everything from making, fitting, finishing to designing was done by hand alone. We would procure leather from outside Mumbai. The top layer of the shoe is typically made in goat skin leather while buffalo leather is used for the bottom portion. Since our clients were very particular about their needs, we would procure different types of leather from outside Mumbai,” said Ankush Mane (47), the third generation of Mane family who now looks after the business.

Besides the thriving Parsi population, who predominantly resided in the area, the shop’s clientele comprised artists, merchants, businessmen who would often knock on the doors of the Mane shoe shop from neighbouring pockets like Walkeshwar, Napean Sea road, Marine Drive etc.

Today, the shop operates with one karigar who continues to cater to a loyal clientele. (Express Photo/Akash Patil)

For decades, it was Rajaram Mane who looked after the business before the operations were handed over to his son, Ramchandra Rajaram Mane. Ankush, the current proprietor of the shop, said his first brush with the shoe-making skill came early in his childhood. “Since we live nearby, I would often go to the shop and observe my father and other karigars craft shoes of all fashions. In 2001, I finally tried my hand at making a shoe and after that, my father would pay me Rs 25 for each shoe that I manufactured,” Ankush told The Indian Express. In 2005, after his father’s demise, Ankush took over reins of the family business.

Since then, he said the demand for handcrafted leather shoes has dropped significantly. “Some people have a hobby for collecting special shoes but most fail to even distinguish between real and faux leather. Nowadays, only people with a penchant for leather shoes wear it. Most people, on the other hand, prefer light weight shoes since leather shoes can be very heavy. It also can be very expensive for the middle class and lower middle-class populations,” said Mane. Today, a handcrafted leather shoe at Mane shop can cost anywhere between Rs 3,500 to Rs 5,500, depending upon the quality of the leather used.

In order to cater to the rising demands of light soled, cheaper alternatives, Mane decided to stock his shop with artificial leather shoes, as well as slippers. However, they haven’t turned their backs to their specialty of handcrafted shoes.

Today, the shop operates with one karigar who continues to cater to a loyal clientele.

“A to Z saara kaarigari ka kaam hum hi karte hai (From scratch to end, the entire craftwork is done by me),” said Mohfeed, the craftsman at Mane shoe shop. It takes at least 3 to 4 days for Mohfeed to manufacture one pair of shoes. Pointing to a range of colour palette from tan to olive, Mohfeed said, “We make the leather shoe in any colour they prefer. It starts with the cutting of design, measurement, making of the top layer, designing of leather and finally working on the bottom layer of the shoe. The process can take anywhere between 3-4 days.”

Despite the rise of quick delivery sites and e-commerce websites which deliver shoes to one’s home, the shop continues to retain its legacy among its loyal clientele. “While we cater to the large crowd of office goers that arrive in the area, we are sustained by our most loyal clientele who have been visiting our shop for decades now who live in nearby areas of Lohar chawl, Dawa bazaar etc. Among some, the craze of leather shoes still persists,” said Mane.