Flat foot forward

“Nothing can beat flats for sheer comfort,” says stylist Aakanksha Nanda,who swears by her flat shoes when she’s on an all-day mission. “For a lot of women,comfort is increasingly becoming a factor as they don’t want to compromise on that even if they opt for style,” she adds.

Priyanka Tejwani,who started the shoe label Stoffa along with sister Malini Kotecha,seconds that opinion. “These days women need to wear shoes for longer periods of time and comfort becomes much more important. Also,they don’t always have time to change their footwear if they’re working during the day and then have to be off to a formal dinner party. It’s not always possible to carry a change of shoes with you too. So they go for flat shoes which are also extremely good-looking.”

Tejwani,however,adds that for flats to pass off as formal footwear they have to be very well made. “They have to be made of richer skins,possibly in gold or silver. Embellishments like glitter and crystal can also make them more glamorous.” She insists that the one pair of flats that every woman should have in her wardrode should be a pair of embellished thong slippers.

Nanda suggests going with gladiators in metallic shoes. “They’re the footwear of the moment and can be paired with almost any outfit. They manage to look casual and formal with equal ease. But if you want to opt for a classic look,then ballet flats are the way to go,” the fashion stylist says.

But as with every trend,flat footwear as glam-wear also has its share of naysayers. Though designer Raghuvendra Rathore concedes that flat shoes can spice up an outfit,he still vouches for high heels for a formal appearance. “Footwear today has become versatile with more and more people experimenting with their looks by teaming up unusual combinations of footwear with various outfits. But high heels still maintain their value over flats when it comes to formal wear.”

Tejwani too admits that at her store when women want to look for formal footwear,they invariably make a beeline for stilettos. “It’s just that high heels can give you that extra height,which for most women guarantees a certain confidence and glamour.”

Designer Raakesh Agarvwal too vociferously denies that flats can ever replace heels. “I don’t think there’s any occasion when one can go wearing flats. It would be better to go barefoot. Unless one’s leg is in a cast,nobody should commit this fashion blunder.”

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