Sole mates

The shoes you wear say a lot about you. Which is why choosing the right footwear for different occasions (and even for different times of the day) is an art that needs to be mastered. This fortnight’s cover package, Sole Mates, talks about the finest footwear money can buy. The stories foray into the world of both men’s and women’s footwear. Our reporters spoke to experts about how people should choose shoes to suit their builds, and also got master craftsmen to tell you all about bespoke shoes.

Putting together this cover package wasn’t easy at all. Tracking down master craftsmen who make high-end bespoke shoes in India took us to the business district of Kolkata, to a hidden corner in Ghaziabad near Delhi and to various other places in the capital and Mumbai. Trips to dozens of top-end footwear stores in Mumbai and Delhi and a series of meetings with footwear stylists led to the pieces on formal shoes, boots and shoe care. And doing the story on the shoe’s journey in time took up hours of reading and scouring the internet as well as conversations with people who know a bit more about shoes than we do. Did you know, for instance, that Italian men in the sixteenth century supported the cause of extremely high-heeled shoes for women because they felt it would keep their wives from travelling far while they were away at work?

Speaking of footwear, what good is a classy pair of shoes if you don’t team it with a suit that makes you stand out in a crowd? So, we spent a day learning the art of creating bespoke suits with master tailors at Manzoni. Read the story and you will realise why you should order a bespoke suit right away.

Exotic food from around the world is another area that the well-heeled Indian is increasingly exploring and Japanese cuisine is right on top of their charts. So, we invited two well-respected and knowledgeable Japanese gentlemen to lunch at two of India’s best Japanese eateries, to get an honest feedback about the food and the ambience. Try a sushi meal next time, with a glass of soothing sake. Yes, we have a piece on sake as well for you.

We hope you enjoy all the stories in this issue.