Here's how the sneaker culture is evolving in India

Inder Gill a graduate of IIT Bombay was on a vacation in Singapore in 2020 when basketball legend Michael Jordanrsquos documentary The Last Dance was released on Netflix The miniseries touched upon the iconic Air Jordan sneakers that the world thought made Jordan fly from the freethrow line to the hoopmdashone of the most iconic dunks in basketball historymdashand his dominance on the court while wearing thoseLike thousands of Indian youth Gill was hooked to both Jordan and Air Jordans Four years later he has a sneaker collection worth over Rs 10 lakh The engineer started investing in them but not to resell them as many do ldquoMy passion can be compared to numismatics collecting coins or banknotes I love collecting sneakers I donrsquot make a living out of itrdquo he saysSneakers are not just another pair of sports shoes They are a trade currency among the youth and also a form of investmentmdasha pair of the Backwards Swoosh Air Jordan 1 Shattered Backboard sold online for a whopping R81 lakh in 2018 The hefty price tag was due to a rare factory defect that flipped the iconic Nike ldquoswooshrdquo trademark upside down Even more accessible pairs such as the Nike Air Jordan 1 High ldquoTravis Scottrdquo which gets its name from Nikersquos collaboration with the singersongwriter and rapper appreciate significantly in value They retail for about R15000 and sell out within minutes only to be resold for Rs 25 lakh to Rs 35 lakh depending on their conditionThanebased Amit Pandey follows the analytics of sneakers in the country He believes the golden time of Indian sneaker scene is in the offingThe owner of Kicks Club a sneaker store in Worli and South Mumbairsquos only dedicated sneaker shop Meet Jain explains ldquoThe skyhigh prices of some models are driven by simple economics These are released in limited numbers so the demand is far more than the supply which is why the resale market thrivesrdquoIn Sneakerverse ldquodeadstockrdquo shoesmdashunworn and in their original packagingmdashare considered gradeA collectables A pair preserved in its original box complete with the tissue wrapping and foam toe fillers adds significant value much like a vintage Star Wars LEGO set with all components intact But even secondhand sneakers can fetch high prices especially if they were worn by a legendary athlete or musicianExperts Sunday midday spoke to suggest that Indiarsquos sneaker scene is relatively young compared to the US and UK where the movement started in the mid1980s and entered the mainstream by the 1990s Japan and South Korea have also had a thriving sneaker culture for over two decades In India the scene took off around 2015ndash16 when VegNonVeg Indiarsquos first curated multibrand sneaker store opened in Bandra Businessman Anand Ahuja and entrepreneur Abhineet Singh are its soulSinger producer TV show host and sneakerhead Mihir Joshi with his collection at his home PicAtul KambleGoregaonbased sneakerhead Nikunj Sabharwal says ldquoThe opening of VegNonVeg played a pivotal role in giving structure to Indiarsquos sneaker scene especially in Mumbai But the movement gained momentum during the COVID19 pandemic when the resale business really took off as people had more time to read up and research Around this time legitimacy tags began to be taken more seriously due to the growing risk of fraud and counterfeit sneakers Today apps such as Legit Check allow users to verify the authenticity of the sneakers charging Rs 700 to Rs 850 approximately per pair inspectedrdquoMuch before avenues opened up at home Indian sneakerheads were laced up to the international scene such as VJ and actor Rannvijay Singha of Roadies fame who boasts a collection of around 400 sneakers acquired over a decadeActor Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor son of actor Anil Kapoor also has a robust collection with some pairs valued at a staggering Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12 lakh each The growing list of sneakerheads including names such as singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh rappers Raftaar and Badshah singer Benny Dayal with collections even going up to croresInder GillFrom 2017 to 2020 Nike reportedly scaled down operations in India due to a shaky distribution model shutting down nearly 200 outlets nationwide However it shifted to a new distributor partnermdashFootlocker a USbased multibrand sneaker retailer which partnered with Metro Shoes and Nykaa to launch its first store in New Delhi in October this yearWellplaced sources say the sneaker retailer is set to expand across India soon with a store in Mumbai soon This development comes on the heels of other international sneaker retailers entering the Indian market including New Yorkbased Extra Butter in September 2023 and Singaporersquos Limited Edition in January 2024 Industry insiders suggest that the presence of these global retailers coupled with Nikersquos strategy shift signals the rapid growth of Indiarsquos sneaker marketOne may wonder if there is more to sneakers than just the price tag What else drives the popularity of the movement Gill once a typical IITian immersed in books and academics explains ldquoIt has noticeably elevated my personality For instance if I am wearing sneakers with shades of green I now match them with my shirt or Tshirt So they have literally elevated me from the ground This holds true in terms of lifestyle as well Wearing something nice makes you feel good from within and that boosts your confidence People notice and appreciate you I have received appreciation at work Now whether itrsquos a casual dinner or a work thing pairing the right clothes with the right sneakers makes a huge differencerdquoSneakers have become a part of Gillrsquos lifestyle and daily routine To protect them from Mumbairsquos humidity he invested in various maintenance products and even set up a dedicated cabinet to store themSome sneaker models are stars of a thriving parallel economy in India Many sneaker influencers have turned their passion into fulltime careers offering everything from celebrity sneaker reviews to curating the perfect pair for their followers One of the most prominent names in this community is Thanebased Amit Pandey of SmartKicks who is on a mission to build the largest sneaker community in the country Through his YouTube channel and Instagram he provides insights on rare deals the latest releases styling tips and trend analysesldquoThe Indian sneaker community is growing fastrdquo he says ldquoand the coming four to five years are going to be the golden period The movement will be big enough to be compared to the international scene as many global multibrand retail stores have already opened stores in India and more are expected Also most famous sneakers by brands such as Nike Reebok and Adidas are available on retail stores when they launchrdquoThe reasons for this growth he explains are many ldquoBefore the COVID19 pandemic around 80 per cent of sneaker manufacturing took place in China and Vietnam with the former dominating as the hub for Western brands such as Asics Nike Adidas Puma Converse Reebok and many more However the pandemic caused a shift away from China India emerged as a promising manufacturing centre with manufacturing units spread across Maharashtra Tamil Nadu Punjab and Delhi NCR Its combination of cheap labour port connectivity and government support such as 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment in the footwear sector has attracted major players like Adidas to establish manufacturing unitsrdquo says PandeyThis he says has benefited Indian brands too Once reliant on China for production due to the high cost of production locally brands like Comet are now ldquoMade in Indiardquo utilising the newlyestablished factories and skilled labourldquoHomegrown names such as Campus and newer entrants such as Gully Labs are embracing local production giving a push to local artisans and labour Some other homegrown names such as Zeesh Solethreads and Bacca Bucci are also doing great Adding to this momentum is the introduction of an indigenous sizing system the BHA named after ldquoBharatrdquo scale like the US UK and EU sizes which will appear internationally soon It underscores the importance of Indiarsquos footwear market on a global scalerdquo says PandeyIt turns out that sneakers arenrsquot just a city phenomenon they are as much in demand in tier2 and tier3 cities Mumbaibased singer producer TV show host and sneakerhead Mihir Joshi who hosts Just Talk Sneakers on Zee Cafeacute India explains ldquoItrsquos not surprising that the sneaker scene is growing across India Given the countryrsquos massive population even one per cent of people being interested translates to at least 15 crore potential buyers While sneakers might seem like a metropolitan phenomenon tier2 and tier3 cities today are home to people with the spending capacity to collect sneakersmdashmaybe not on a large scale but certainly at an amateur levelrdquoSouth Mumbaibased store Kicks Clubrsquos owner Jain confirms this Though his store is based in Worli around 50 per cent of his online orders come from tier2 and 3 cities Kicks Club gets orders from Jammu amp Kashmir and ManipurOne of the most successful brands in nonmetropolitan cities is Campus which has been around since 2005 It offers trendy designs that align with international fashion trends at an affordable price point with their flagship product costing less than Rs 3000 On the other hand the average price for a Nike Adidas or Puma sneaker is anywhere between Rs 9000 to Rs 35000 at retail outletsWhile premium stores like VegNonVeg SoleSearch and Kicks Club enjoy backing from prominent names reports indicate that their primary business still comes from online sales Pandey who is into the analytics of sneakers says ldquoUnlike traditional retail strategies that prioritise physical stores sneaker brands today are focusing on creating immersive online experiences Ecommerce platforms like Myntra Ajio and Tata Cliq are key channels for both global and Indian brands supported by sleek websites and userfriendly apps Brands are leveraging usergenerated content from small influencers to engage with audiencesrdquoThe communityrsquos growth is also being driven by highprofile sneakerheads including rappers actors sportspersons whose collections worth lakhs make headlinesJoshi explains ldquoYou may not be a sneakerhead yourself but when you see your favourite cricketer or rapper in them it sparks interest I also believe it helps build a saving habit among the youth For a student to buy a pair of sneakers worth R6000 they might have to save Rs 1000 a month for six months And if they manage to get a rare pair whose value appreciates they can even sell it for a profit It becomes a form of currencymdasha rather harmless one at thatrdquoAmid all the research and chatter about the sneaker community Sunday midday observed that women sneakerheads are still underrepresented in Indiarsquos entrepreneurial scene One of the few women sneaker enthusiasts who made waves before the scene picked up is Gurgaonbased Sugandha Tyagi known as shoesyourdaddy on Instagram She has been active in sneaker customisation for a decade and specialises in handpainting permanent artworkWhile her orders come from around the globe some of her biggest patrons are Mumbaikars including prominent names such as journalist Faye DrsquoSouza film critic Sucharita Tyagi comedian Karunesh Talwar ldquoFaye was one of the kindest patrons I have ever hadrdquo says Tyagi adding ldquoShe gave my career a significant push by motivating me I painted a pair of sneakers for her and to my surprise received double the payment I had quoted She told me I deserved it because the artwork was worth the pricerdquo says TyagiApart from Tyagi Suhana Sethi stands out as one of the few women sneakerheads whose profile is entirely centred around sneakers Smartkicksrsquo Pandey acknowledges ldquoItrsquos true Sneaker culture is 8085 per cent menrdquo Pandey adds ldquoThe desi sneaker culture is also predominantly driven by the 2035 age demographic with Gen Z at the forefront Older generations who often wear ldquoDad shoesrdquo a term for basic thicksoled sports shoes have traditionally viewed footwear as a purely functional they are gradually warming up to the style of sneakers Brands like New Balance are catering to this shift by offering shoes that combine comfort status symbolrdquoBe it Converse Chuck Taylor AllStars that were released over a century ago in 1917 or the latest Adidas Yeezys or even homegrown brands there are takers for all kinds today across demographicsmdashfrom typical consumers like Gen Z graffiti artists and skateboarders to even the older folks80Percentage of maledominance over the industrySource Industry experts304037Rise in premium sneaker options on Adidas and Myntra websites in 2024Source Myntra Trend IndexRs 2364 crRevenue sneakers segment in India is forecasted to generate this yearSource Statistacom