The discovery of an artist is undeniably a fulfilling and enriching journey. Each artist possesses a unique and captivating story that adds depth and significance to their art. While the craft itself may not be entirely novel, it is the artist’s personal journey that imbues their work with distinctiveness. Therefore, it is always enthralling to delve into their world and share their narratives.

Recently, we had the pleasure of meeting Kaka Sumi, an exceptional shoe designer hailing from Nagaland. Kaka has just unveiled his latest collection of men’s sandals, now available at Roots & Leisure Marketplace (see details below). During our conversation, we explored Kaka’s unwavering passion for shoes and delved into the inspirations behind his new collection.

• R&L: Hi Kaka! We love what you are wearing – especially your sandals! Tell us a little bit about yourself. 

Kaka: Hey thank you! These are Kaka Sumi sandals 🙂 So glad to be having this conversation with the R&L team. Ok as an introduction, I am a 28-year-old shoe designer who has had a lifelong obsession with beautiful things – especially shoes. I have just launched my own brand of men’s leather sandals. Two of them ‘Troy’ and ‘Adam’ are up on my Roots and Leisure Shop

• R&L: How was it growing up in Nagaland? Tell us how this fascination with shoes started.

• R&L: What is the theme behind your strappy men’s sandals?

Kaka: Just as it is about fashion and elegance, it is also about being practical; I mean, the Indian summers can be long and very hot! So the whole idea is to find a solution to this. Also while filling this gap, it is also about genuinely wanting to make men wear better shoes. Why should they be left with boring generic designs? Especially when our country produces some of the finest leathers. Also, why should these leather crafts only be exported overseas? With all of these questions and thoughts in my head, I finally launched my own line of stylish leather sandals for men.

In addition to the design, a lot of thought also went into the technical aspects, for example, I specifically chose leather for the soles as well – to prevent slippage. I saw that this is a big problem for sweaty feet.

With this first collection, I tried to combine carefully crafted, comfortable flat sandals for men – with experimental designs. It has three categories: Classic, Dressy formal, and Sophisticated casual contemporary. The price range is from INR 3800- INR 4500. They are available at the Kaka Sumi’s store at Roots and Leisure Shop. 

• R&L: Where else do you retail?

Kaka: As of now, I’m looking at Roots and Leisure’s shop for retailing – where interested buyers can buy online. I also retail through social media, and I ship across the country (from Nagaland). I have also just launched a home-based studio in Dimapur.

More Shoe Art on KaKa Sumi Design’s Instagram!