Tuesday morning. Shirt ironed, keys in hand, hair neatly combed. All that remains is to pick a pair of shoes. But as he stares at the rack—sneakers too warm for the weather, sandals too unflattering, and one dependable but ageing Kolhapuri—he’s stuck. Not by indecision, but by the quiet realisation that none of them cut it for the extreme heat outside.
Ideally, comfort would take precedence. But in a world increasingly focused on appearance, summer footwear has become a balancing act between practicality and social expectations.
The pressure to present well is subtle but persistent. One misstep can make a man feel out of sync—not just with fashion, but with the times.
Winter, in contrast, is forgiving. Layers help conceal imperfections, and shoes are less scrutinised. Summer, however, leaves little to hide. Dry heels, uneven nails, and the visible wear of time are all on display.
Climate change hasn’t helped. Whether it’s the rising heat or the synthetic materials shoes are made of, many men find most options unbearable. Footwear that offered confidence in the colder months now causes discomfort—and even pain.
Closed shoes trap heat. Sneakers feel too youthful or stifling. Sandals are only viable if the feet they reveal are carefully maintained and pampered.
Kolhapuris once offered the perfect solution—stylish yet breathable. But their presence and quality have faded over time, and mass-produced versions often fall apart within days of use.
No better options are available elsewhere either. The shoe lane at Lakherapura mostly stocks inferior-quality Kolhapuris or a flashy assortment of ethnic wedding footwear. Swank showrooms in premier shopping districts and malls, on the other hand, appear preoccupied with catering to the fairer gender or the younger lot, leaving little room—or interest—for the needs of men.
What’s left? Loafers that are too warm and look too unpleasant with socks, flip-flops better suited to leisure, and modern performance shoes that are definitely not appropriate for all ages.
Women, meanwhile, have a wider seasonal vocabulary—shoes that signal not just utility but personality. Men often find themselves circling the same few unsatisfactory choices, quietly hoping for something better.
Some, with the confidence to carry them, have experimented with indigenous footwear choices like juttis, but most others continue to tread in familiar territory that seems to be growing increasingly uncomfortable with each summer.
A few brands have attempted to address the gap—with espadrilles, slip-ons, or updated sandals—but they’re often expensive, hard to find, or even overrated. And so the summer shoe rack remains a symbol of compromise—limited, uncomfortable, and strangely out of step with the times.
Until someone finally designs a shoe that is dignified, breathable, and suited to the realities of Indian heat, the grown-up Indian man will continue to endure discomfort in the name of age-appropriate footwear behaviour that those around him, at both work and home, have come to expect.
