If you thought men are hardly plugged into footwear fashion, the city stores with umpteen varieties of shoes neatly lined up on the racks will prove otherwise. Whether it be leather lace-ups or slip-on business shoes, party wear or office wear, be it full-grain or top-grain, you have them all within your reach in the city.
Talking about the new arrivals in men’s footwear section, Johnson K Jose, sales manager at Sylcon, Statue Junction, says, “Pointed formal shoes are in. For formal wear, ‘Franco Leone’, an Italian make, and ‘Buckaroo’, a Mexican make, are the brands that attract buyers most. Youngsters prefer to have slip-on shoes with no lacing or fastenings, as they are more comfortable and easy to wear.” Wearing them you won’t feel your feet being cramped beneath the tightened lace. The options left with the formal wear are confined to black and brown. Pointed shoes are designed in two styles - the square toed shoes and a freakishly long ones narrowing towards the pointed tip.
Men who are 40 years and above like to wear broad fit shoes and the pointed ones are preferred by the young crowd. The price of these shoes by ‘Franco Leone’ comes somewhere between Rs 1,995-2,995. Sylcon’s own product ‘West Isle’ has an appealing collection of formals and casuals. The price tag for the formal wear goes from Rs 1,995 to 3,200. Colours for casual wear are many, varying from cool greens to camel or khakee shades.
Biju K, store manager at Woodlands, Pazhavangadi, says, “We have a limited collection of formal shoes ranging from ` 3,995 to Rs 6,000 and a lot of casuals and trekking boots.” They also have sandals in shades like olive green, beige and brown. Some of these sandals have criss-cross leather or elastic straps with or without buckles or tassels. “Most of them are made in suede or other fine leather material for its comfort, fit and durability. They cost you approximately between ` 2,000 to 3,000,” says Biju. Monsoon season is the best time for these sandals to have a place in the men’s shoe rack. Wearing it on rainy days could be a better way to save your shoes from having the musty smell. Also, it’s comparatively easy to get your sandals dried than your shoes. Woodland’s offers rugged looking laced-up shoes within the price range of Rs 2,500 to 8,000 depending on the models.
A recently launched footwear store in the city, Reliance Footprints at Pattom, too has many brands to choose the right one. ‘Mancini’ (Reliance’s own product), ‘Lee cooper’, ‘Pavers England’, ‘Hush Puppies’, ‘Ganuchi’ and more. One striking pair of party shoes is from the brand ‘Pavers England’. It comes with a leather finish inside and a shoe rexin coat outside. This glossy shoe with a dashing buckle at one side will definitely strike the eyes of many at an evening party.
The latest ones in sport wear at the Puma Store in Pulimoodu Junction are the dual cell technology shoes. “The soft cushioning and the shock absorber effect make them the most preferred ones,” says Nandhan S Kumar, floor manager at Puma store. By spending Rs 7,000 jogging enthusiasts can bag a pair. “If you want a classy semi-formal look, go for the Vintage Ferrari shoes which cost Rs 8,500. It looks admirably smart and is mostly picked by the elite class,” says Ginto Thomas, store manager at Puma.