Tokyo  - Shoes don't always have to be made of leather. Vinyl in fact is the latest rage in spring shoe style in Japan.

It doesn't matter whether the shoes are high heels, ballerinas or wedge sandals, the main thing is they have to be colourful and lively. The shrill vinyl for fashion-conscious Japanese are not only hip, they also are cheaper than leather shoes. In the current economic hard climate, their easy-on-the-budget price is welcome, wrote the Nikkei Weekly business magazine.

They also can be worn in the rain, a Japanese woman pointed out in the magazine's article about the shoes.(dpa)