Clothe your feet
If you are into shoes, you know there is no dearth of shoe shops in Sri Lanka. You also know that most shoes in the Sri Lankan market are imported. Even the local manufacturers of shoes produce designs that are, well, don’t quite have a local feel. Like one that is made of handloom material. 
“My shoes are handmade using handloom material. All my raw materials are sourced from within the country. The handloom fabric comes from Pamunuwa in Maharagama,” says Jafer Israth, the young man behind Pedals.
He designs, and with the help of three craftsmen, produces the beautiful, colourful designs with a very Sri Lankan look and feel.
Pedals currently offers about 6-7 designs, in different colours. One popular design is the ballet flat. What is unique about this is that not only does it come in sizes 4-9, but it also comes in two widths: a standard width, and a broader width. “If you take the average ballet flat, it’s usually very narrow. We have two versions; the average sized ballet flat and a wide ballet flat. The wide ballet flat is very popular among ladies who have bunions.”
Another recently launched design comes with interchangeable straps.
“In this one, the base is black. It comes with the basic black strap, and has a extra coloured strap which you can change.” The straps come in a variety of colours which can be purchased for an additional Rs100.
Jafer didn’t start out as an entrepreneur or a designer. “I come from an IT background; I’ve tried marketing, hospitality, business management. But then at one point I realised that I don’t belong in a place where I sit and work.” Jafer admits that he still freelancers because he needs money to get his shoes off the ground.
He explained how he got into designing and making shoes. “My friend’s mother had a factory where she was manufacturing shoes for small players in the local market. Mainly in the outstations. There was no brand involved,” “She had followed a course, trained a few people. But then she got sick and couldn’t do it anymore.
When I visited the place I saw that it had a lot of potential. I asked if I could take over and she said yes.”
Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
Jafer started selling his brand at the Good Market in December 2016. “I decided when I took over, that I won’t be supplying any other brands, it would be my own brand.”
On a trip to the Maldives, Jafer took a few samples with him and realised there was quite a demand for the unique footwear.
He admits that having one’s own business is not all sunshine and roses. “It’s really challenging to have your own factory. There’s so much temptation to outsource it. But I know friends who have done this and they are at the mercy of suppliers. This way we retain control.”
“All my money has gone into R&D at this point. I strongly believe that’s where it should be.”
Jafer explains that since his production capacity is not very high, roughly 300 pairs a month, he is careful about managing demand. “We are a niche product, we don’t do mass production, and we also don’t do custom made. I am however trying something new; if you have a design that I think might work, I can make it in a limited edition, 48 pairs of it, and I will put your name on the brand. So Pedals by xxx,” he smiles. “You get a brand too.”
Jafer is keen about minimising the use of synthetic materials in his footwear and ensuring they are made of sustainable, environmentally friendly material instead.
“We avoid plastic. But there is some synthetic elements, this is so I can sell at Rs1,800. Otherwise I can’t keep the prices low,” he explains ruefully. “I use PU, which has more rubber and less PVC in it.”
“If I could, I would move to something called Piñatex, which is something made out of pineapple leaf – someone in the UK has patented it. A metre costs about Rs12,000.” Pedals footwear is available at The Design Collective at Gandhara, Ramp at Liberty Plaza, and every Saturday at The Good Market.
“There’s demand, especially from expats,” says Jafer. He reveals that there was an offer to buy him out, but that he said no: “I am determined and passionate to make this my own and pass it on.”
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