a new look at footwear

sadhuji

Footwear will become cheaper post budget 2006-2007. Possibilities of foreign brands capturing the Indian market cannot be ruled out – Gucci, meant only for the elite might very well become the commoner’s brand and compete with our indigenous Kolhapuri chappals and Jodhpuri nagrais.

We Indians have known about footwear ever since the times of Lord Ram – remember his brother Bharat requesting him to part with his wooden slippers so that he could place them on the throne, worship them and rule the kingdom as the loyal subordinate of the Lord? Greek soldiers are also shown wearing footwear. Historians are better equipped to clarify which of these happened earlier. Then there was the Nobel laureate poet Rabindra Nath Tagore who devoted a complete poem ‘juto abishkar’ (‘invention of the shoe’) to the cause of the footwear. The reason for the footwear, as perceived in those days, was to prevent your feet from getting dirty – not to make any fashion statement as we see nowadays when sportspersons are roped in as brand ambassadors to speak on behalf of important players in the market.

Ever since one can recall, the footwear has kept us fascinated. In our childhood, during the Puja festivals, we would accompany our parents to the outlets of the famous Bata shoes and be treated to gifts as we roamed about making our choice. The newspapers would, usually, advertise the latest designs well in advance so that we would go prepared. In those days, Bata was the only brand but, over the years, others joined in. One of the places where footwear industry flourished was Kanpur – there were several tanneries and, the way they polluted the river Ganges, which runs through Kanpur, has to be seen to be believed. During my brief stay in Chakeri (Kanpur) in the early sixties, I had witnessed the mess. Still, the shoes were dirt cheap and it was an accepted fact that shoes from Kanpur were something worth their price. Then there were the Chinese folk of Kolkata who were excellent in this art. One could get real bargains in their shops. I am told that their numbers have dwindled.

The variety and the players in the present day market give tough competition to one another. From executive shoes to casuals to sports shoes to high heels, stiletto heels and sandals, the range is awesome. There is a shoe for every occasion, including the ones that squeak and adorn the tiny feet of the toddlers. Large names have begun outsourcing their requirements to smaller ones - the final label of course is that of the major. As a result, the quality takes a beating. All told, the smell of new leather shoes does something strange to ones senses – it revives memories.

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mooning over a moon journey