Laaton Ke Boots

Puniya owns six pairs of boots and is planning to get yet another pair from the tony Khan Market in Delhi. Suman, on the other hand, is seeking out a bright pair of wellies from an array of candy- red Doc Martens and suede knee-length boots and fur-fringed UGGs on display at a small store in the staunchly middle-class Sarojini Nagar market of Delhi. Bollywood might be the inspiration, says Deepak, the shop-owner, but come winter and everyone in the northern states is getting into boots—laced, buckled, printed, mottled or cobbled, fur-lined, silk-lined whatever.

Winter wardrobes are as incomplete without them as summer ones are without flip-flops or sandals. The latest trend in boots, apparently, is to go for those that are knee-high. Perhaps the cue is from Olivia Palermo, one of those fam­ous-for-being-famous celebs from the US known for strutting about in knee-high boots of various kinds.

Photograph by Tribhuvan Tiwari

For a long time, India’s high fashion was exclusively for the moneyed elite; now, everyone wants to look good, whether in the real big-cheese brands or in rip-offs cheap or middling. So it is with boots. Savvy youngsters have overhauled their winter wardrobes to include snug-fit parkas, timeless trenchcoats and—need we say—classic boots. Online stores are dishing out funky shoes and booties at drool-worthy discounts to ensure you are selfie-perfect for the fashionable winter season. Brands like Zara, Clarks and Tommy Hilfiger have launched flats and wedges for everyday wear with prices going up to Rs 10,000. From Chelsea boots by Micheal Kors to dark, embellished boots by Topshop and glittery Saint Laurent, the market for boots offers a whole range of options for those who are willing to shell out a bit.

Yet it’s not only about what you find, but how you wear what you find. Colour wise, white is what many are experimenting with. Ankle-length boots can be tricky, so they might be paired with a hem dress with a low back. Riding boots can be paired with tight pants and short skirts for earning some serious fashion brownies. For knee-length boots, short skirts are the way to go. They look chic with pants in contrasting colours. Doc Martens are still popular with punks and popstars, while rubber boots—yes, them wellies—are the latest addition to the fashion bible. Even then, boot fashion, some feel, is largely non-experimental in India. Fashion stylist Payal Jaggi suggests shopping for boots from international sites like Net-a-porter and asos.com during clearance sales.

Boots go back to when Central Asian nomads wore them on their long journeys to India and other countries. What has changed, though, is how they’ve been stylised over time. Boots may not be necessities in India—as Saumya, a visual merchandiser who recently moved to Delhi, points out—but they sure have become a fashion statement. They say the footwear you sport says a lot about you, so let your wellingtons andwaders, jackboots and steel-toed safety boots do all the talking.