Prada to launch Rs 85,000 'Make in India' sandals, collaborates with Maharashtra and Karnataka artisans

Prada to launch 'Make in India' sandals next year. (Picture Credit: X

Italian luxury brand Prada is going to be collaborating with Indian artisans to launch 'Make In India' sandals. The price for each sandal would be priced at Rs 84,043 ($930), Prada senior executive Lorenzo Bertelli told Reuters.

The plan to is to make 2,000 pairs of sandals, as the deal has been signed with two state-backed bodies - Maharashtra and Karnataka. The sandals would be made with local craftsmanship and Italian technology. Bertelli told Reuters that, "We'll mix the original manufacturer's standard capabilities with our manufacturing techniques."

It will be a limited-edition collection and its launch is expected to happen in February 2026 across 40 Prada stores world over and online, said the company. The Italian luxury brand has now signed agreements with LIDCOM and LIDKAR, two state-backed groups that support India’s leather-working communities.

As part of the collaboration, local artisans will be given training. They will also get a chance to spend time at Prada Academy in Italy. It is a 3-year partnership between the brand and the artisans and the details of the same are still in works. Betelli said the project and training programme would cost "several million euros" and he also said that the artisans will be fairly remunerated.

On the other hand, artisans too are hoping that the collaborating will help scale their incomes and at the same time also attract young generations to take interest in preserving the heritage. "Once Prada endorses this craft as a luxury product, definitely the domino effect will work and result in increasing demand for the craft," said Prerna Deshbhratar, LIDCOM managing director.

Prada showcased Indian Kolhapuri chappals at a Milan show

Remember around 6 months ago, Prada had faced a lot of flak for showcasing Indian footwear Kolhapuri chappals at a Milan show? The photos of it had gone viral and it prompted a lot of backlash from Indian artisans and politicians. Later, Prada admitted that the design of chappals was drawn from ancient Indian footwear and eventually the brand began talks with artisans for collaboration purpose.

The real question is that how many people will be up for buying the footwear priced at Rs 85,000?