In 1938, buried under volcanic ash in a cave near Fort Rock, Oregon several pairs of sagebrush sandals were discovered. Some dating back as far as 10,500 years ago. But those are not the ones that I'm referring to here.
The oldest sandals in the world that are still produced come from the Kolhapur region in India. They have been made by family members, one generation after the next, for so long that no one remembers when they first began. They aren't even sure if the city was named after the sandals, or if the sandals were named after the city. But even today in a city of approximately 600,000 people it's estimated that at least 20,000 people still earn their living by making handmade sandals.
Kolhapuri sandals, most often referred to as "Jesus or buffalo sandals" have an international appeal and are sold in counties around the globe. Back in the late '60s and early '70s they were extremely popular amongst the college crowd and hippies of the Woodstock Music era. Now days there is still a demand for them for customers of all ages. The you people want them because they are so unusual and eco-friendly. Due to the fact that buffalo sandals are completely handcrafted and use no modern components such as plastics, rubber, or glue, ...they are completely Green and environmentally friendly. The older people love them too. The Jesus sandals remind them of their youth and all the great music of the day.
When shopping for buffalo sandals always keep in mind that the quality varies greatly from one retailer to the next. Over the years some of the original families and members that know the craft have migrated to other areas of India. Frequently, these unsupervised craftsmen will substitute materials and time to make a quick buck. So when buying buffalo sandals online at sites such as eBay it's very hard to judge the quality. If you see a low price of $10 or $15 on a website, it's likely that your new Jesus sandals will fall apart or smell like diesel oil when they arrive.
For the best quality I would suggest going to http://www.jollyknocker.com/
