Famous Pakistani cobbler crafts shoes for crown prince

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has received royal’s gift from Chacha Noor Din and his son Islam Udin. (Photo courtesy: Noor-ud-Din)

For Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s specially-designed footwear, cobbler Noor Din said he polished it one last time before packing it in a box which was inscribed with the Kaptan Chappal wordings. (AN photo)

The pair of sandals, also known as the Kaptan chappal, boasts a double sole and gained popularity after they were popularized by ex-cricketer turned Prime Minister Imran Khan in 2014. (AN photo)

The centuries-old Peshawari chappal is finding favor with millennials too who are drawn by its unique style in new markets. (AN photo)

Cobbler Noor Din said he uses imported stuff to design the sandals which makes them extremely comfortable to wear. (AN photo)

In this dated photograph, Chacha Noor can be seen gifting a pair of sandals to international cricketer, Darren Sammy who leads the Peshawar Zalmit team in the Pakistan Super League. (AN photo)

Before the Kaptan chappal brought fame to Peshawar, it was the district of Charsaddah market which was popular for the indigenous product. (AN photo)

• Famous Peshawari cobbler to gift two sandals to Saudi prince in Islamabad
• “I want to lay the whole universe at prince’s feet,” — Noor-ud-Din

PESHAWAR: A renowned sandal maker in Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar, Chacha Noor-ud-Din, will be gifting two of his famous hand-crafted leather sandals to the Saudi crown prince in Islamabad during his two-day visit.
Indigenous to the Pashtuns of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the traditional sandal known as the Peshawari Chappal became iconic in recent years as Prime Minister Imran Khan’s footwear of choice, and one he has worn at all state and formal gatherings after coming to power last year. 
An emotional Noor-ud-Din told Arab News that the crown prince was coming from the land of his beloved Prophet (PBUH).
“I want to lay my heart and the whole universe at the prince’s feet,” he said. 
Noor-ud-Din set up his business in Peshawar’s bustling old Namak Mandi market in 1976, and despite deteriorating sales in the past, has resurfaced as one of the province’s most popular shoe-makers with his custom-made, double-sole sandals coveted by national and international celebrities, as well as local parliamentarians, bureaucrats and army officers.
With the approval of Pakistan’s information ministry, Noor-ud-Din says he is now heading for the capital before the crown prince’s arrival on Sunday, with one black and one camel colored pair in the prince’s size, size 12, as confirmed by the government.
 “I wish to knot the chappal in Muhammad Bin Salman’s feet myself, but I am aware of tough security and a busy schedule,” he said, after polishing the shoes one last time and placing them in their box.
“I hope he will accept this small indigenous gift from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”