Tyre and Cork or EVA Foam? A Plain Guide to Peshawari Chappal Soles

When people pick a Peshawari chappal, they look at the leather and the colour first. Fair enough. But the part you stand on all day is the sole, and it decides more about how a pair feels than almost anything else: how heavy it is, how it grips, how it looks with your clothes, and how your feet feel by the evening.

Here is a plain guide to each sole we use, so you can choose without guessing.

Our soles at a glance

• EVA foam sole: the lightest and softest. Stitched on, not just glued.
• Medium tyre and cork sole: the classic look. Steady, grounded and smart with formal clothes.
• Thick tyre and cork sole: the chunky one. Rigid and bold, with the most solid step.
• Simple rubber sole: on our Cedar and Essentials pairs. Plain, low and made for everyday wear.

EVA foam: light and soft underfoot

EVA is a foam. It is far lighter than rubber and it gives a little with every step, so it takes the hard edge off tiles, roads and marble floors. On our pairs the EVA sole is stitched to the chappal, not only glued, so the edges stay where they should.

Five pairs sit on it. In suede: Signature Black, Coco Dune and Autumn Dune Air. In leather: Midnight Legacy and Old Grain. Coco Dune and Autumn Dune Air weigh only about 300 to 350 grams per chappal, which is about as light as a Peshawari chappal gets.

Choose EVA if you are on your feet all day, walk a lot, wear chappals to the office, or travel. If you often walk on rough, stony ground, a tyre and cork sole will feel more sure footed. All five EVA pairs are together in lightweight Peshawari chappals.

Medium tyre and cork: the classic

Our medium sole is a cork sheet with tyre rubber underneath. The rubber grips and stands up to rough ground, and the cork sits between it and your foot. It has the grounded, traditional look most people picture when they think of a Peshawari chappal, and it sits well under a crisp shalwar kameez and waistcoat.

You will find it on Old Money Black, Old Money Brown and Heritage Chestnut in leather, and on Harbour Dune in navy suede. Harbour Dune's sole is made slightly thicker for a firmer step, with a fine red stripe running around the edge. Every one of these pairs has a dotted memory foam insole on top.

Choose the medium sole if you want a pair for weddings, Eid and Jummah that still works on an ordinary day, or if you stand for long hours at events and like a steady feel under you.

Thick tyre and cork: the chunky sole

This is the same build as the medium sole, with more of it. It is rigid and raised, and it gives the boldest look and the firmest step of anything we make. It suits men who like a strong, solid chappal and do not mind a heavier feel than EVA.

Two suede pairs use it: Autumn Dune in beige and Graphite Grace in grey. Both have the dotted memory foam insole, and both are in chunky sole chappals.

Choose the thick sole if you walk on rough ground, spend time outdoors, or simply want a chappal that looks and feels strong.

The simple rubber sole on Cedar and Essentials

Not every pair needs a big sole. The Cedar Pair, Burnt Cedar and Charred Cedar at Rs 6,950, sits on a lightweight rubber sole with a dotted memory foam insole. Baaz Essentials, Raw Black and Raw Cedar at Rs 4,450, use a durable rubber sole with a simple foam padded insole. These are the pairs for everyday wear, from the market to a Friday afternoon at home.

So which sole should you pick?

• Long days on your feet, lots of walking: EVA foam. Start with Coco Dune or Autumn Dune Air.
• Weddings, Eid and formal days: the medium tyre and cork sole on Old Money or Heritage Chestnut.
• Rough ground, or a bold look: the thick sole on Autumn Dune or Graphite Grace.
• A good everyday pair on a budget: Raw Black or Raw Cedar.
• Room for two pairs: an EVA pair for daily wear and a medium sole pair for occasions covers almost everything.

Comfort is about more than the sole: the insole, the size and the first few days of wear all matter too. We go through all of that in Why Peshawari Chappals Hurt, and How to Choose a Comfortable Pair.

Bigger feet? EVA, medium and thick sole pairs all come in Big and Tall, sizes 47 to 50, made to order.

Looking after the sole

Brush off dust and mud, and wipe the edge of the sole with a damp cloth. If your chappals get wet, let them dry on their own, away from direct heat, and never soak them. Our care guide, Why Most Leather Chappal Don't Actually Wear Out, has more.

Every pair is handmade in KP. Delivery is free anywhere in Pakistan, you pay cash when your chappals arrive, and you have 15 days to exchange a pair if the size is wrong. See every sole and style in Shop All.