IT'S ALL IN THE KICKS

A growing love for sneakers in India has seen homegrown brands emerge, and consumers are loving them. We take a peek into this fast-growing market

- By Jyotsna Sharma

SNEAKERS have become an essential part of the wardrobe these days; one can see brides wearing sneakers with lehengas. Office executives and even CEOs wear sneakers with their business suits. In fact, people have a few pairs in different styles and colours. So far, most of us have desired to have international sneaker brands in our wardrobe, but all this is changing. Now Indian brands are making a mark.

According to industry reports, India's sneakers market was valued at $ 3.88 billion in FY2024 and is expected to reach $5.93 billion in FY2032. At BW Businessworld, we caught up with CHK and Gully Labs, two young Indian sneaker brands that have captured the interest of Gen Z.

Gully Number 001

The sneaker brand Gully Labs started two years ago. Log on to their website and you will see sneakers called Kulfi Badaam, Patang Red, Gully Number 001-Baaz Firozi Green and such. It's not just the names but even the designs have a certain Indianness that consumers like.

Their products speak the language of the modern Indian. Priced between Rs 5000-13,000 a pair, they can be bought online on their site, and also on the Myntra, Culture Circle, Ajio and Amazon sites. And, their first exclusive store is opening in Delhi's tony Panchsheel Park on 5th September.

"India felt invisible in the global sneaker culture. With all the craft, colour, and chaos that surrounds us in India, it didn't make sense that none of it showed up in the sneakers we wore. So we started Gully Labs to flip that script - building sneakers that carry Indian stories but are designed at a level that can stand with the best in the world," say Arjun Singh and Animesh Mishra, co-founders of Gully Labs.