Peranakan beaded slippers, also known as kasot manek, literally meaning shoe beads, is a type of shoe that dates back to the early twentieth century. These shoes were worn by a Peranakan women, also known as a nonya.
The intricacy and fine workmanship of a pair of beaded slipper is also a hallmark of highly accomplished nonya.
Uncle was telling us that currently, only Malacca is still producing this type of shoes and that the beads are sewed on one by one. The whole process take more than 2 months to complete just a pair of shoes. Of course, with the worksmanship and effort, a pair of beaded shoes would demand an expensive price.
Uncle shared the stories of how the shop was passed down to his generation..
Demonstrating to us while chatting
Unlike most seller, the uncle was not all about the sales of shoes. He took pride in the items that he made and is more than willing to share the stories and histories to us.
If you ever visit Malacca, please do visit his shop. You should see a pair of 3-inch shoes right on display at the entrance!
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