Shoes - make the perfect move

Got the right dress and the right make-up. And yet you feel something is missing, something is wrong. Well, here it is: The pair of shoes. Read on to know how to get it

New Delhi: Imagine wearing a smart dress, but your footwear is all out of place. The importance given to matching one's attire with the right pair of shoes has seen an increase in the footwear variety available in the Indian market today.

Mumbai-based fashion designer Narendra Kumar feels that shoes are one of the most important dress accessories and it enhances a person's look manifold.

"It is very important to match the right footwear with the right attire. For example, we all know that sneakers are for sports wear and shiny heels usually go well with dressy evening wear," Shalini Gupta, head designer of What's Pink, an accessories brand, told us.

However, the designer clarified that teaming up the right footwear does not necessarily mean that the shoes have to be of the same colour to gel well with one's outfit.

Budding shoe designer Swati Mehrotra seconds the thought. She said: "One's shoes can either make or break one's look. Yes, it is important to match the shoes but one can always experiment with his/her shoes."

As far as the trends reflect, shoes in basic colours like black, white, brown, cream and tan would always occupy a major chunk of our shoe racks. Over the years, however, people have come to terms with other unconventional colours like red, purple, yellow and green as well.

"Nowadays we have a huge variety of footwear to choose from so we can play with colours, different heels, different materials and styles. The availability of such variety has fuelled the consumer's need to have multiple options," explained Gupta.

In Mehrotra's opinion, although the basic colours always look classic, treatment with other colours have made them more interesting. "Patents, prints and embossing give these colours a whole new twist," she said.

She added: "It is definite that on wearing yellow shiny sneakers a person will be visible among many in a party. But sporting a pair of shoes that matches the outfit makes one look more elegant."

Gupta attributes the changing fashions and preferences of consumers as the reason behind the burgeoning demand in the Indian market.

Since there is a myriad range of shoes available in the Indian market, it has become much easier for consumers to choose what suits their feet and style.

"The international exposure has forced local retailers and manufacturers to compete for better quality and styling to increase their sales," said Gupta.

Source: Indo-Asian News Service