SRINAGAR: The untimely snowfall in the valley has triggered a massive rush to purchase of winter specific plastic shoes (plastic), that are effective to deal with the snow and water logging.
At several markets, particularly Batamaloo, several shopkeepers were busy in selling the product, while makeshift stalls too set along the roadside catered to customer rush.
People from all the age groups were searched for the size and the make to fit their feet.
This massive rush according to vendors was due to the of incessant rainfall followed by massive snowfall, which started on Wednesday night and continued all day on Thursday almost paralyzed life in the Kashmir valley on Friday and Saturday as well.
One of the dealers said that , the shoes find customers in the winter months, but this rush is unusual as everyone wants to grab hold of these to fight the biting cold and the wet roads.
Many reason the water logging on roads and streets after the snowfall that has complicated the movement, forcing them to wear plastic shoes to keep their feet dry.
Mushtaq Ahamd Dar a customer said that their neighborhood is all inundated and the leather and other shoes will not work, so he had to purchase these for himself and some of the family members.
There was such a huge demand after the snowfall that even a roadside vendor sold hundreds of pair of shoes in the first day. The demand increased the next day also.
The retailers are unable to cater huge rush of customers, while as, the dealers and whole sellers have been meeting the supply orders of retailers.
Many shopkeepers were seen running out of the stock with huge demand from people, who throng from different areas for the purchase.
“I did not have shoes to counter pools of water on the roads, sadi Zahoor Ahmad Khanday, a customer who was looking for an ankle high plastic shoe to avoid getting his feet wet.
Several shoe shops in the city remained open throughout the day to deal with the customers despite ongoing shutdown post revocation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
The rates of these shoes according to dealers vary from Rs. 150 to 800. However, the most sought out the ones are those falling in Rs 200 to Rs 400 range.

Mir Iqbal