This year I decided to bring in a little more tradition into my Hari Raya Aidil-Fitri (that's what most call Eid-ul-Fitr over here in Malaysia) footwear. A pair of traditional hand made capal.
The Capal or Chapal as some spell it has its origins in the Indian sub-continent and was believed to be first brought to these parts by traders to Malacca in the 15th century and was assumed to be widely used by those of the Malacca Sultanate. The Indian origin chapal was then made and adapted by local Malays into what we see today - a thong slipper made out of leather. The 'Y' shaped strap is made from soft cow leather and a tougher buffalo hide is used to make the top part of the sole. It has a rubber sole with a 1-1.5inch heel instead of being flat like a pair of flip flops.
