New Delhi, Sept 12: How far you will reach in life depends on the type of shoes you wear. With a long walk or jog now mandatory on every health freak's agenda, the market for walking and running shoes is opening up. Bazaar team reports
They say a man is known by the shoe he wears. India is waking up fast to this old saying, especially when a large chunk of our middle class society gets out every morning for a jog or walk to burn those extra calories. Walking and running shoes are fast becoming a craze in the urban household.
Most Indians seem to use only one pair of shoes for all their chores - a walk to the market, a morning jog or simply a visit to their neighbours. But there is a market emerging for a niche segment. Says fashion designer Sonam Dubbal, "Jogging can be harsh on your knees and ankles. One needs to wear the right footwear to be comfortable while jogging. One of my cousins recommended me to try out Nike though I was used to Adidas. Now I am addicted to 'Balance' by Nike. I think that they are more functional and extremely comfortable for walking over up and down slopes while jogging. Moreover, it is for personal comfort. Personally, I am not brand conscious and don't believe in creating fashion statements by wearing branded sports shoes." There are running shoes whose cost starts at Rs 500 and goes up to Rs 5,000. Is there a market out there?
Anupam Bansal, head of design and development and director of the Liberty footwear group, gives us some insight. "International markets started with the concept of sports shoes, and a lot of things differ them from the Indian market. For one, the disposable income in India is very low and people do not have enough money to spend on specialised sports shoes. They end up wearing the same shoe when they go to college, play tennis or go for a walk. The specialised market has not yet matured in India. Almost 99.9 per cent of the market is for the casual sports shoe."

So what are the Indian companies doing about it? "When it comes to footwear, it is essential that it is perfectly made - in accordance with the shape of the foot and well-suited to its purpose. We are making attempts to create lightweight and flexible shoes. An important criterion is that they should be wide at the toe to make them impact-resistant." A rough estimate would peg Liberty's market share in the running shoes category at around 10 per cent. "We have managed that share because we are creating a multi-purpose shoe - with durability and comfort. Pricing, too, is for the Indian middle class, which constitutes a majority of the market." Liberty's running shoes are priced in the Rs 450-1,000 range, with the most expensive being available for Rs 1,200.



Says Rohit Bal, fashion designer, "I have a personal liking for Nike. It is extremely light. The shoes breathe and have fantastic styling. They are on my feet while jogging or playing tennis. It is my job to create fashion. It is a fashion statement if I wear it." Why are brands like Nike and Reebok so popular? "International brands have an advantage - they combine brand value, technology and marketing infrastructure. Hence the popularity. But they do not enjoy a very large market in India," offers Bansal. A reason could be the high costs. "Possibly. These companies spend a lot on developing their footwear. Plus, there are import duties that need to be settled. What we sell in one month, they manage in one year. They would hardly constitute one per cent of the market. Ninety-five per cent Indians have incomes less than Rs 5,000 a month. Now people are going in more for utility and comfort. All talk about flashy designs and huge sizes is simple gimmickry... they have died a natural death."



But Bata officials don't agree. "We do have shoes in the 'Power line' which are aimed at the new generation. These are attractive and colourful with a heavy, whacky look in their soles," informs a Bata official from its Connaught Place outlet. The company is also planning to import a few designs from Malaysia over the next fortnight. "The aim is to capture the youth market. For that, such gimmicks are important," adds the official. But this company also prefers to keep its prices reasonable - between Rs 599 and 1,300 - to cater to the Indian market. It has tried to differentiate between sports and non-sports footwear. "There is a range of casual wear for college, holidays, outings. Experimenting with designs has also paid off. We had come out with a design without laces and it was one of our fastest-selling items," claims the official. Bata claims to cater to around 32 per cent of the running shoes market. "This is because we are selling our quality products at reasonable prices. The usual range is between Rs 700 and Rs 800 while a simple jogger's shoe from Nike or Reebok stable would cost you around Rs 1,500." Bata's sportswear, made specifically for playing table tennis, cricket or badminton, though can do better. Obviously, it is the serious player who would be ready to spend that kind of money.



Says Mukesh Saini, a businessman taking a stroll at the Vinod Nagar park, "For morning walks I like to be comfortable and wear a pair of floaters. You can easily slip out and be barefooted. Also, they are much more comfortable and easy to maintain. I prefer floaters from Adidas. They are much more costly than the local ones, but the difference in quality is too big to make any compromise. A pair of floaters costs me Rs 1,300 to Rs 2,000, while there are floaters available for just Rs 300 or even less. But you won't find the same comfort level."



Liberty is now coming up with its Winter 2003 collection, which has 15 new designs in sports shoes - for men and children. Don't women go in for these? "As far as the middle class is concerned, India does not have a very big market for women. They use such shoes for morning walks or casual wear. The designs we have are reasonably priced - between Rs 400 and Rs 800. Also, many of our sports shoe styles are unisex," says Bansal.



Says Devi Cherian, socialite, "If I look 10 years back, style used to be my first preference to pick up a pair of shoes. But if you ask me today, I would go for comfort and durability. I usually prefer low heels or flats. However, Nike suits me the best while walking. I think I am really fascinated with shopping for shoes. Price does not matter; comfort and quality are the only considerations. I buy at least a pair a month, in addition to those that I pick up while abroad. I cherish my shoes and take care that I don't keep them without removing the dust. Muslin bags are the best to stock costly pairs."



Companies are also relying on fierce advertising campaigns to drive home the idea. Where you had an Action shoes company with one advertisement, now you have brands pushing their niche products in different categories. "It is not a viable option for shoe companies to have different TV ads for different segments like running, jogging or walking. But you do have a lot of that happening in print," says Rahul Singh, an advertising executive.