How will we step out in the post-pandemic world? | Economic Times

For spring-summer 2022, Balenciaga unveiled the Balenciaga X Crocs 2.0, causing a mini furore. The style and culture website The Cut called it “either an atrocity to humankind or a very good prank on rich people”. It’s a Crocs stiletto with its iconic clog body fitted with a jarring six-inch heel. Many call it the new version of “ugly hot” — a sign that footwear in the post-pandemic world will be comfy, yet not quite. In her June 2020 column for The Times, Nigella Lawson said that she has gone “feral” and would probably be “entirely unfit for society” as she worried over the fact that she hasn’t “worn a proper pair of shoes for over a year”. But then, who has? The moment life at home started, the two things that went the way of the dodo were belts and formal shoes. Train feet back into shoesSince the lockdown, Crocs and Birkenstocks have emerged as the quintessential pandemic shoes. In June 2021, The Washington Post reported that Crocs sales in the US have skyrocketed — up more than 60 per cent the past quarter. According to online fashion search business Lyst, Birkenstocks’s Arizona sandals were at number two on the list of top 10 most-wanted items of last year. In May 2021, Glamour magazine made everyone think of the state of their feet by talking about the curious case of “lockdown foot” – a condition resulting from someone having spent lockdown at home in bare feet or slippers, allowing their feet to change shape and making it difficult or painful to wear normal shoes again. Podiatrists claim that our feet have re-shaped going barefoot at home and we need to train it back into the shoe-wearing habit. Glamour suggests more foot-related exercises like low-strain yoga, Pilates and walking. Casual comebackWhat we need is a comeback shoe. Design-wise, impracticality has taken a back seat — think easy-towear, comfortable with statement embellishments. Sumit Dhingra, vice-president and general manager, India and South-East Asia, Crocs, says that the past two years have been record-breaking for the brand. Indians prefer open-toe footwear, so the sandals category has the biggest opportunity. Classic and personalisation are other big categories working for Crocs. 84723088Dhingra says, “People heavily relied on casual footwear for their WFH outfits. In the post-pandemic world, the consumer will be sensitive about footwear choices.” Laksheeta Govil, founder of Fizzy Goblet — a shoe brand that built its cred on designer juttis — says that the move towards athleisure began well before the pandemic. But staying indoors put the final seal on the need for more comfortable footwear. The brand saw an upsurge in sales for their sliders. In her recent article in Khaleej Times, fashion journalist Sujata Assomull says that there’s a sentiment of wanting to dress up and feel alive again. But people want to take their time after spending two years in slippers. A reason why fashion runways saw the return of the midheel (two-three inches). Govil says, “We are seeing an uptick in heels. I do feel that eventually trends in a post-pandemic world will be similar to trends in a pre-pandemic world,