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Capal regaining popularity

JOHOR BARU: The capal – the pair of traditional Malay sandals that goes with the baju melayu – is enjoying a revival.

The handmade footwear is no longer associated with the image of old men who often wear them to go for their prayers in the mosque.

“Capal has gained popularity among young people in recent years, and it is now a trend to pair them with jeans or khaki pants for the weekend,’’ said Capal Kulit Aril’s sales assistant Nurhana Anuar.

“Our capal comes in 20 colours such as mustard yellow, purple, green, navy blue, silver and gold.

“They can also be embossed with ostrich-like and snake-skin designs,’’ she added.

The shop operating in Jalan Bakri in Muar is only among a handful of capal makers in Johor.

Nurhana said that unlike the sandals made by machine, a handmade capal involved a slow process, which meant that customers had to pay more for the footwear.

“The response for our capal is encouraging, especially during Ramadan,’’ she said at the Bazaar Ramadan kiosk at Angsana Mall Johor Baru, near here.

The company, said Nurhana, only used cowhide and sheep skin for its capal.

A pair of capal in cowhide sells for RM129 while one in sheep skin can go for between RM189 and RM599.

She said there were also capal for children aged between six months and below 12.

The capal is believed to have been first introduced by Indian traders and at one time was very popular among the Malays.

Source: TheStar