About us

It Didn’t Start with a Business Plan

Gulail Studio didn’t start in a boardroom. It started with a CSS exam I failed during the COVID lockdown.

When my plans abruptly changed, I found myself back home in Charsadda. This district has been the heart of the authentic Peshawari chappal for generations, long before anyone marketed it as a "heritage craft." Growing up, this wasn’t a fashion trend; it was simply what people wore. It was what the artisans two streets over made by hand, the exact same way their fathers and grandfathers had.

Rediscovering Pashtun Craftsmanship

During the lockdown, I began looking closely at the centuries-old craftsmanship happening right in my backyard.

I watched artisans practicing true Pashtun craftsmanship working meticulously with pure leather and hand-cutting a durable truck tyre rubber sole for every pair. These were fully handcrafted techniques passed down without manuals or factory assembly lines. It felt fundamentally wrong that these premium Peshawari chappals were staying strictly local, while mass-produced, lower-quality replicas dominated the market for anyone buying a Peshawari chappal online in Pakistan.

That realization was the birth of Gulail.

More Than Just Saplay

The name is deliberately not "Saplay." While Saplay is our signature footwear line, Gulail Studio represents the bigger vision. I wanted the space to grow beyond a single product without being boxed into a name that only means sandals.

No Shortcuts. Pure Leather & Hand-Stitched Heritage.

Today, every pair of handmade leather sandals we sell—from the classic Kaptaan Chappal to unique Charsadda Chappal designs—is still crafted right here. We are not a brand that built a superficial supply chain; we are a community we grew up inside of.

Our promise for every pair of traditional Peshawari shoes is simple:

• Pure, premium leather
• Meticulous hand-stitching
• An authentic truck tyre sole built to outlast fleeting trend cycles

We take absolutely no shortcuts, because the shortcuts are exactly what we set out to avoid.

From Charsadda to the World

We’ve been featured on the BBC and shipped our handcrafted footwear all across Pakistan.

Yet, we are still run by the person who grew up watching this craft happen firsthand, not an outside founder who "discovered" Charsadda later and decided to bring it to a global audience. I didn’t need to discover it. It’s home.

If you’re wearing Gulail, you’re wearing something made by people I know, from a place I’m incredibly proud to be from.

— Saif, Founder, Gulail Studio