Punjabi Jutti Emporium

If you walk down to Clock Tower Market near the Golden Temple, you’ll see our spot. Punjabi Jutti Emporium is tucked away in number 7. It’s a busy corner of the world. There’s always music and the smell of food from the nearby stalls. Inside, the shelves are just piled high with leather shoes. We don’t have fancy lighting or anything like that. Just some old fans and a lot of boxes. Most of the day is spent pulling down pairs for people to try on. Some want plain ones for everyday walkabouts and others want the heavy gold thread work for a cousin's wedding. The leather has a certain smell that never really leaves the room. Sometimes the fit isn’t perfect right away but that’s how these shoes go. They take a bit of time to get used to your feet. My family has been doing this for a long time. We know which hide is soft and which one will last through a rainy season. It’s a lot of sitting on the floor and chatting with folks who wandered in after their prayers. We keep a pot of tea going in the back. It’s nothing special, just a shop where we sell what we know. The floor is a bit worn out from all the walking. We open early when the sun is still low over the temple and stay until the market starts to quiet down at night.