Bootstart

One can only imagine what thoughts must have run through the mind of the US President when a shoe was airborne and hurtling towards to him. Most likely he must have thought the Superman’s introduction dialogue, ‘Is it a bird or a plane… No it’s a boot …DUCK’. Now we know why dodge ball is played by the American boys. I can warrant the second shoe must have been much easier to avoid. One can only be thankful that the thrower had only two legs.

Footwear itself has done wonders and worked its way down history, right from the Roman sandals a design that has withstood rigors of fashion and material innovation. Importance of a shoe was highlighted in a limerick of how lack of a shoe prevented a horse from transporting his soldier to the battlefield, the domino effect of which resulted in loss of the battle- all for lack of a horse shoe. Even the Pandavas I believe had the shoe as a sign to provide privacy to whichever husband was with their common law wife. Since Indians often leave their footwear outside the house, anyone can note if a person is in the house and of course royalty may have even shoes with emblem to provide easy identification.

I was musing this when our Chief called us in the bureau. Ours was the Sunday paper and I was newly assigned to the reporter’s desk. While others got plump assignments the Chief peered over his reading glasses and bellowed, ‘See if you fit the news about the flying boot in our Sunday edition.’ ‘But Sir,’ I stammered, ‘ours is a financial paper so what has finance got to do with this?’ He smiled as if imagining the joy he would experience firing me from the job and said in a volume purposely loud for everyone to hear, ‘You have a brain so make the connection.’ This invited a titter from others as if they knew the connection and only I was a dodo.

Fearing the end of my journalistic career, I logged into our past issues and located matter on Cobbler Scam I and II. (Yes there was II also) I jotted the names and tucking the yellow pages under my arm for their address, I went in search of savior of my job. I tried the upper end market of Nike first. The GM of India region updated me that their Research Division in an undisclosed place (as if they were developing missiles) was developing a design to suit the new requirements. I came expecting dead ends and here he opened a door to an air-conditioned theatre displaying a movie in surround sound. ‘What new requirement’ I was really puzzled. ‘Now the whole world wants shoes with better air control and our shoes were the first one to incorporate air pressure in them’. Seeing my puzzled look yet, he continued, ‘Air power which was once used to make the shoe fit snugly to the foot, is now harnessed to make the shoe fly faster as your reporter friend did in Iraq.’ ‘That was no friend of mine just a person in the same industry’ I replied sharply. ‘You mean now your shoes will use air to propel towards other leaders?’ I asked with wide eyes. ‘Bingo’ was his reply. Now it was my turn to be patriotic as I regaled him, ‘Do you know that for decades, the Indian (at least Maharastrian) girl has used one kind of footwear to keep Romeos in control and it is a brand that is oft quoted even in movies and dramas? Incensed with some competitor getting free publicity he demanded to know which footwear this was. I told him, ‘Kolhapuri Chappal’.

That was a clue for next visit as I caught the sleeper bus to Kolhapur. Early in the morning I visited the largest manufacturer. I was greeted by the head honcho affectionately called big brother or Dada. He welcomed me with a bear hug as if I was the bearer of some good news. Looking more like a wrestler from the same area he was beaming under his thick upward turned moustache as he asked me what I wanted. I told him I was surprised to note that not only was the huge work force in full attendance but the board in his room implied even 3 shifts in times when the economy was in the doldrums. Calling for some tea he said, ‘Your industry is who we should thank for the orders which have made our order book full to the next 4 years.” Seeing my puzzled look, all he had to say was ‘Iraq’ and I made the connection that the reporter was who he credited. ‘But who has given orders for so many chappals?’ He laughed and said, ‘You should have asked why but perhaps being a Maharastrian you know ours is the best cured leather and oiled so lovingly by hand. It is so flexible and strong that it squeaks like the American Motorcycle cop’s shoes. When hit on the face by our chappal, the target not only gets a red face for days but it also turns black and blue before the original colour returns after a month.’ ‘But who and why?’ I asked. He put on his reading glasses and opened a thick order book and said, ‘ I have only names here no purposes. I see a bunch of political party-men wanting chappals with holes in the centre to weave string them perhaps to garland someone. I also see many girls with two surnames indicating modern girls just married wanting thicker than normal soles. So Dowry harassments will reduce in the future! My my we are playing a social role now’ he patted himself on his back.

As I exited Kolhapur by a return sleeper I paused to think on my headline. I had noticed that the laborers were spending more money in the market giving the much needed optimism. That gave me the much needed financial angle to my story. I punched on my laptop BOOTSTARTED FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY TO KICKSTART INDIAN ECONOMY. I also knew my headline would be altered by my Chief for having too much pun. (I stopped counting at 4)