The babouche trade in this souk dates back to at least the 1930s and 40s, when the dominant style was a lighter model known locally as mssita, paired at the time with silk-lined shoes that were also popular. By the 1950s, tastes shifted toward a sturdier, thicker-soled style called the maqlouba, a heavier, more robust babouche that became closely associated with rural Moroccan dress. Customers from across the countryside would travel into Marrakech specifically for this style, often buying a pair of babouches to match a newly purchased djellaba, since the two were considered a matched set for anyone dressing traditionally.

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At its height, the demand for babouches from Souk Smata was tied closely to the rhythm of Moroccan social life, weddings, celebrations, and the general cultural emphasis on maintaining traditional dress meant steady, heavy demand for the souk's product.