Best Foot Forward: A Visual Chronicling Of Bombay’s Sartorial Shoe Choices

[Editor’s Note—Fashion week has a way of making notoriously unattainable sartorial dreams borderline accessible. At the very least, it’s close enough to touch. In lieu of the upcoming festivities that kick off in our home city tomorrow, Homegrown decided to simultaneously kick off its venture into the world of fashion. We tapped into our sticky web of multi-talented creators and the results have been pretty incredible. Stay tuned to our editorial over the next fortnight or so for a veritable potpourri of stylised shoots, exquisite garments, and of course, fresh concepts.]

Chins up, cuffs rolled, straight-faced; the people that dot Bombay’s streets are an experiment in nonchalance. They navigate the same potholes, slip in the same sludge and trip over the same cobblestones yet they’ve found a way to minimize any offence taken. A way to half-rap, half-sing their way into an elevated state of being, if you will.

They may not have time for niceties, but they know their way around nice things so whatever the occasion, you can always expect them to put their best foot forward. Maybe it’s the shoes then?

Photographer Keegan Crasto took to the streets to champion a series of young, city people, and the footwear they choose to face their own realities head on.

 I. Tanya Mehta: 22 year old freelance stylist & jewellery designer.

Shoes: Aldo

II. Kirnay Bhatt: 28-year-old filmmaker who has a penchant for comfortable shoes.

Shoes: H&M

III. Nikhil D: 27 year old freelance fashion stylist & contributor to various fashion magazines.

Shoes: From a Vintage store in New Delhi

IV. Amrit Kumar: Raised in Toronto & currently Mumbai-based, Amrit Kumar is a designer and the co-founder of NorBlack NorWhite, one of India’s most forward-thinking fashion brands.

Shoes: Timberlands

V. Odette Syiem: Born and raised in Shillong, she is currently the Studio Director of NorBlack NorWhite and has worked as a fashion stylist for numerous projects and fashion houses over the years.

Shoes: Nike Dunk Sky Hi

VI. Kayaan Contractor & Shereen Sikka: Kayaan & Shereen are the founders of fashion blog Loveandotherbugs. Kayaan is an IADT Toronto Fashion graduate, she is hugely influenced by menswear, and considers her style to be androgynous and edgy with a hint of girly. Shereen is an LCF fashion graduate. Her style is a weird mix of girly and edgy.

Shoes: Kayaan- Zara Shereen-  Jeffery Campbell from Koecsh 

VII. Vidula Menon: 28-year-old strategy consultant based out of New York City.

Shoes: Nike Dunk Sky Hi

VIII. Radhika Bhuyan: 24-year-old lawyer, though in her head, she’s a French woman who loves edgy yet comfortable shoes.

Shoes: Nike Dunk Sky Hi

IX. Rhea Gupte: 23-year-old model/blogger, Gupte creates editorial content for her fashion and lifestyle blog

Shoes: Choies

X. Bella Sofia Carlstrom: Currently based out of Mumbai, 22-year-old Bella is an Australian model.

Shoes: Robert Celegrie

XI. Mihir Joglekar: 25-year-old Mihir Joglekar is a model, aspiring actor and all-round fitness enthusiast.

Shoes: Supra

XII. Summiyya Patni: 25-year-old co-founder of MISU Image Consultants, she is a fashion enthusiast whose work repertoire includes everything from personal styling to fashion branding and fashion events.

Shoes: Aldo

XIII. Meera Ganapathi: Co-owner of The Whimsy Store in Bangalore, she works as an independent writer and mainly as a slave for two, fat cats.

Shoes: Brogues from Japan