*ISLAMABAD – Famed for luxury red-soled stilettos,French shoe designerChristian Louboutin has taken inspiration for a new sandal from Pakistan’stribal frontier, sparking claims of cultural appropriation along with grinsfrom grizzled Pakistani cobblers.*
A post on Louboutin’s Instagram last month announcing the release of theshoe sparked a social media frenzy in Pakistan, with fans praising thelatest homage to the country’s rich artisan traditions
The “Imran” — a flamboyant sandal complete with metal studs along withsplashes of orange and silver — is inspired by the country’s traditionalPeshawari chappal, according to the fashion house.
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The chappal has long been a staple for ethnic Pashtuns — from ordinarylabourers to the country’s political elite — in Pakistan’s northwest and istermed ‘Peshawari Chappal’.
