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Writer's picturePrakhar Sonkiya

The Rising Sneaker Culture of India: A Journey of Sneakerheads

Updated: Oct 1, 2020



A Brief History from around the world


Over the last 200 years, sneakers have signified everything from national identity, race, and class to masculinity and criminality. Sneakers weren't always considered to be cool and fashionable. The term 'Sneakers' was corresponding to noiseless footfall and hence they were considered to be meant for muggers and burglars. However, it was in the 1980s, that sneakers became a thing due to their association with Hip-Hop and Basketball. With the Air Jordan line being released in 1985 in collaboration with Michael Jordan, sneakers became much more than a pair of shoes. They became a part of his journey. A journey to everything from nothing. A journey which everyone wanted to be a part of.




The Rise of the Sneaker Culture in India


India is known for their beautifully crafted textiles and the use of bright colors. However, when it comes to sneakers, the story is completely different. The sneaker culture in India is something that has come to rise very recently. The roots of the rising craze of sneakers lies in the streets of the country. The rise of hip hop artists like Badshah, Divine, Raftaar and Emiway to name a few has led to the adaptation of streetwear as a whole and sneakers in particular. By the influence of these artists, sneakers have become a highly desirable product among millennials and India has caught onto the subculture of collecting limited-edition sneakers or entering in raffles to win the latest pair of kicks, and occasionally resorting to the darknet for a really desirable pair. It is not just brands like Nike or Adidas Originals that are getting traction but even luxury sneakers like Balenciagas and Guccis are widely popular among the affluent crowd in India. Upcoming Multi Sneaker stores like VegNonVeg and Superkicks also play a major role in influencing the Sneaker Industry of India.







Shaping the Indian sneaker culture


VegNonVeg

With the growing number of sneaker aficionados, the sneaker culture in India is still emerging and finding its voice. Veg Non Veg – a multi-brand sneaker brand founded by Anand Ahuja and Abhineet Singh is the first of its kind on India. Sneakerheads themselves, Anand and Abhijeet redefined the sneaker culture in India. Launched in 2016, Veg Non-Veg has brought never seen before styles to the market, making it a go-to-shop for hundreds of sneakerheads in the country.  






Super Kicks India

When you talk about the sneak industry in India, Super Kicks is another brand that pops up. 

Started in 2018 with a retail store in Mumbai, Super Kicks is also a multi-brand sneaker store that has identified the potential in India. Sangeet Paryani, the founder is dedicated to bringing limited edition, heritage styles as well as more contemporary silhouettes to India. The brand is comparatively new but still has managed to get a good following of sneakerheads with their limited-edition releases.




Paryani’s vision for Super Kicks was to turn sneakers into a lifestyle product that has aspirational value rather than just being a functional commodity. Super Kicks is big on providing their customers with a unique shopping experience where they are not just selling sneakers but also have a small cafe inside. It is a concept store where anyone can walk in and experience their wonderfully curated and handpicked sneakers. Super Kicks is also doing their bit to promote the sneaker culture by curating events, sneakerhead meet-ups giving the customers a whole new perspective to exclusive launches in-store. 

Even though the sneaker subculture in India is continuing to grow rapidly, we still have a long way to go to match up to international markets- import taxes and accessibility being on the top of the list. With the import duty clocking up to 40% on MSRP, which is outrageously high, bridging this gap can turn out to be a major turning point for the sneaker industry in India. Now that we have dedicated sneaker stores and access to more styles in India, it only gets better from here. 



The Challenges


Taxes and import duties

This one is a heartbreaker. The duties and taxes you can expect to pay for your favorite pair of sneakers if you import them is a massive 39 to 45%! This is applicable on the billing value which means that the taxes are are applied after adding shipping costs and processing fee. All in all, you can expect to pay more than 50% of the value of the shoe just as tax.




The Fake Market

Unsuprisingly, due to high duties and taxes, most of the sneakerheads can't afford to pay such high amounts. This has given a rise to the fake markets all over India.

According to an interview of Indian sneaker con organiser, making out the difference between high quality replicas is extremely hard and many sneakerheads/sellers get away with it.



So when you think about it, should you be buying fake sneakers?

It’s definitely a philosophical head scratcher: If you can’t tell the difference between two things, then why aren’t they the same? The philosophical name for this conundrum is – the identity of indiscernible! Intriguing isn’t it? Thinking practically, if the fakes are truly identical then why drop bucket loads of money on the resale market? Do you really fear that your friends will figure out they are fake even when the CEO of StockX or Sneaker Con can’t?


The Future

While there are still many obstacles to be faced by Indian sneakerheads on the daily, there’s also plenty of room for improvement. Brands like PUMA and adidas have already recognised the growing market and initiated partnerships. Increasing numbers of brands and shoes are entering the market. Collection launches and sneaker releases are well-attended. Stories about sneakerheads are popping up in the local news. Who knows what could happen next. Once it gets ‘there’, it may just blow the rest of us out of the water.



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