Flat Foot Forward

There was a time when glamour meant a pair of killer heels. Straps,sling backs or pumps the heels were there,as the height of chicdom. Now,the shoe is on the other foot.

Written by Pooja Pillai
May 27, 2009 03:43 AM IST

3 min read

There was a time when glamour meant a pair of killer heels. Straps,sling backs or pumps the heels were there,as the height of chicdom. Now,the shoe is on the other foot. Glamazons,who used to swear by their five-inch Louboutins,are now trotting in their ballet flats and slippers. And theyre not just wearing these to casual lunches and shopping trips. The preferred venues include fashion shows and red-carpet premieres. Bollywoods newest fashionista Sonam Kapoor made a statement with flat mojris when she attended Sabyasachi Mukherjees show at the Lakme Fashion Week in March.

Nothing can beat flats for sheer comfort, says stylist Aakanksha Nanda,who swears by her flat shoes when she is on an all-day mission. And women do not want to compromise on comfort. Priyanka Tejwani,who started the shoe label Stoffa along with sister Malini Kotecha,agrees: Working women need to wear shoes all day and comfort becomes as important as style. And when they have to go for a formal dinner party after work,it is not convenient to carry an extra pair of shoes,they just go for flat shoes which are extremely good-looking.

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Tejwani adds that for flats to pass off as formal footwear they have to be well made. They have to be made of rich skins,possibly in gold or silver. Embellishments like glitter and crystal can also make them glamorous. She insists that the flats that every woman should have in her wardrobe are embellished thong slippers. Nanda suggests going with gladiators in metallic tones. Theyre 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 Raghavendra Rathore agrees that flat shoes can spice up an outfit,he still vouches for high heels for a formal appearance. Footwear has become versatile with people experimenting with unusual combinations of shoes with various outfits. But high heels still have an edge 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. Its just that high heels 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 dont think theres any occasion when one can go wearing flats. It would be better to go barefoot. Unless ones leg is in a cast,nobody should commit this fashion blunder. Not everyone votes with her feet on that.