What they are

Traditional, hand-made leather sandals whose uppers/sole/heel are all made from bag-tanned, vegetable-tanned leather. The GI specification documents the full process: tanning with babul bark (Acacia arabica) and myrobalan (Terminalia chebula), leather-thread stitching, decorative woven bands, and even performance traits like shape-memory after soaking and resistance to abrasion/water.

Protected origin (GI) & geography

“Kolhapuri Chappal” is a registered Geographical Indication (Class 25—Footwear), jointly owned by Maharashtra’s LIDCOM and Karnataka’s LIDKAR (facilitated by CSIR-CLRI). The notified production area spans Maharashtra: Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Solapur and Karnataka: Belagavi (Belgaum), Bagalkote, Dharwad, Vijayapur (Bijapur). The GI journal also notes main markets like Kolhapur/Nippani/Athni and records historic lineage.

Exports & HS mapping

• Leather footwear as a whole is a major Indian export: in FY 2023-24, India shipped US$ 2.00 bn of leather footwear, ~42.7% of the leather sector’s exports. Top markets for leather/leather-products include the USA, Germany, UK, Italy, France, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, China, UAE.
  
• Typical HS lines for Kolhapuris:
  
  • 6403 – Footwear with leather uppers (most Kolhapuris, especially with rubber/plastic outsoles). Indian tariff listings also show granular lines like 64039920 – leather sandals with plastic/synthetic sole.
    
  • 640320 – Footwear with outer soles of leather and uppers of leather straps across instep & big toe (applies to traditional all-leather builds).
    

Practical note: choose the exact HS code per materials/outsole on each SKU and confirm with your customs broker. (The GI spec permits both stitched and “stuck-on” constructions.)

Quality spec (what “good” looks like—traceable to the GI)

• Materials: all primary parts from bag-tanned vegetable leather (buff/cow, plus goat/head-skin for decorative bands). Degree of tannage ~40%.
  
• Construction: hand-cut patterns; heavy hammering/pressing of damp soles; leather-thread stitching all around (some stuck-on variants exist). Styles include Kapshi/Kapsi, Kanwalis, Benta.
  
• Performance traits (from GI): abrasion/water resistance; regains shape after wetting; durable for “rugged use”.
  

What to write into your PO/spec sheet

• Leather origin & tanning route (vegetable/bag-tanned); leather thickness per part; outsole type (leather vs rubber/TPE) & flex/abrasion targets; stitch density; finish (oil/wax/lacquer); style (Kapshi/Kanwali etc.); GI reference + cluster; size run & grading. (All align with the GI’s defined method & uniqueness.)
  

Compliance & labeling

• BIS Quality Control Orders (India): Footwear is under mandatory BIS regime. Government notice confirms BIS licence mandatory for 24 footwear products (effective July 1, 2023). Generic footwear spec for sandals & slippers is IS 6721:2023 (scope covers assembled or moulded sandals/slippers; apply where relevant to your construction)
  
• EU REACH chemical safety (export):
  
  • Chromium VI in leather: ≤ 3 mg/kg (Annex XVII, Entry 47). Vegetable tanning (as per GI) inherently helps avoid Cr(VI) risks, but testing is still required.
    
  • Azo dyes (textile/leather in skin contact): each listed aromatic amine ≤ 30 mg/kg (Annex XVII Entry 43). Applies to dyed straps/linings/threads.
    
• Marking & authenticity: cite GI “Kolhapuri Chappal” on invoices/catalog copy where origin conditions are met; use BIS/ISI (for domestic market scope) and provide test reports supporting the above limits.
  

Why India (and this region) wins

• Protected provenance + inspection: GI sets out an inspection committee (LIDCOM/LIDKAR/CLRI + artisans) and codifies the vegetable-tanning method, giving buyers a traceable story and consistent craft expectations.
  
• Chrome-free heritage leather: the babul/myrobalan bag-tanning route is both culturally specific and commercially useful for REACH compliance narratives.
  
• Established export ecosystem: India’s leather-footwear export base (US$ 2.0 bn in 2023-24) and market access to the US/EU underpin scale for boutique GI-labelled lines.

Quick buyer toolkit 

A) Classic Kolhapuri (leather outsole; GI-core) — likely 640320

• Vegetable/bag-tanned leather only; full leather insole/outer sole/upper; leather-thread stitching; style (e.g., Kapshi); finish spec; GI origin (district); size grading.
  
• Tests: tear/abrasion/flex; Cr VI ≤ 3 mg/kg; Azo ≤ 30 mg/kg.
  

B) Everyday Kolhapuri (rubber/TPE outsole) — likely 6403

• Upper = vegetable-tanned leather per GI; outsole compound & adhesion; stitch vs stuck-on construction; slip-resistance; flex; finish spec; GI origin.
  
• Tests: outsole abrasion/flex, bond strength; Cr VI/Azo limits as above.
  

C) Domestic India sales (if applicable)

• Confirm BIS licence applicability under footwear QCO; if in scope, comply with IS 6721:2023 (sandals & slippers) and other relevant IS standards.
  

Numbers you can quote

• India leather-footwear exports (FY 2023-24): US$ 2.00 bn; leather footwear ≈ 42.7% share of the sector’s exports; USA/Germany/UK/Italy/France among top buyers. (DGCI&S data via Council for Leather Exports.)
  

Key sources

• GI Journal No. 109 (Kolhapuri Chappal) — applicants LIDCOM/LIDKAR, CLRI facilitator; method/geography/uniqueness; district list; markets.
  
• Council for Leather Exports — 2023-24 export totals & market shares (DGCI&S).
  
• BIS/QCO (Govt. of India) — BIS licence mandatory for footwear; IS 6721:2023 sandals & slippers spec.
  
• ECHA/REACH — Cr VI ≤ 3 mg/kg in leather; azo amines ≤ 30 mg/kg for leather/textiles in skin contact.