It's that time of the year again. Feel the first kiss of rain and cherish the fond memories of the year gone by. With just a few days left for the first spell of monsoon showers (usually expected to arrive on June 1) people are gearing up for the monsoon purchase. This time the spotlight is on footwear going by the range and designs available in the city.
Flip-flops, crocs, floaters and the modernised ‘methiyadi' make it to the shoppers' list.
Hawkers on roadside pavements to the posh branded shoe showrooms, are all stocked with a variety of rain footwear.
Arya, a final year student of economics, finds Bata rain wear shoes comfortable and durable.
Trendy colours
These come in trendy colours and delightful shades from funky pink to dark magenta and from dark black to dull grey. They are priced at Rs. 299.
“Rain wear shoes were introduced last year and were a huge hit with the teens and adults. This year a modified version of it has been introduced and is fast moving,” says Johnson, manager of the Bata showroom at Bay Pride mall. The new version has got a velvet finish and is available in limited colours of pure black and seductive red. It is priced at Rs. 399.
Interestingly these shoes have a perfect lookalike easily available on pavement shops of Broadway. This duplicate is much cheaper. “It costs only Rs.100 for the regular size and 80 for the smaller ones.” points out Asardin, a street hawker.
When it comes to kids, crocs (partially covered shoes) are the most popular. Crocs have cartoon characters printed on them and kids take an instant liking to it. Made of polyurethane these make perfect rain wear and are priced roughly between Rs. 1300-1700. These are available at branded shoe stores in the city malls.
Unisex flip-flops and crocs under the brand name ‘Ipanema' are available in Metro. These are priced between Rs. 650-2,000. “The Ipanema flip flops that are of Brazilian make are fast moving,” says Anoop, manager of shoe store, Metro.
With just a few days to go for schools to reopen, the demand for rain shoes is high.
Bata offers leather and synthetic shoes for the rainy season. “Actually leather shoes are good for the monsoon but many customers do not realise it,” explains Johnson. The leather shoes are priced at Rs. 600 and the synthetic ones Rs. 350.
Some schools allow kids to use floaters or ‘sandaks' (as it is better known) for the first term, when it is rainy and wet.
Locally made floaters are inexpensive and come as cheap as Rs. 50. The branded ones can set you back by a whopping Rs. 2,000.
“We have floaters for children, ladies and men. For kids it's ‘Bubblegum', ‘Power' for women and ‘Weinbrenner' for men,” says a salesman at Bata.
New 'methiyadi'
Methiyadi, the ancient wooden footwear now bear an entirely new look. Made of rubber they come in trendy patterns and funky colours like hot pink, magnetic blue and so on. They are available in all sizes and come in the price range of Rs. 200-400.
With a variety available in floaters, flip-flops, crocs and methiyadis the dressing options in footwear this monsoon are aplenty. One can step out in style and confidence. All on a rainy day.
