Step Into The Shoe-land of Calcutta

Suruchi Tulsyan

As you drive down CIT Road, from Lady Brabourne College towards Padmapukur, chances are that your attention would be riveted on the opposite flank of the road where stalls with a variety of leather products, bags, belts, wallets are on display.  In fact, a closer look would reveal an indigenous haat selling a humungous variety of shoes, of every style and size, right at the very heart of the city. Welcome to ‘Chamrapatti’ formally known as ‘Birshul Haat’ at Bechulal Road which in terms of the sheer variety of products sold here will give a stiff competition to some of the well-known footwear brands.

The Bazaar – USP
Birshul Haat is the largest wholesale market for footwear catering to both retailers and individual buyers. It is also a market for accessories and raw materials like leather, soles, adhesives and rubber. Like a typical wholesale market, transaction starts early in the morning at 6 AM and continues well past 6 PM in the evening. Ahead of major festivals like Durga Puja and Eid, business hours extend till 10 PM in the evening. The footwear designs are both trendy and stylish. It can give stores of the swanky mall a run for their money. In fact, Birshul Haat also supplies to several stores in the city and districts. Here, a pair of sandals can be picked up for anything between INR 80 and INR 200, whereas a pair of shoes will cost between INR 150 and INR 600.

The lane is over crowded with enthusiasts, both buyers and sellers, vying for a better bargain. From colourful plastic sandals perfect for the Calcutta monsoon to high length boots in sync with the latest Bollywood style, the range is vast and fashionable. The bazaar has around 215 shops selling different kinds of footwear – jootis, fancy ladies sandals, shoes for children, Kolhapuri chappals, ankle high boots, loafers, sneakers and half shoes.

The shop-owners supply footwear to many prominent brands as well. “Footwear for prominent brands like Elite, Ajanta, Khadim, Sreeleathers and Ford are manufactured,” informed Haider Ali Khan, a proud owner of six stalls and who has been in the business for past 25 years.

Over a century old, the haat was once known as chamra mandi (leather bazaar). Following the shifting of tanneries from Tangra to Bantala Leather Complex, the distance and the availability of raw materials impacted the price. The traders then quickly switched from leather to finished products like shoes, chappals, bags and belts taking advantage of the price rise and demand for fancy shoes. “The chamra mandi had been here since ages but the shoe market is quite a recent phenomenon. The bazaar has been around for 35 years,” said Md. Shamim, the 80-years-old stall owner. He has been running his business from the haat since 1962, at a time when there weren’t any stalls in the lane. “Due to the rise in export, price of leather has increased coupled with a rising demand for footwear made from other materials like foam and canvas. Nowadays, there are very few stalls in the bazaar who sell real leather products because the price will be on the steeper side as compared to foam and canvas products,” said the owner of King Shoes, one of the rare shops where quality leather shoes are available.

Oldest Store
King Shoes established in the 1980s is one of the oldest stalls. Shoe stalls are a new addition to the age old market of leather. According to the owner, “Earlier this area used to be the leather market and no shops were present. We are one of the oldest footwear shops in the market.” However one can get a glimpse of the original leather market at the wee hours of morning every day as people come early in the morning to buy raw materials. The leather market operates from 6 – 10 AM in the morning. Thereafter the bazaar gets transformed from the dingy lanes pervaded by repugnant smell of leather to the most happening footwear haat during the day.

The Shops
Customers here do not come looking for any particular shop. The sheer variety of footwear and the low pricing are two of the greatest attractions. There are two distinct categories of sellers – one who have temporary stalls right on the roadside while others have permanent shops along Bechulal Road. Ahead of the festive seasons, the number of temporary stalls multiplies many folds.

The Market
There is no rental system for the temporary stalls. Only a token amount of INR 50 per month is paid to the union for maintenance. The permanent shops are leased out to shopkeepers for a meager amount of INR 1,000 – INR 2,000 per month by the landlords. The market remains shut on Fridays.

Source of Products
Early source of products were from nearby tanneries and export rejects. But after the leather market shifted from Tangra to Bantala, footwears are sourced from places across the country and China. “From Mumbai we get gent’s sandals, shoes from Agra, ladies footwear from Delhi, Kolhapuri and nagras from Jaipur. Apart from these, every house at Padmapukur, Tatibagan, Phoolbagan has their own workshop, where they make footwears and supply to branded showrooms. At Padmapukur itself, there may be around 5,000 shops of mere 250 sq. ft. each.” said Haider. The fancy neon coloured sneakers that might have caught your attention are from China, though the imported lot is a little expensive. “We bring about 50 per cent of the goods from Agra, 30 per cent from Delhi and Mumbai and the rest 20 per cent from local market,” informed another shop keeper.

The Sellers
The selling trend at the haat is one amazing calculation. The whole seller gets a pair of shoes for INR 150 then sells the same to the local whole seller for INR 200 and when the pair reaches this market for sale, it is priced at INR 250. “We keep minimum margin of profit because we want turnover,” said Afsal, a shop keeper who sells school shoes.

The number of traders in the haat varies from season to season. During Eid, the number swells up. The famed Chinese shoe-makers, however, are absent. Explaining the overwhelming response of Birshul Haat, S Adil, owner of Foot Point, said: “The buying trend has changed completely over the years. Earlier, people wanted durable shoes but now youngsters are looking for style and design more than durability. They want a pair of shoe for every occasion. Generally we try to follow the design which our favourite stars wear on screen,” said another stall owner at the haat.

Birshul Haat
Working Hours: 6 AM to 6 PM
Weekly Off: Friday
Car Parking: On CIT Road  (Padmapukur)
Location: Bechulal Road – CIT Road crossing in Padmapukur