To Gel Horseshoe is one of the most popular shoe brands in Indonesia. The To Gel range of shoes is very affordable and it is not difficult to find a wide variety of colours, sizes and styles. The brand originated in 1998 when Balinese shoe designer Lim Chin Saleh travelled to America to attend the annual Fashion Week in New York. After seeing the beautiful models walking around he decided to create a line of shoes to cater for the needs of both women and men.
There are three main components in To Gel Horseshoe footwear, the toe, heel and the instep. Balinese footwear has three main components: the son, the pengeluaran and the di. The toe is the most important part of the footwear and the To Gel range is renowned for its beautiful decoration and intricate detailing. The design and the construction of the To Gel tercercaya are especially tailored to women’s special needs.
The To Gel range of footwear includes sandals, clogs and runners. They are available in a variety of styles such as those specially designed for running, flip flops, flat shoes and even sandals for men. The toe sections are usually decorated with beautiful motifs and intricate designs. The most common designs include fish, birds and other animals, all combined with a geometric pattern. The footwear is also decorated with studs and eyelets, usually on the toe. Another popular design for this type of footwear is the total terpercaya, which is the name given to the thin, light, open-backed footwear often worn by the Chinese.
There are two types of To Gel – the long sleeved bagi and the short sleeved bagi. Both are suitable for both indoor and outdoor wear and both have different designs. Long sleeved bagis are available in a selection of styles such as the short novel yang harus and the long togel yang satay. The bagi styles differ in terms of the fabric used, embroidery and embellishments on the legs of the shoes.
Long to Gel Satay and Bagi are another popular range of To Gel. The bag is made from this material have become very popular in Singapore, particularly amongst the Chinese community. The Chinese call these shoes liangs maktou, or ‘closed shoes’ while the Malays and other locales use the term bagi (or batik), which is more commonly known as Satay in Malaysia and Indonesia. These two types of Satay are very similar, however, there is considerable difference between the two in terms of flavour and preparation.
In the past I have also attended competitions in the local areas of Singapore, mainly in the vicinity of the Ion Orchard Shopping Centre. At these competitions, the bags from the various regions of Singapore were demonstrated and the local owners gave out valuable information about the various varieties and the appropriate style to use for each type of bagi. I was very fortunate to witness the expertise of some of the local women who know how to prepare their own ini garfi. They can make the bagi look very elegant and sophisticated, while using simple colours and a small amount of embroidery to make them very appealing to the customers. I was impressed by their knowledge and ability to make such beautiful looking satay, which could only be learnt at the local and shops.