KABUL (SW): I was passing by the Pul-e Sokhta area that a skinny man with smoky face grabbed my shoulder bag. He was apparently a street seller with several items such as rings, plates, cups, and three shoes in front of him. He insisted that I purchase something from him.
According to him, the turquoise ring was an original one and was priced 100 AFN. He was asking me to buy the ring for myself or buy and gift it to someone else.
I saw a pair of shiny and glossy shoes. I asked how much the price for the shoes was; however, the man didn’t answer and still insisted on me to buy the ring from him. I told him, I am going to buy the pair of shoes if he gives me a good price. He asked for 70 AFN, though it was surprising to me that how a good quality shoe is sold at this low price!
To understand the market price, I decided to shop around and find the prices of shoes from the street sellers.
I visited the Sar-i Chowk area where you can find all kinds of shoes for women, men, kids; new and old; cheap and somehow expensive ones which are lined up on the side of the street in a market fashion.
The shoes were sold at a very low price of 100 to 200 AFN and you could get one for 50 AFN if you bargain. I guessed that if I purchased these shoes from a shop, the prices will range from 300 to 500 AFN, of course, you have to negotiate the price and always bargain, but still, the prices at the Sar-i Chowk area were a lot cheaper.
I asked another customer if he knows where these shoes have come from, he did not know but said it does not matter to him and said the important thing is that it is very cheap and reasonable price for the poor and people who can’t afford to purchase from the shops and regular market.
I wanted to get the seller’s comments on these shoes, however, he hesitated to talk and be recorded, saying that these are stolen shoes and he doesn’t want to hurt his business by talking about it.
The seller, who was an old man, had many stories to tell about his business. He seemed not happy to sell the stolen shoes, however, he said he has no other way to earn money for his family. He told about his previous business but since he couldn’t pay his rent he had been kicked out of the shop, so he has started selling the stolen shoes that mostly the addicted people bring to him.
He hinted that I visit the Lilami market in Kota Sangi area where all kinds of used items are sold.
Waliullah Jan, a shopkeeper in Kota Sangi bazaar told me that everyday people bring him stolen shoes, however, the shopkeepers don’t buy from them, though, the people who sell on hands or on the streets will purchase those and re-sell for a profit.
Another shopkeeper, Hussain Ahmadi, said a similar thing as Waliullah Jan told me, however, he added that selling the stolen items is prohibited in Islam. According to Hussain, the addicted people have stolen shoes from his shop as well.
It is a culture and tradition in Islamic societies that when entering holy places, you have to take off your shoes to respect the holy places, but sometimes, once you take off your shoes, chances are that they get stolen.
Almost anyone you ask in the city has experienced their shoes stolen once in their lifetime, mostly when they have put on expensive shoes.
Mohammad, a resident of Kabul said that he lost shoes twice, once in a training center and once in a holy place. However, he said he was not the only one losing his shoes but his friends have also lost their shoes that he knows about.
Sediqa, another resident of Kabul said that she lost her shoes in her own house. She said it was winter time and she had put her shoes in the sun to dry out, however, after few minutes, someone has entered the house and has stolen the shoes.
Fearing your shoes get stolen; have been an issue for people nowadays, therefore, most people carry a plastic bag with them so that they put their shoes in it and carry with them while visiting holy places.
The high-level corruption and theft in the country, particularly in the public sector, has caused both people and government officials to pay less attention to issues such as theft of shoes, therefore, the stolen shoes have a booming market in the country.
ENDS
