There is a Sanskrit word, koshi. The word literally means “something that acts as a cover”. In its special sense, koshi means a covering for the soles of the feet, such as slippers, sandals, and so on. In ancient times, the Vipras, Kśatriyas and Vaeshyas in India would use grass koshis. But women and Shúdras were not entitled to use such koshis. Only in later times were women allowed to wear koshis, while Shúdras got the right to use koshis only if they were out of the sight of the Vipras, Kśatriyas and Vaeshyas. That is, Shúdras were forbidden from using koshis and umbrellas in front of the so-called upper castes.

Still later, when people began using leather in industry, the Shúdras were allowed to use leather koshis, but the Vipras, Kśatriyas and Vaeshyas continued to use grass koshis. Women could also wear grass koshis.

In north India when we were young, we saw that if the women had difficulty walking barefoot in the scorching heat of the midday sun, they could use grass koshis. Those grass koshis didn’t look so bad! Then women began to use leather footwear in the middle of the British period when the society became somewhat liberal. The use of grass koshis has virtually died out.