SPLASH IN STYLE: Put your best foot forward in the monsoon.

There is no running away from it. The rains have started and for the next two months Mumbaikars can look forward to getting wet, wet and wetter when they step out. And though one might cover their head with an umbrella and their clothes with a raincoat, one's shoes are bound to get wet -- unless of course you don't mind wearing Wellington boots!

While the higher-class shoe stores in the Oberoi and Warden Road would hardly stoop to selling plastic shoes -- instead opting for shoes sales -- markets throughout the city will be full of them in the next two months. And Bata is, but of course, the real home of the plastic shoe. Their stores probably have the most affordable range of rain shoes, costing from Rs 95 to Rs 160. For men there are plastic closed shoes, available in black, brown and burgundy, as well as sandals and chappals in brown, beige and black. They are made out of PVC which, though not very pleasing to the eye, the salesman assures softness and comfort. And the soles will not shrink, as they are made of elastic. The manager of the Colaba branch of Bata, M Y Shaikh says that the styles vary slightly from year to year. And he has a tip for rain shoe shoppers -- make sure your shoes are as flexible as possible to combat the furious storms. For women, Bata's most popular rain shoes are called Sabrina. These clear plastic shoes have a black floral design and cost just over Rs 120.

But for those women worried about their height and wanting something a little more fashionable, there is brown mule available with a two inch heel. And to match your desi outfits there is even a range of kolhapuris--in plastic. Wearing plastic shoes does not have to mean sacrificing style to practicality in the rainy season. "Plastic shoes are very in at the moment, as the 60s is back in vogue," says Hasan Rajani, assistant manager of Catwalk Shoes. Catwalk stocks a range of plastic shoes with acrylic heels all year round which make ideal rainwear. They cost between Rs 460 to Rs 600. A little steep, but transparent plastic shoes with square heels can be found in all the fashionable shoe shops in Europe so you can wear them even when the rain stops.

But if plastic is not for you, some shops carry non-plastic shoes that will not be damaged by the rain, such as Mesco's range of polyurethane - coated leather shoes or Rina Shah's exclusive range of funky footwear, Rinaldi. Her shoes cost Rs 2000 and upwards, and are available in Mumbai's more exclusive retail outlets such as Ensemble, Melange and Oaktree. Mesco's manager A K Ibrahim promises that his Rs 680 ladies' sandals, with water-resistant coating and one and a half inch heel, will last for two years.

All heels worn in the rain should be block, to insure that your shoe does not get stuck in any muddy puddle. Rina adds that platform heels not only look good, but help keep your feet drier than flat shoes. But if your shoes should become wet she suggests putting them "under a fan and let them dry naturally."

Rina and Ibrahim agree that open footwear is better than closed. "Water tends to go into your shoes and in closed footwear your feet cannot breathe, so they will smell," says Rina.

Though Rinaldi does not make a specific type of rain shoes, most of her shoes are water-resistant. "Most will be durable in the rain except my range of shoes made in fabric," she says. Fabric and suede are two obvious no-nos for the monsoon as they will shrink.

And if you are going to wear leather, the most durable are patent shoes -- which are also quite the rage in Europe at the moment. As Rina is against the use of animal products, her products are made from synthetic leather, with PVC soles and polyurethane coating. The popularity of polyurethane lies not only in its resistance to water, but also in that it can be cleaned with water. Which is perhaps the only incentive one would have to step outside in the pouring rain.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.