No Socks Please

For the most comfortable loafers ,we recommend Tod’s (although you’ll have to ship them in from Mumbai). While their leather ones can be worn any time of the year,their suede shoes go particularly well with summer. In an array of colours,we recommend the traditional blue suede shoes if you can spare around Rs 20,000; if you feel adventurous they have orange and purple too. Suede shoes are,however,difficult to maintain as any spills will damage them and they do a fantastic job of collecting dust. “You need to buy a special suede brush and avoid any spills or water,” says Naina Shah,who works for a fashion magazine. Despite that,suede shoes are definitely worth the effort; nobody bothered with a song on leather shoes for a reason.

If you want more affordable options,we would recommend visiting Converse for their red or black canvas shoes (they are available in larger shoe stores such as Planet Sports). While canvas shoes are difficult to carry off as you get older,they have that casual cool that is best suited to budding rock stars. The biggest advantage of canvas shoes is that they are washable and therefore one can use it pretty much anywhere and anytime. Converse shoes are well priced at around Rs 1,000. “Canvas shoes are comfortable and funky; before you used to get only black or brown but now you get them with a lot of colours and designs,” approves student Meera Ramchandaran.

Puma has always done more than just sports shoes; their “lifestyle” shoes have a cult following. While they make canvas and leather shoes,it is their trademark sporty yet casual shoes that are the best picks. Ferrari fans can choose between a deep red or a black pair of sneakers. We,however,prefer not to have any such associations and would recommend the red,black and white sneakers. At around Rs 4,000,Puma shoes are the best overall value for money.

Zegna Sport is a young brand that can probably hold its own against the Ferragamos and Tod’s of the world. Their dark blue leather sneakers with thin white streaks can be worn on a night out or while walking around on holiday too. Priced at Rs 20,000,they are,quite frankly,a good deal as one doesn’t often come across a good pair of dark blue leather sneakers. If you’re headed to a beach or Sunday brunch,though,you might prefer their dark blue slippers with a thick white streak through the centre. Priced at Rs 11,000,they’re well worth the money since they combine comfort with style. At least you don’t have to resort to tacky Crocs that are only acceptable if you’re under 12.