Best Foot forward
POOL|POOL 84

‘Cuero – Handcrafted Luxury’ was born out of Naman Shah’s desire to change the way Indian men look at a pair of shoes

Best Foot forward

What first brought shoes to your notice?

NS: As kids, my brother and I were never allowed to wear flip-flops; we were always made to wear leather sandals, shoes or sports shoes. My vacations were spent going with my father to work, attending business meetings, and just sitting quietly, listening to what was going on – and of course, I had to be well dressed. This experience made me a good observer; I would notice people, their clothes, and the way they spoke. My father was my role model - he would never leave the house without wearing matching watch strap, belt and shoes. As I grew up I developed a taste for leather as a material and I would be drawn to anything that was made in leather. I noticed that the older generation would give a lot of importance to a good pair of shoes; it seemed important for the image of man to wear a fine pair of shoes! In time I heard these men complain about the lack of good shoes in India. My love for shoes began then.

While in college (studying commerce), everyone was wearing Converse shoes but no one was able to maintain them, especially the white rubber soles. I hated dirty shoes and so I started a small business – for Rs. 100 I would clean the shoes and give the customer new shoelaces. The business picked up and I made decent money which took care of my expenses.

How does a banking and finance major find his way into the shoe business?

This story is from the POOL 84 edition of POOL.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the POOL 84 edition of POOL.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM POOLView All
A Legacy Continues
Designindia

A Legacy Continues

Leveraging the success of his family's export business, Naman Jain is focusing on creating a retail presence in India

time-read
5 mins  |
Designindia 143
Creating KAIRA
Designindia

Creating KAIRA

Long fascinated by Indian fabric, Nikita Gupta has launched an attractive line of contemporary apparel in traditional block prints

time-read
4 mins  |
Designindia 143
Stories faces tell
Designindia

Stories faces tell

Aditya Narula dabbled in various vocations before he realized portraiture was the best way to express the fascinating complexities of the people he encountered along the way

time-read
6 mins  |
Designindia 143
time tested DESIGN
Designindia

time tested DESIGN

Surrounded by art and architecture as a child, Sarah Sham went on to take the family antiques business in a new direction through her interior design venture

time-read
3 mins  |
Designindia 143
DANGEROUSLY DELICATE
Designindia

DANGEROUSLY DELICATE

Kavya Potluri's attention to minute detail is what sets her intricate and unconventional jewelry apart

time-read
5 mins  |
Designindia 143
music as muse
Designindia

music as muse

A multidisplinary visual artist, Aaron Pinto, also known as Kidsquidy, has had an interesting journey that started with MTV and has him now working on everything from music videos to stage design

time-read
8 mins  |
Designindia 143
DEVELOPING A DISCOURSE
Designindia

DEVELOPING A DISCOURSE

Documentary photographer Taha Ahmad believes his work has a greater purpose than merely being admired by a select audience for its esthetic value. It's when people are able to see the underside of society and understand the prevailing social injustice that the work tries to reveal that it is truly worthwhile.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Designindia 143
Tiny little Stories
Designindia

Tiny little Stories

Creating miniature worlds allows Ruchika Nambiar to continue to play childlike games of make-believe

time-read
8 mins  |
Designindia 143
The Richness Of Handmade
Designindia

The Richness Of Handmade

Amit Vijaya and Richard Pandav are committed to bringing together many hands and hearts through their clothing label ‘amrich’

time-read
6 mins  |
Designindia 114
The perfect balance
Designindia

The perfect balance

Aniruddh Mehta is as much graphic designer as visual artist, and he tries to do justice to both through his work at Studio Bigfat

time-read
5 mins  |
Designindia 114