Things to keep in mind while buying leather shoes
New Delhi, June 22 : Shoes are a crucial part of a wardrobe especially the leather ones. A right pair can accentuate your look whereas a wrong choice can break your entire look no matter how great the outfit so opt for the one that suits your personality, comfort.
Ritesh Srivastava, CEO at Elitify.com and Jyoti Narula, Director at JOE SHU share a few tips to keep in mind while buying a pair of genuine leather shoes.
* Shoe surface: The tactile feel of the shoe surface plays a significant role in deciding the authenticity of leather by the buyer. A pair of genuine leather shoes will usually have a sanded and refinished surface. It would not have a plastic feel or artificial finish that is common with faux leather.
* The insole - One should examine the detailing of the inner lining of the shoes which is another important indicator of quality. Genuine leather shoes will have an extra padded insole that works as a cushion between the feet and the shoes giving comfort and ensuring a sturdy grip.
* Price factor - As a general rule genuine leather costs more. It demands a relatively higher cost for the kind of durability, aesthetic appeal and fine detailing it brings to the footwear.
* Finishing and stitching - Aesthetics play a very important role while choosing a pair of shoes. An elegant silhouette is what adds to instant appeal along with its perfect coloration. The stitching should also be neat and smooth, thereby depicting attention to detail. More so in handcrafted or hand painted shoes.
* Comfort - A fine craftsman of shoes will always focus on comfort along with the styling. There is nothing worse than a shoe that bites.
* Rich fragrance of leather - A crucial point in identifying a real leather shoe is its smell. A shoe made of genuine leather will always carry a rich fragrance which is a natural odour. Authentic leather will never smell of chemicals or plastic.
* The sole - Sole is an important indicator of quality. The better the sole and the lining the more comfort and grip it offers. The shoes should always be light in weight. An extra layer of the sole between the shoe body and the feet will give freedom to the wearer for long hours.
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
