The Kerala fashion scenario is moulding itself along international fashion lines.Kerala fashion has come a long way from the concept of the demure and coy lady of yesteryears to the smart and savvy modern day woman,irrespective of whether she is a housewife,working woman,celebrity or field professional.As is the case with costumes,the footwear sector has also been undergoing a transition to cater to the tastes of women,right from the days of the practice of graceful ambling to the present catwalk scene.The concept of wearing leather,plastic and rubber slippers has given way to the hi fi footworld of stylettoes,platform heels and backstrap sandals.

High heeled shoes are the rage of the present generation.Among these,the styletto heels ,wedge heels,wooden heels,cork heels and kitten heels are here to stay.These are available in three heel categories, come in a variety of sizes, shapes and hues,and can be worn to shine at weddings,parties and celebrations.College goers opine that wearing heels enhances one's figure besides adding to the height.With the arrival of jeans and kurtas,floaters,tie-ups,sneakers and sports shoes have created waves in the Kerala fashion market especially in the fashion conscious metro Kochi.This is notwithstanding the fact that ethnic elegant varieties including Majris,Punjabi joothies,Kolhapuris and beaded/laced shoes are also equally popular.The footwear showroom entrepreneurs vouch for the fact that these all time favourites are here to stay.

The covering type footwear is being used commonly for daily wear purposes,say the shopkeepers.These are available either plain or embedded with flowers, in a variety of colours and are in great demand amidst the young and the middle aged.The older age group prefer to use flats or low heeled ones for convenience and safety.The concept of “disposable shoes” has crept in.The present trend is to buy the glittery glossy cheap variety to be worn on the occasion,and then to dispose them.Gone are the days when women preferred to wear flashy sandals on their wedding day.Fancy type covering slippers in leather is the bridal fashion in vogue today.As for the groom,he is going in for the Mughal type embroidered shoes,a glorious reminder of the royalty times.

While men prefer the backstrap variety in shades of black and beige,ash and white,women are tending to go in for brighter colours.Surprisingly nowadays more college guys than college gals seem to be turning up in an assortment of shoes and sandals according to their taste! Then there are the mixed straps-on kind of shoes and sandals that can be worn by both the genders.Mmmm.....what a choice !