About Us — Saheliyan (سہیلیاں)
Rooted in Tradition. Made for Today.
Every culture has a way of walking through the world, and in Pakistan, that walk has always had a sound of its own the soft shuffle of a hand-embroidered khussa, the click of a kolhapuri on old city stone, the quiet confidence of shoes made by hands that learned the craft from the generation before them.
That sound is where Saheliyan begins.
Founded in 2021 in Lahore by siblings Memona Maryum, Umar Yasen and Uzman Yasen, Saheliyan was built on a simple belief: traditional Pakistani footwear deserved a modern home — one that honored the artisans who've kept this craft alive for generations, while giving it a place in the wardrobes of women living everyday, contemporary lives. What started as a small, heritage-first idea in Model Town, Lahore has grown into one of Pakistan's most loved footwear and accessories labels, now shipping worldwide and worn by women who want their style to carry a story.
The name itself — Saheliyan, meaning "friends" or "companions" — was chosen deliberately. In Pakistani culture, your saheliyan are the ones who walk beside you through everything: weddings, festivals, ordinary Tuesdays, and everything in between. We wanted a brand that felt like that. Not just a shoe on your feet, but a companion in every step of your story.
Who We Are
Saheliyan is a Lahore-born footwear and accessories label, family-founded and family-run, specializing in handcrafted khussas, kolhapuris, kohati chappals, heels, and accessories designed for the modern South Asian woman.
We're not a factory-first brand that happens to sell traditional shoes — we're a traditional-craft brand that happens to run like a modern e-commerce business. That distinction matters to us. Behind every listing on this site is a real workshop, a real artisan, and a real design decision made by people who grew up around this craft rather than discovering it as a trend. We sit at the intersection of two worlds: the generations-old skill of Pakistani hand-craftsmanship, and the expectations of a modern customer who wants easy browsing, reliable shipping, and a brand she can trust — whether she's ordering from Lahore or from London.
Our Mission
To keep the art of handcrafted Pakistani footwear alive — and thriving — by making it beautifully, wearably relevant for the modern woman, wherever she lives in the world.
We exist to give traditional craftsmanship a future, not just a past. Every khussa, kolhapuri, and potli bag we make is a small act of preservation: work done by skilled artisans, using techniques passed down through families, made for women who want to wear their heritage with pride rather than pack it away for special occasions only.
Our Vision
To become the name the world thinks of first when it thinks of Pakistani handcrafted footwear — recognized not just for beautiful design, but for genuine respect toward the artisans and traditions behind every pair.
We want a woman in Lahore, London, or Los Angeles to be able to open a Saheliyan box and feel the same thing: that she's wearing something made with real hands, real skill, and real intention — not mass-produced, not hollow, not disconnected from where it came from.
Our Goals
- Protect and celebrate artisanal craft. We work directly with skilled local artisans, ensuring traditional embroidery, mirror work, and hand-finishing techniques remain at the center of everything we make — not replaced by shortcuts.
- Make heritage wearable, every day. We design footwear and accessories that move comfortably between a wedding, a festive gathering, and an ordinary day out — because tradition shouldn't be reserved for special occasions.
- Reach the women who miss home. Through worldwide shipping, we want every woman living outside Pakistan to be able to feel connected to home through something as simple, and as personal, as her shoes.
- Never compromise on comfort. Beautiful craftsmanship means nothing if it isn't wearable — every design is built with cushioned insoles, considered fit, and durability in mind.
- Let every woman make it her own. Through our custom juttis and personalization options, we want Saheliyan to feel less like a store and more like a design partner for your individual style.
Our Philosophy
Craftsmanship is not a marketing word for us — it's the entire business. Every pair of Saheliyan footwear passes through the hands of artisans who've spent years, sometimes decades, mastering techniques like hand embroidery, mirror work, and embellishment. We believe that skill deserves to be seen, valued, and paid for properly — not hidden behind a factory label.
Tradition and modernity aren't opposites. A khussa can sit beside a pair of jeans as easily as it sits beside a festive lehenga. We design with that duality in mind — pieces rooted in heritage motifs and techniques, but shaped for how women actually dress today.
Comfort is not optional. We've all owned a beautiful pair of shoes we could never actually wear. At Saheliyan, cushioned soles and considered fit are part of the design process from day one, not an afterthought bolted on later.
Personal style deserves personal pieces. That's the thinking behind our custom jutti offering — because heritage craftsmanship should still leave room for individuality.
A brand should feel like a companion, not just a store. From our name to how we talk to our customers, we want Saheliyan to feel like the friend who always knows exactly what to wear — because saheliyan look out for each other.
Our Impact
Beyond the shoes themselves, Saheliyan exists to protect something bigger: a craft, and the people who carry it.
Supporting artisan livelihoods. Traditional khussa-making, embroidery, and mirror work are skills that take years to master — and in an era of mass-produced, machine-made footwear, artisans practicing these crafts are often the first to be pushed out of the market. By building our entire business around handcrafted techniques, we create consistent, ongoing work for skilled artisans and their families in and around Lahore, rather than treating their craft as a novelty.
Keeping heritage skills alive for the next generation. Many traditional crafts fade not because the skill disappears, but because there's no longer a market for it, and younger generations move toward more "commercially viable" work instead of learning from their elders. Every Saheliyan order helps keep demand for this craftsmanship alive — which, in a very real way, helps keep the craft itself alive.
Strengthening a local, community-based supply chain. Rather than outsourcing production to large anonymous factories, we work closely with artisans and small workshops rooted in Lahore's traditional footwear-making communities — supporting local economic activity at a grassroots level.
Championing women's confidence and self-expression. Our own founding team includes a woman at its center, and our brand voice — "Empowering Women, One Step at a Time" — reflects a genuine intent behind the products we make: footwear that lets women feel rooted in their culture and confident in their individuality, whether they're dressed for a wedding or an ordinary Tuesday.
We don't position this as a charity story — it's simply what running an honest, craftsmanship-first business in this industry actually looks like. But we're proud of it, and we think it's part of why customers trust Saheliyan the way they do.
A Word From Our Founders
Memona Maryum, Umar Yasen & Uzman Yasen — Founders, Saheliyan
"We started Saheliyan because we grew up around this craft around artisans who could take a piece of leather and thread and turn it into something that felt like art. We didn't want that skill to fade into the background while the rest of fashion moved on without it. We wanted to build something that let it lead.
Every collection we release still starts with the same question we asked in 2021: does this respect the hands that made it, and will a woman actually want to wear it every day? If both answers are yes, it becomes a Saheliyan design."
— Memona Maryum, Umar Yasen & Uzman Yasen
(This is a draft founder's note written in the voice of your brand — please review, adjust, or replace with your own words before publishing, since we don't have a verified quote on file from you.)
What We Make
Saheliyan's collection spans handcrafted khussas, kolhapuris, kohati chappals, heels, slides, loafers, and a curated line of potli bags and clutches — each designed with the same commitment to artisanal detail, whether it's a casual everyday sandal or a heavily embellished bridal khussa. Our Custom Juttis service lets customers choose their own fabrics, colors, and embellishments, turning traditional footwear into something entirely personal.
Every piece is made in Lahore, the historic heart of Pakistani craftsmanship, by artisans who bring generations of technique to every stitch.
Why Us
There are countless places to buy footwear online. Here's why women choose to buy it from Saheliyan, specifically:
- Real handcraftsmanship, not imitation. Hand embroidery, mirror work, and embellishment done by skilled artisans — not machine-replicated patterns sold under a "traditional" label.
- A brand built by the culture it represents. Saheliyan wasn't started by outsiders spotting a trend — it was founded by a Lahore family who grew up around this craft and understands it from the inside.
- Comfort without compromise. Cushioned insoles and considered fit, so beautiful footwear never means sacrificing your feet by the end of the night.
- A design partner, not just a store. Through our Custom Juttis service, you choose the fabric, color, and embellishment — your style, made real.
- Craftsmanship with a conscience. Every order supports real artisan livelihoods and helps keep a generations-old craft economically viable.
- Rooted in Lahore, delivered worldwide. Proudly made in Pakistan's cultural capital, shipped to doorsteps around the globe.
- Free nationwide shipping and Cash on Delivery within Pakistan, with reliable international delivery for customers abroad.
- A brand that feels like a friend. True to our name, we aim for every interaction — from browsing to unboxing — to feel personal, not transactional.
Join the Saheliyan Family
Whether you're dressing for a wedding, a festive gathering, or simply an ordinary day that deserves a little more beauty in it, Saheliyan is here to walk beside you — the way a good saheli always does. Explore our collections, personalize your own pair through Custom Juttis, and become part of a story that's been generations in the making.