Hands that create

Coco Chanel not only understood women’s fashion but also their ache for it. So when she said ‘A woman with good shoes is never ugly’, she knew what she was talking about. It’s easy to fall in love with shoes, whatever kind they may be, but to pick the right pair requires a keen eye. And that’s what Sweta Mittal has - an eye for shoes. In particular, for Jodhpuri’s.

A few years ago, she moved to the City with her husband and two kids (in sixth and first standard) from Jodhpur. When Sweta arrived here, she found to her disappointment that Bengaluru lacked mojaris. Rather mojaris that weren’t run of the mill. “Ever since I can remember, I have been in love with shoes. I was probably in 10th or 11th standard when I began collecting mojaris. But when I moved to the City I found that there wasn’t a good selection. So I decided to start a business venture that would make good and unique mojaris available to people,” she says.

And this is how ‘Jodhpuri’s’ started - her business venture, not the shoes. She sources innovative designs from her home town, Jodhpur and sells them on various online platforms. This is her way of dulling the ache she has for home. “Whenever I go to Jodhpur, which is once or twice a year, I pick up three to four pairs of shoes because they aren’t available here. I use and wear them out by the end of the year and pick up more on my next visit. Embroidered ones are my favourite and they can’t be easily found in the City.”

While Jodhpuris aren’t always suitable for Bengaluru’s weather, she makes it a point to wear them as often as possible. “Leather shoes are difficult to maintain in rainy seasons.

If they get wet once, it’s fine but if it happens regularly, the shoes are going to spoil. But I can’t help it, they are something I grew up with and I love them.”  Which is why Sweta wants to make the, accessible to all. Along with Rajasthani footwear, she also sources and sells the state’s handicrafts. Wooden trays, coasters, furniture, lamps and more can be bought from her. A reminder of a home she hardly gets to visit these days, her venture keeps her connected. “Initially, as a stay-at-home mother, I’d bake. I even turned it into a business but did it full time. But then it struck me that I could source the best looking Jodhpuri’s, the ones that are in trend, and sell them. High is when baking became my hobby and this, my career,”she says. And the great thing about mojaris, as she mentions, is that they are suitable for every occasion. With the right push, your feet could outshine you.