Longing for a pair of soft, hand-crafted shchiteqler is a no brainer. The Tatar boots’ undeniable appeal, unforgettable artistry and luxurious feel leave no one indifferent – little or old, ages or miles apart.

Our cutest model, Beekeh, who is celebrating her first anniversary this week, here in USA, thousand miles away from her birth country of Turkiye – is rocking the Tatar shchiteqler that she borrowed from a 50-year-old young-looking doll, whose Tatar ethnic outfit was lovingly crafted by 80-year-old Flora Kalmurzina in Kazan.

Flora hanum could not have imagined that her tiny shchiteqler (hand-stitched in 2012) would be adored by a little beauty in 2025, over five thousand miles away from Kazan, Tatarstan. A hundred years before and over one thousand miles apart in the city of Istanbul in 1912 while writing short story “Kezhul shchiteq”, the prominent Tatar genius Gayaz Iskhaki could not have fathomed that an iconic Tatar footwear craft would have survived the tumultuous beginning of the 21^st century mostly due to humble efforts of amateurs like Flora Kalmurzina. 

Although Beekeh is not yet knowledgeable of exceptional value of shchiteqler made with the unique technology of kaiyly kün (aka Tatar leather mosaic), her excitement is comparable with little Ahmadulla’s anticipation described in Iskhaki’s story. It opens up with the boy waiting for his father bring him a coveted pair of shchiteqler, a symbol of status and wellness in early 20st century. Little boy has been dreaming about the boots made from the highest quality fragrant supple goat leather that had been processed with exceptional technology mastered by the Volga Bulgars (ancestors of the Tatars) over thousand years ago…

Linking time and space via material culture and emotional response allows experiencing past, present and future in one continuum. Exploratory connections encourage appreciation of history and respect to collective memory that are foundation for meaningful future!

Wondering if Ahmadulla got his dream shchiteqler? Gayaz Iskhaki’s “Kezhul shchiteq” short story is written in Tatar language, originally with Arabic script. It has been transliterated in Cyrilic and Latin. You can read a Latin version here, a Cyrillic version here. Audio recording is also available here. Google offers a good translation into English of the Cyrillic version but not the Latin. Want us to reveal you a twist in the plot? Message us in Instagram.