PESHAWAR: Famed for luxury red-soled stilettos, French shoe designer Christian Louboutin has taken inspiration for a new sandal from Pakistan’s tribal frontier, sparking claims of cultural appropriation along with grins from grizzled Pakistani cobblers.
A post on Louboutin’s Instagram last month announcing the release of the shoe sparked a social media frenzy in Pakistan, with fans praising the latest homage to the country’s rich artisan traditions — and critics rolling their eyes.
The “Imran” — a flamboyant sandal complete with metal studs along with splashes of orange and silver — is inspired by the country’s traditional Peshawari chappal, according to the fashion house.
The chappal has long been a staple for ethnic Pashtuns — from ordinary labourers to the country’s political elite — in Pakistan’s northwest.
The sandal is distinguished by its overlapping leather strips that cover the foot and has a small heel with a hardy rubber sole.
Louboutin’s version was named after famed Pakistani contemporary artist and friend of the designer, Imran Qureshi.
While most celebrated the shoe’s debut, others jeered at the thought of paying designer prices — Louboutins often retail for upwards of $500 — for the ubiquitous sandals, which can cost as little as $5.50 in Pakistan.
Some social media users also suggested that the European brand was the latest perpetrator of cultural appropriation.
“Highly recommend asking your friend to rename it though, so that it doesn’t become another culturally appropriated thing,” wrote Instagram user Mehreenfkhan under a post by Qureshi about the shoe.
Louboutin later removed the Instagram announcement, saying the sandal was just the latest creation expressing his “love for embellishments from different cultures” and was sorry some people felt “offended.”
“My designs often pay tributes to artisanship, craftsmanship, traditions or various cultures,” Louboutin said in a statement. “The world and its diversity has always been the core of my work.”
The chappal is no stranger to controversy.
In 2014, British designer Paul Smith released a sandal that looked strikingly similar to the chappal with no initial mention of the Pakistani shoe, sparking fiery protests online and in the press in Pakistan.
Pakistani fashion designer Kamiar Rokni praised Louboutin’s latest creation, saying claims of cultural appropriation were misplaced in this instance.
“When you visit different parts of the world, you do get inspired... and that seeps into your design,” said Rokni.
“There’s nothing wrong with somebody being inspired by the Peshawari chappal,” he explained.
Far from the shoe boutiques of Paris, chappal makers and wearers in Peshawar, the northwestern Pakistani city near the Afghan border, greeted the arrival of the “Imran” with bemusement, pride, and some confused shrugs.
“I’m totally amazed,” said Ghazan Khan — a self-proclaimed chappal fanatic who has bought more than 20 pairs of the sandals in recent years alone.
“People are getting addicted to this kind of chappals, so it’s good,” he added, while suggesting that local designers deserved a cut of the profits from the “Imran.”
“[The chappal] is long-lasting and comfortable,” said resident Abdul Rehman, adding that the sandal’s ventilation helped keep the foot cool in the area’s stifling heat.
“I have been wearing chappals for all of my life and never used any other shoe,” he added.
The shoe’s popularity had been in decline for years, according to chappal makers in Peshawar, as the country’s youth adopted more modern footwear tastes.
The trend was only reversed with the political ascent of former World Cup cricketing captain Imran Khan and his fondness for the shoe, spotlighted as he led mass protests in 2014.
Khan’s adoption of the chappal was part and parcel of a makeover the former cricketer and playboy has embraced since retiring from the sport, taking on a pious image in Pakistan to accompany his crusading populist agenda.
The ploy has largely succeeded, with Khan elected prime minister last year on promises to reign in corruption and cut back on excessive spending, while chappal sales have boomed as the youth seek to imitate the country’s new, stylish leader.
“I made chappals for Imran Khan when he was holding the protests in Islamabad... that’s why it has become famous and people overwhelmingly like them,” explains Chacha Noor Din — the owner of a string of shoe stores in Peshawar — who counts the premier as a loyal customer and named a version of the shoe after him.
And while the chappal’s popularity continues to thrive in Peshawar and throughout the country’s northwest, fans of the traditional sandal are less convinced by Louboutin’s new take.
“I will not wear this shoe because it’s a ladies shoe,” said Riaz-u-Din after looking at a picture of the “Imran” on a phone as he shopped for a pair of chappals.
He insisted: “No one will wear it here in Peshawar.”
Pride and pique as Louboutin takes Pakistan chappal global
Pride and pique as Louboutin takes Pakistan chappal global
- Chappal has long been a staple for ethnic Pashtuns
- Pakistani fashion designer Kamiar Rokni praised Louboutin’s latest creation
Three Afghan migrants die crossing into Iran as UN warns of new displacement toward Pakistan
- UNHCR says 1.8 million Afghans were forced to return from Iran this year, straining Afghanistan’s resources
- Rights groups warn forced refugee returns risk harm as Afghanistan faces food shortages and climate shocks
KABUL: Three Afghans died from exposure in freezing temperatures in the western province of Herat while trying to illegally enter Iran, a local army official said on Saturday.
“Three people who wanted to illegally cross the Iran-Afghanistan border have died because of the cold weather,” the Afghan army official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
He added that a shepherd was also found dead in the mountainous area of Kohsan from the cold.
The migrants were part of a group that attempted to cross into Iran on Wednesday and was stopped by Afghan border forces.
“Searches took place on Wednesday night, but the bodies were only found on Thursday,” the army official said.
More than 1.8 million Afghans were forced to return to Afghanistan by the Iranian authorities between January and the end of November 2025, according to the latest figures from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), which said that the majority were “forced and coerced returns.”
“These mass returns in adverse circumstances have strained Afghanistan’s already overstretched resources and services” which leads to “risks of onward and new displacement, including return movements back into Pakistan and Iran and onward,” UNHCR posted on its site dedicated to Afghanistan’s situation.
This week, Amnesty International called on countries to stop forcibly returning people to Afghanistan, citing a “real risk of serious harm for returnees.”
Hit by two major earthquakes in recent months and highly vulnerable to climate change, Afghanistan faces multiple challenges.
It is subject to international sanctions particularly due to the exclusion of women from many jobs and public places, described by the UN as “gender apartheid.”
More than 17 million people in the country are facing acute food insecurity, the UN World Food Program said Tuesday.
