Walking on Tip Toes

“I like shoes with pointed toes as they pair well with casual and formal wear,” says city-based model Karandeep Singh who owns two pairs,both of which are extremely elongated. “Not everyone can carry off the style.

I like to team my pointy toed shoes with long coats,” says the 21-year-old model. Eye surgeon and laser specialist Dr Rajan Chugh,known for his zany sense of style,echoes the sentiment. “I like pointed-toe shoes but one needs to be careful about picking the right pair,” he says.

At The Shoe Tree,a popular men’s footwear store in Sector 17,manager Anil Kumar is surprised at how fast-moving the style is. “Not just 20-somethings,but also men in their 50s are going in for shoes with pointed toes. It’s an Italian style that seems to have caught on well. The sales are brisk,” he says. Brands like Cobblerz have an entire collection of pointed tips in an array of colours. “Another brand,Homme,offers the same style in shinier material,” adds Kumar.

Though brawny Punjabi men have big feet,the narrow style isn’t a deterrent when it comes to choosing a pair of pointy toes. “It is a tad uncomfortable but they look stylish,” says real estate broker Manjit Singh Randhawa,as he shops for a pair to wear to a friend’s wedding. He settles on a steel-tipped pointed-toe pair in tan,priced at Rs 4,995. “They remind me of boots and I like the rugged look,” he says,satisfied with his purchase.

Even smaller brands have rolled out a series of men’s shoes with pointed toes. According to Anil Mahajan,who owns two shoe stores,pointed toes are popular as formal wear. “These shoes are not comfortable for everyday wear. But the demand is so high that we have started keeping pointed toes for children as well,including a range for one-year-olds,” says Mahajan.

In his stores,shoes in crinkled leather and stitch detailing seem to be the bestsellers.

At the bustling Paras Downtown Square mall,shoe store Joy & Peace,too,has pointed-toe shoes with accessories like zips and buckles filling the racks. “Pointed toes were once trendy in women’s footwear,now the men seem to demand the look,” says store manager Sushil Kumar. And just when we thought that the curvy toes,last seen on Rumpelstiltskin,would have no human takers,we met Gagandeep Kalra,a senior bank executive. “I like shoes that curve at the toes. It seems as if the Punjabi jutti has got an Italian makeover,” says Kalra.

Women,however,aren’t impressed. “They look silly on men. Men should wear square toes or Brogues to work,” says fashion merchandiser Kirat Randhawa. Designer Honii Sandhu has some pointers for men with a thing for pointy toes. “One can buy a pair for pointed toes and keep it strictly for formal occasions but it is not advisable for regular use.”