Babouches Homme

In terms of Muslim dress, we had to introduce a pair of oriental shoes: men's slippers. These artisanal shoes very popular in the Maghreb are a judicious choice for all the dressing that we propose you. At Mon Qamis Homme, we consider clothing as an art and above all, we love tradition. For these reasons, follow us for an overview of these ancestral Moroccan shoes.

But by the way, what are men's babouches?

The babouche is a traditional leather shoe from the Arab-Muslim world. Its name comes from the Persian papush which combines the words "foot" and "cover" and therefore simply means shoe. In the Moroccan dialect, the term balgha is used to designate men's slippers. While charbil is used for women's models. If we speak to you about Moroccan dialect, it is because the babouche is also a pure product of Moroccan folklore.

Men's slippers: jewels of Moroccan craftsmanship

The Berbers, the first known inhabitants of Morocco, are the precursors in terms of crafts (carpets, jewelry and pottery in particular). After the arrival of the Arabs and the spread of Islam, other forms of crafts developed.

Each region now has its own specialties, depending on the raw materials available on its territory. Among all the forms of handicrafts in Morocco, it is the work of leather and embroidery that interests us today

Indeed, these are the two manual arts that are necessary for the making of Moroccan babouches. A quality Moroccan leather is essential to the craftsmen-babouchiers or maâlem. In the same way, the talents of the Moroccan embroiderers are convened for the manufacture of the leather babouches.

The most famous cities for their crafts are Fez, Marrakech, Essaouira and Rabat. Fez and Marrakech remain pioneers in the field of babouche, as they are known for their leather work. Their famous hand-sewn slippers are prized the world over. Today, there are still entire neighborhoods where tanners work around the colored vats. The show they offer is incomparable and out of time.

Manufacture of men's slippers

The design of leather slippers follows an ancestral process almost immutable. In fact, almost no change has occurred in the manufacture except for the choice of materials used. Indeed, modern slippers have various trimmings and are even made of suede or fabric. There are four main steps in the manufacturing process:

The cutting of the soles on a piece of thick calf leather. The contours are drawn beforehand and then cut out by hand with a large leather chise.

The preparation of the upper part. With the help of patterns, the babouchier draws then cuts the two upper parts of the babouche. The leather being doubled, he performs this operation in double
Decoration: the top of the babouche is then worked by the embroiderers. They put embroidery, sequins or semi-precious stones.
Assembly: the last step (and not the least) is to assemble everything. This requires a lot of precision and a great know-how in leather sewing. The embroidered side is first sewn to the plain side to double the thickness. Then, the whole is sewn to the sole by an extremely tight scallop stitch

The different types of babouches man

Berber babouches

The traditional Berber babouche also called Dambira babouche is THE authentic Moroccan babouche. This emblematic model of Moroccan craftsmanship has been worn by Bedouin men for a long time.

This traditional babouche is the first of its kind. It is a handmade leather babouche, comfortable and robust, with a round or square toe. It sometimes has a back strap that can be pulled up.

These Moroccan leather slippers are actually round-toed slippers, very solid, because they are designed for outdoor use.

The city slippers

These models, on the other hand, are pointed babouches or Aladin babouches. Unlike the square-toed babouches, rural and Berber, the city babouches are typically Arab. Flat and flexible, they can be slipped on like nothing. They are often worn as indoor slippers, but also as city shoes.

It is the model that we know the most. Tourists systematically take it in their luggage when visiting the Moroccan kingdom. Mythical symbol of the souks and bazaars, the modern babouches are declined to the infinity and surprise by their colors.

The yellow babouches are assimilated to the royal babouches and, therefore, very appreciated during the festivals. Moreover, we have a very nice pair of these Moroccan babouches for children and teenagers. So that your boy looks like a little prince at Eid, weddings or even for his tahra!

Match your shoes!

A beautiful pair of men's slippers is meant to be worn with equally traditional clothing. For this reason, Mon Qamis Homme makes some suggestions to you in order to match at best your traditional Moroccan shoes. So that your look is complete and impeccable and that you shine with elegance!

The jabador man: If you want to honor the fashion and the North African craft industry, the djabador man is made for you. In fact, this traditional North African outfit has two versions: an Algerian and a Moroccan. Oriental party outfit of first choice, comprising a tunic and pants decorated with embroidery, it will sublimate your babouches.

The set jubba gandoura: In order to remain 100% in the spirit of the Moroccan outfit, the jubbas gandoura set is very appropriate. This traditional Moroccan costume is composed of a long tunic with short sleeves going down to the ankles and a top.

The jubba is, in fact, a kind of long coat with a hood, worn over the gandoura. Both can be embroidered, usually quite soberly. It is truly the Moroccan garment par excellence, worn by all, on a daily basis as well as during festivals such as Eid.

The short thobe

The thobe, originating from the Arabian Peninsula, has a short version that is reminiscent of the Moroccan jabador. Also known as the short Pakistani thobe, it will fit perfectly with men's slippers. Although it is not a product of Moroccan craftsmanship, it is quite possible to match with them.

The clash of cultures is sometimes good!