Yes, Banjaaran Studio shoes are genuinely handmade. Every pair is cut, stitched, shaped and finished by hand in our workshop in Faridabad, Delhi NCR, India, over 200 steps from the first cut of leather to the final polish.

This page explains how each pair is made, what it is honestly made of, and how you can tell it is the real thing. To meet the artisans behind the work, visit Meet the Makers.

Are Banjaaran Studio shoes really handmade?

Yes. Nothing is mass-produced and nothing sits in a warehouse waiting for a buyer. Your pair is built only after you place your order, by karigars (craftspeople) with years, and often decades, at the bench. Because a small, named team makes each order from scratch, every pair can be traced back to the exact people who made it.

How our shoes are made, step by step

Every pair moves through the same hand stages:

• Leather layout and cutting. Each panel is laid out and cut by hand from the hide, so the grain and any pattern sit the right way.
• Upper construction. The pieces of the upper are stitched together by hand. Where a design calls for it, motifs are hand-stitched or embroidered at this stage.
• Hand lasting and sole setting. The upper is shaped by hand over a last, the foot-shaped form that gives the pair its fit, and the sole is fitted and set by hand.
• Finishing and detailing. Edges, lining and surface are finished, checked and polished by hand before the pair is boxed.

From the first cut to the final polish, over 200 steps go into every pair.

Made to order, never mass-produced

Your pair does not exist until you order it. Each order is made by hand from scratch and takes about 5 to 8 days to produce before it ships. This is slow fashion, built to last: we make only what is ordered, one pair at a time.

Made to order also means we make your size. Every pair is built true to size across a full range, so you order the size you normally wear. For measuring help and EU to US and UK conversions, see our shoe size and fit guide.

What our shoes are honestly made of

We are specific about materials, because honesty is part of being authentic. Each product page lists the exact materials for that pair; here is the honest range across the studio.

• Genuine leather and suede. Most pairs are built from genuine leather and genuine suede, with a Nappa leather lining, a cushioned leather insole and a lightweight TPR (thermoplastic rubber) sole.
• Illustrated designs. Our all-over illustrated designs are our own artwork, printed onto faux-leather panels that are set into a genuine-leather frame. We say faux where it is faux.
• Animal-print pairs. These are genuine hair-on hide, a real leather with the natural hair left on, and it is ethically sourced. The pattern sits in the hide itself, it is not printed on top. Explore these in our SAVAGE pony hair shoes.
• Heritage textiles. Our heritage pairs use handwoven textile panels such as ikat, patola and jacquard, framed in genuine leather. Explore these in our heritage textile shoes.
• Other materials. A few styles use denim, jute or cotton, always named honestly on the product page.

Will the artwork fade or crack?

The artwork does not fade under normal wear. With sustained exposure to extreme conditions it can fade over time, and small cracks can appear where the shoe naturally flexes. That flex-point cracking is normal for the material and is not a defect. Keeping your pair away from prolonged moisture and direct heat keeps the colour and finish at their best. For how to clean and protect each material, see our leather and suede care guide.

Who makes them, and why

Banjaaran Studio was founded by Mehandee Meera Dureja, and every pair is made by a workshop of named master artisans, many with two and three decades of experience. We call it India's Handcrafted Rebellion: wearable art, made by real people, that can be traced back to the hands that made it. Meet the artisans on our Meet the Makers page, and read the story behind the studio on our About Banjaaran Studio page.

Explore the craft

See the work across our type collections: Men's Leather Loafers, Oxford Brogues, Men's Mules, Women's Mules and Low-Top Sneakers. For more, see our answers to common questions.