Maria Majari, designer of Jada Dubai, poses next to a pair of shoes worth 17 million US dollars on display at Burj Al Arab during the launch presentation in Dubai on September 26, 2018. The Passion Diamond Shoes, features hundreds of diamonds, together with two imposing D-flawless diamonds of 15 carats each. Image: Giuseppe Cacace / AFP

Gold, silk and hundreds of diamonds: a Dubai-based shoemaker has debuted what it says is the world’s most expensive pair of shoes — with a whopping $17 million price tag (around P922 million).

At a time when some major fashion houses around the world are struggling to sell their high-end clothes, Jada Dubai, a design house with a modest social media following, on Wednesday unveiled a pair of gold patent leather stilettos trimmed with a row of sparkling diamonds.

Each shoe features a crowning jewel: a round, 15 carat flawless D-diamond near the pointed toe.

“Dubai is the city of millionaires and billionaires… we see it as a potential market, along with the entire (Gulf) region,” said Hemant Karamchandani, chief executive of Passion Jewellers, which supplied the jewels.

The one-of-a-kind shoes are a European size 36 (US 5.5, UK 3.5) and can be custom-made to the client’s size — after he or she pays full retail price.

Dubai, a hub for Gulf fashion and home to the biannual Arab Fashion Week, has seen a growing number of tourists over the last few years, with more than 16 million people visiting the emirate last year. AB

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