You may call them old-fashioned or a relic of the Govinda-Mithun days, but pointed shoes are quite a rage with men these days. From rockstars to politicians everyone is wearing them. However, as hip as they may be, the bad news is that you run the risk of looking like an elf in the wrong pair of pointed shoes. So, follow our tips if you don't want to be caught on the wrong foot: 
* If you're scrawny, stay miles away from pointed shoes. Your body will look disproportionate, something like the comic character Suppandi's. We suggest you stick to shoes that are slightly tapered at the front and not the highly pointed ones. 
* Don't make the mistake of wearing pointed dress shoes with your Friday casuals, suggests Birendra Higgins, shoe designer. "A lot of Indians wear slip-ons or loafers with their suits, which look horrendous. The right shoes complete your outfit, so choose them carefully."
* White pointed shoes (especially the patent leather ones) are as ancient as Jitendra. Even he's not seen in them anymore. So why are you keeping them in your wardrobe? 
* Don't experiment too much with your shoes. Stick to the classic, sleek ones, suggests Birendra. Fancy designs and coloured leather patches are an absolute no-no. 
* Pointed shoes are for the fashion conscious. You can't be wearing a snazzy pair when you're dressed like a rag doll. Remember, they're not to be worn with kurtas or cargos. 
* Though pointed shoes look great with skinny jeans, we suggest you make sure that your shoes aren't too pointed or your jeans too skinny. Your shoes are going to be the centre of attention if they are too visible, so make sure that they are classy to say the least. 
* Stay away from all the Bangkok, China maal, even if it may come cheap, cautions Birendra. "Their shoes are made of thick pork leather and the stitching too is shoddy." 
* Pointed shoes need to be at least half a size loose. Since they're narrow at the toes, the shoe size should be bigger if you want to fit into it comfortably !

Know the difference
If you can't differentiate the classy shoes from the tacky ones, read on:
* Check the stitching. Tacky shoes will have threads coming off and the stitches will be long and untidy
* Cheap shoes are usually made of rexene or inferior leather
* Some might even resemble jodhpuris
* If the shade of leather around the toes differs from that around the rest of the shoe, the pair is certified tacky

sheena.thomas@mid-day.com