Rs 1 lakh for rubber chappals in Saudi Arabia? Netizens walk away laughing

The internet is abuzz over a viral video from Saudi Arabia, in which a staff member at a footwear store sells hawai sandals/chappals for Rs 1 lakh, sparking widespread astonishment.

Netizens were shocked when a video went viral on the internet showing a shopkeeper selling Hawai sandals worth Rs 1 lakh in Saudi Arabia. The sandals had blue straps, which reminded Indian social media users of similar slippers that were quite common in the past. Not only this, but some of the X users also called these expensive Hawai sandals 'toilet footwear'. Some of the users also mentioned that these are available in the Indian local market at just Rs.400. 

The video was shot at a footwear store where a staff member demonstrated the goods on camera. The store salesperson, wearing gloves, took a pair of sandals with blue straps and set them on a table to show the customers. According to the reports, the sandals were being sold for 4,500 riyals, which is around Rs. 1,00,305 in Indian currency.

An X user named Rishi Bagree had share the video and with a written note, "We Indians use these sandals as toilet footwear." Very soon the video went viral and got huge views from all over the country. 

An Instagram user also commented, “First copy of the old paragon Hawaii slipper which is available in India. That is considered as the most powerful weapon of every mother of the 90s kids.” While another user asked, “What’s trendy here? And why are they kept in trays?? It’s a normal Paragon chappal.”

The same kind of incident occurred just a few years back. In 2019, the Italian luxury brand Gucci received massive backlash for selling some “unclean” trainers for £615, which was equivalent to approximately Rs. 66,000. On Gucci’s website, it read as, “A pastiche of different influences that span across decades, materials inspired by vintage sportswear.”