India is famous for its leather productsThe state of Uttar Pradesh is an important source for finished leather and leather products. The Tanneries in Kanpur are known all over the world for the finest quality leather tanned by them. Kanpur and Agra in U.P are the two renowned production centre for leather items. While Kanpur is known for leather horse riding equipment, footwear, bags and purses, Agra is famous for shoes and shoe, garments etc. Agra is considered to be the biggest footwear-manufacturing centre in India. During Mughal reign, shoe and chappals were manufactured for the royal families. Western shoes were introduced in Agra after the East India Company took over Agra fort. To meet the demand of British soldiers, shoemakers from England were brought to train the local skilled artisans. By the end of World War II, market for Agra shoes expanded within the country and to outside countries like Iran, Iraq and East European countries.

The manufacture of leather articles is carried out all over Rajasthan. Shoes made for rural use have a robust strength with bold patterns executed in very bright colours and heavy coarse stitches. Jodhpur and Jaipur are famous for making light, boat-shaped slip-on shoes called mojris. Kohlapur in Maharashtra is also famous for its kohlapuri chappals which are popular for their softness and durability.

The skins used earlier were of tiger and deer particularly of the dark variety. Santiniketan under poet Tagore`s guidance blazed the trail for the modern decorative leather items, which include current utility articles. It paved the way for a wider use of this wonderful material man sought. Because of its wide prevalence in the rural areas, much of the tanning is locally done by indigenous methods which are quite laborious.

Shoes from Jalesar, in Etawa district are remarkable for lightness and durability. Fancy article of embroidered leather produced in Kanpur have batik designs.

Fine Art of leather
A particular type of thickish shoes known as mojdis are made. They are usually ornamented with silk or metal embroidery or beads or designs done in applique with thin leather pieces of different colours.

Artistic / handmade leather goods with geometric, floral and figurative motifs pressed into tanned leather and sometimes filled with various colours are particularly attractive. In footwear, the style is confined to open sandals. The plain ones are in sophisticated designs, the other in leather painted in varied colours and designs. The designs on handbags are in batik style with the cracks, bold curves and lines and the traditional motifs. The seat covers are highly decorated with geometrical patterns or motifs, largely copied from alpana designs or even more from embroideries. Semi-leather seats are also made using wooden or bamboo frames or sometimes with little touch of brass.

Kolhapur is famous for its leather craft, particularly its finely designed and crafted chappals or sandals. A range of traditional designs employing methods of tooling, fine thronging and plaiting on the uppers is used. The chappals are open cut and most comfortable, and very popular the world over.

As hand tooled products, leather craft has a precision, clarity and plasticity of its own. The most fascinating items of leather crafts are artistic bags purses, jackets and hand crafted sandals and slippers. The designs are extremely delicate and bright.

Procedure of making leather products
Leather is first softened and stretched over a clay mould made in the required shape. When the leather hardens, the clay is washed away. A kind of gasso work is used for decoration purpose. At first the pattern is drawn on the leather. After this the portion to be ornamented is raised by applying repeatedly a special preparation of shell powder mixed with glue and a kind of wood apple. The risen surface is painted in gold and other colours while the base is coloured black or red to make the shades at the top stand out.

Sheep skin or goat skin is first tanned either with tannic acid derived from bark of tree or from potassium dichromate to avoid the decay. It is finished with aniline. Pattern of the shoe or chappal is drawn on a thick paper. This tracing is kept on the leather, which is cut accordingly. To prepare the edges of the leather for sawing, weight and thickness of the hide is considered. If a heavier weight skin is sewn, inner edges to be joined are carefully thinned. Once skived and creased, heavy leathers are handled like light and medium weights. Stitch gauge is used to mark the seams for stitch holes. Lighter the leather, smaller the spaces between the stitches. To give a firm support glue is applied to the flesh or inner side of seam.

Leather craft of India has become a profitable industry. Utilitarian items like shoes, jackets, lampshades, pouches, bags, belts, wallets, stuffed toys etc made from leather are popular in India and abroad.