What the product is (and how it’s made)

• Flat, slip-on footwear traditionally made from vegetable-tanned leather; often no left/right distinction in heritage styles. Uppers are one piece (“panna”), hand-embroidered or perforated; soles layered leather (traditionally buffalo) stitched with cotton thread; modern export variants use cushioned insocks and rubber/TPR soles.
  
• Jaipur/Jodhpur craft flow: cut upper (panna) → punch/embroider → make multi-layer leather sole (tala) → stitch upper to sole with waxed cotton (“sutt”) → shape on wooden last; many workshops now use adhesive + rubber outer sole for cost/durability.
  

Where it sits in customs/HS (typical)

• HS 6403: Leather upper (sole may be rubber/TPR/leather). Most leather juttis fall here.
  
• HS 6404: Textile upper (e.g., heavy fabric/embroidered uppers).
  
• HS 6405/6406: Other footwear / parts, when applicable. (Classification depends on actual build; confirm at PO stage.)
  

Exports & markets

• India leather & leather products exports (FY2024-25): ≈ US$5.7 bn, up ~25% YoY (Council for Leather Exports).
• Footwear’s weight in the leather basket: Footwear (leather + non-leather) usually accounts for ~50%+ of India’s leather/leather-product export value (recent benchmark: 52% in 2021-22).
• Top destinations for Indian leather & footwear (recent period) include USA, Germany, UK, Italy, France, Spain, Netherlands, UAE (share and rank fluctuate each year).
• Note on jutti/mojari granularity: There is no separate HS line for “jutti/mojari”, so shipments are embedded inside broader HS 64 lines above (hence category-level stats rather than craft-specific numbers). (See CLE/IBEF category reporting.)
  

India- & region-specific strengths

• Material logic for desert climates: Thick buffalo-leather soles + airy uppers evolved for hot, rocky terrain; vegetable tanning (babul bark) common in Rajasthan heritage practice.
  
• Distinct regional aesthetics
  
  • Rajasthan (Jodhpur, Jaipur, Barmer/Patodi): curled toe (“nokh”) silhouettes; dense leather-on-leather embroidery and perforation; families like the Jingar community specialize end-to-end leatherwork.
    
  • Punjab (Amritsar/Patiala): the tillā jutti idiom (rich metallic thread/“tilla” work); strong wedding/trousseau demand and diaspora pull.
    
• Cluster depth: Longstanding Rajasthan clusters (Jodhpur/Barmer/Jaipur; RUDA craft clusters like Bhinmal/Barmer) provide artisan density and design variation; Punjab hubs (Amritsar/Patiala) anchor embroidered uppers and fashion-led iterations.
  
• Craft credibility: Documented and taught via national design knowledge bases (NID/IITB D’source) and cultural documentation (Sahapedia), easing onboarding for quality-driven buyers.
  

Quality & compliance: the buyer checklist

Construction & performance (spec what you test, not just what you see)

• Colour fastness to rubbing (leather): reference ISO 11640 for dry/wet rub on finished leathers (uppers/linings). (Set pass grades in your spec; standard defines the method.)
  
• Bond/peel strength (upper–sole): use ISO 20344 peel/bond methods (whole-shoe/parts); many labs also cite SATRA TM411.
  
• Flex resistance: outsoles by ISO 17707; whole-shoe flex by SATRA TM92. (Critical for stitched leather bottoms and modern TPR-soled variants.)
  

Chemicals (EU/US retail)

• Chromium VI in leather: REACH Annex XVII bans ≥3 mg/kg; test by ISO 17075-1/-2. (Vegetable-tanned or well-controlled chrome tanning to manage risk.)
  
• Azo dyes (textile/leather uppers/linings): REACH Annex XVII Entry 43 restricts carcinogenic aromatic amines >30 mg/kg.
  
• DMF (anti-mould sachets): REACH Annex XVII Entry 61 ban at >0.1 mg/kg; ensure desiccants are DMF-free.
  

Labelling (market access)

• EU: Directive 94/11/EC footwear materials labelling (upper / lining & sock / outsole) via pictograms or text on the retail unit.
  
• US: 19 CFR Part 134 country-of-origin marking—conspicuous, legible, and typically on each shoe (hang-tag acceptable if attached to each shoe).

Practical spec tips for Jutti/Mojari POs (export variants)

• Choose upper: full-grain or split leather vs. textile-embroidered; line with soft goat/leather or breathable textile; specify rub fastness method (ISO 11640).
  
• Choose bottom: layered leather sole (heritage look) or rubber/TPR outsole for international wear/returns risk; set peel/bond and flex test acceptance with the lab report attached.
  
• Embellishment: ensure nickel-safe metal trims where skin-contact risk exists (REACH nickel rules), and azo-safe threads/fabrics.
  

Sourcing notes (lead times, MOQs, capacity realities)

• Handwork content (embroidery/edge stitching) drives lead time; documented artisan units in Rajasthan (e.g., Bikaner/Barmer/Patodi/Jodhpur) often produce 1–4 pairs/artisan/day depending on complexity—plan batches and spread styles.
  
• Modernization: many Jaipur/Jodhpur units integrate machine-embroidered panels and rubber outsole pressing to scale and meet price points without abandoning the craft look.
  

Why India for this category

• Authenticity at source (Punjab “tillā” embroidery; Rajasthan curled-toe silhouettes) with codified processes and terminology; craft communities with multi-generation know-how.
  

Export-ready ecosystem: CLE support, testing labs familiar with EU/US protocols, and craft clusters mapped by state agencies (RUDA).