Is there a better way to spend a rainy day? (The right answer is no)

But you have to step out of the house sometime, right?
This post is for those times.

Let’s be honest – most functional rainy footwear tosses style right out of the window and straight into a puddle of muddy water! And it’s extra challenging if you live in India, because most online “waterproof” guides aren’t written with the Indian rains in mind

The best men’s shoes for the Indian monsoon are:

• durable
• low maintenance
• waterproof / water-resistant
• readily available online or in stores

Based on these criteria, here are my top picks for rain friendly shoes available in India

1) Bata All Weather Chukka Boots

When it comes to walking in the rain, nothing beats a good pair of boots.

Hear me out: Regular shoes are fine, but even if they have a waterproof upper, the combination of wind + rain hitting your ankles means that water will get into your shoes. But, the entire idea behind rainy footwear is to keep your feet dry, right?

Enter – The Bata All-Weather Boot!

In my pursuit of rain footwear, these boots have been my most useful buy

Price:

4999/- INR

It’s expensive, yes, but it’ll last you for quite a while. I’ve been using mine for the third monsoon now.

Pros:

• They’re black, which means that they’ll go with just about any colour of pants.
• They’re made of Faux leather, which means that you don’t have to worry about the rains ruining them.
• And, they’re designed to look like chukka boots, which makes them minimal enough to be worn formally as well!

…

Hold on, Vicky! Aren’t Chukka boots casual?
Yes, they are (and I’m proud of you for pointing that out)
But remember that you’ll be wearing these boots “in the rains”. For those purposes, wearing them with dress pants is okay.

Even if you’re wearing a suit (which is probably not wise to wear in the rains), you can always carry a change of proper dress shoes and change into them at your destination

…

Cons:

• These shoes look a little bulky. It’s is not a deal breaker, but worth pointing out
• They run slightly larger. I’d recommend you can try out the boots for size before buying them (or otherwise, check if you can return them later)
  I bought them in my usual size, but they feel a little loose even when fully laced up.

Where to find them:

• You can buy these boots from your nearest Bata store. That’s how I got them
• They’re also available on the Bata website (and come in brown too)

Other options:

2) Bata Rubber Penny Drivers

While the thought of wearing rubber shoes on your feet might not sound appealing (think: gumboots), these penny drivers from Bata actually look pretty good

Price:

599/- INR
Cheapest rain shoes I’ve found!

Pros:

• They’re made out of rubber.
  You know what that means? Fully waterproof (wohoo!)
• Good casual option. I wear it for short trips to the market, while running small errands around the house, and also to the gym

Cons:

• These shoes cannot be worn sockless – the rubber gives shoebites!
  Wearing them with no-show socks helps.
• They are also stiff, because of the rubber. If you have wide feet, try one size bigger

Where to find them:

• You can find these shoes at your nearest Bata store, or online on Amazon and Flipkart
• They are also available in blue and brown

Other options:

There are also some PU leather options that are better looking, but not waterproof (only water-resistant)

3) Decathlon WaterResist Walking Shoes

Just because it’s raining outside doesn’t mean you have to compromise on your fitness goals.

For rain friendly sports shoes, Decathlon should be your stop!

With over 1500 stores in 49 countries, Decathlon is one of the largest sporting goods retailers in the world. You will find all kinds of sports specialty goods here, including an impressive collection of waterproof and rainy shoes.

These water-resistant shoes are perfect for a rainy walk to the park, or the gym

Price:

2999/- INR

Pros:

• They’re lightweight
• They’re budget-friendly. It’s hard to find good sports shoes at this price – the water resistance is a bonus!
• Decathlon has a lot of stores throughout India so these should be readily available no matter where you live

Cons:

• Decathlon advertises these as ‘walking’ shoes, so they are not very ideal for running. Short jogs will be okay
• Only water-resistant and not waterproof. There are waterproof shoes in other categories, and I was expecting the same with walking shoes as well. Sadly that’s not the case

Where to find them:

• You can find these shoes at your nearest Decathlon store, or online on the Decathlon website

Other options:

Decathlon has many waterproof hiking shoes in its collection.

I’d personally recommend this blue and tan NH150 model

It is cheap.

And you can use it as a casual boot option.
(Yes, I mean it. It’s the monsoon! Rules change a little when you’re trying to navigate around puddles on a daily basis )

4) Skechers Equalizer 4.0 Trail Running Shoes

Looking to splurge a little? Then go for these waterproof trail running shoes by Skechers

They’re…
Well, they’re Skechers. You’ve heard of them

Price:

6499/- INR
(Whoooops.. now you know why they’re number 4 on this list)

Pros:

• They’re clearly waterproof. It’s even written on the shoe.
• These trail running shoes are all-terrian so you can wear them for all kinds of outdoor activities – be it a hike, jog, walk, or a trek.

Cons:

• They are comparitively expensive to other rain friendly shoe options

Where to find them:

• The Skechers website

Other options:

5) Hush Puppies

Hush Puppies provides a 12-month waterproof guarantee for their waterproof formal shoes. The terms do not cover zippers, eyelets, and elastics, but for any issues with leather, you can raise a claim

Price:

9000/- INR

Pros:

• Perfect for rainproof formal shoes

Cons:

• Very expensive. At this price range, I’d expect Blake Stitched or Goodyear welted soles at the very least, and with some info about the leather that’s used. But Hush Puppies gives us none of that.
  The only reason I’ve kept them here is because there are no other waterproof dress shoe alternatives.. Go for these only if you really need them
• These are not available online. I’ve tried getting in touch with Hush Puppies about it, but so far there has been no response

Where to find them:

• at your nearest Hush Puppies store

Other options:

None

In my pursuit of stylish rain footwear, I checked out other brands too, but they didn’t make the cut as they had no appropriate options –

• Colombia sportswear (has waterproof running shoes, but too expensive)
• Woodland (limited waterproof options)
• Aldo
• Steve Madden
• Vans
• Adidas
• Nike
• Puma
• Mochi

What are your thoughts on this list?
Are there any brands that I missed? Let me know in the comments

The post The Best Shoes for Rainy Season in India (2021): Formal + Casual appeared first on The Shoestopper.