Kolhapuri slippers for Rs 100,000? Prada’s new luxury footwear gets slammed on Internet

The West seems to have just woken up to the wonders of Kolhapuri slippers. Italian luxury house Prada recently unveiled its Spring/Summer 2026 Men’s Collection and left desi fashion aficionados shocked in disbelief. The reason: The luxury brand also introduced a new set of footwear that bears a striking similarity to the iconic Kolhapuri chappals or slippers.

Originating in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, these leather one-toe slippers have been part of Indian traditional wear for time immemorial. The luxury brand seems to have taken inspiration, rebranded it for the West.

It comes at a whopping price, though. According to Instagram fashion critic Diet Sabya, Prada has priced the footwear at£1,000 a pair – that is roughly Rs 1 lakh or Rs 0.1 million. An average pair of Kolhapuris in Indian markets costs somewhere between Rs 250- Rs 1200, depending on the quality and make of the slippers.

As soon as Prada shared a video of models walking the runway in what seemed to be a slicker, plain version of the popular Indian design, social media erupted with reactions. Most were amused, but some were outrage,d and many questioned the lack of cultural credit.

Internet reacts: ‘Sarojini went international’

Celebrity stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania called out the Luxury brand as she shared a photo from the Prada show on Instagram and pointed out what was on everyone’s mind- these weren't just any designer sandals; they were "a pair of good old Kolhapuri chappals."

Diet Sabya, meanwhile, shared a long post on how the West was now borrowing from Indian craftsmanship and giving it a label and putting an exorbitant price tag on it.

“All that embroidery, all that artisanal flex, all produced in India. Always has been,” they added.

The internet, too, did not hold back as they called out Prada for stealing an idea and not giving due credit.

"How easily brands take away the OG identity and think it’s ok to do that… Guts" wrote a user while another hilariously pointed out, "Sarojini went international."

Another user expressed, "What's new? Take something from us and rebrand them and call it avant garde. I see exploitation.🙃"

One wrote, “These joggers are at every street vendor in Delhi’s Lajpat, Sarojini, Karol Bagh, etc. markets😮‍💨 for ₹150-300🥲.”

While fashion always reinvents, Prada’s new design seems to be slightly tone deaf without the label giving appropriate credit to Indian craftsmen.