Sole searching: Preference for smart casual footwear may outlast pandemic

A pairing of a formal suit jacket or blazer with night pyjamas, or even shorts. Plus, a pair of flip flops or slip-ons to complete the look. The two years of the pandemic with their virtual work-from-home meetings, webinars and online sessions have introduced us to some unusual functional fashion.

As some things – like office attire and formal shoes – were pushed to the back of closets, stuff that spelled comfort quickly took their place. Now, as the world opens up, one view is that smart, casual clothes and stylish, comfortable footwear would likely be a preference that would outlast the pandemic – even for office.

“On the lifestyle front, sneakers, slides and flip flops have witnessed a strong momentum,” says Abhishek Ganguly, managing director, PUMA India and Southeast Asia. With respect to fitness, performance shoes have gained a lot of traction, he adds. “Consumers are adopting a healthier lifestyle, and this is the phenomenon even in smaller cities. There is a trend towards running, home fitness and outdoor sports, which has led to an increased demand for athletic shoes.”

Like PUMA and Crocs, luxury brands such as Birkenstock and smaller home-grown labels like CAI and Eridani, which specialise in women’s footwear and have cultivated a sizeable customer base, too saw a rise in demand for comfort wear.

“We do see a certain shift to trendy comfort footwear, and there has been a definite rise in online sales during the pandemic, month-on-month and year-on-year,” says Zeisha Jaffer, CEO and founder, Eridani.

Jaffer, who studied footwear design at Polimoda, Florence, says her experience of making shoes by hand has come in handy. “Our shoes are designed with cushioning because we realised our clientele is mainly people who wear these shoes all day long,” she says of the brand that was launched in 2017 and introduces a new collection every 15-20 days.

Another brand that operates in the comfort category is The CAI Store, which launched in 2016. “From when we launched, there has been a rise in comfort footwear,” says Dhanraj Minawala, the co-founder. “Earlier, we were focused on fashion, but during the first lockdown we saw a shift. People just wanted to be comfortable, whether it was leisure clothing or shoes.”

The brand, which operates in the mid-segment range and has an entire comforter line, saw a 200 per cent jump in sales for two consecutive years, says Minawala.

The shift to online during the pandemic also helped broaden choices for consumers and empowered small brands to create a space for themselves.

Take the case of Snehal Sule, a 32-year-old architect from Mumbai. Sule had her eyes on a pair of mules from Dip Your Toes, a brand she came across on Instagram. “They looked very comfortable, and textured faux-leather is a great look for office and casual outings alike,” she says.

A self-proclaimed shopaholic, Sule has ordered four pairs of quilted sliders in the past year. “It is amazing how one doesn’t have to choose between comfort and style anymore. These sliders, which come with extra padding, are also good-looking enough to be worn to work,” she says. 

Formal affair

So where does that leave formal footwear?

“It (sale of formal shoes) went down during Covid by about 400-500 basis points. But as soon as restrictions were lifted, people were right back to buying formal shoes,” says Nissan Joseph, CEO, Metro Brands. “We've seen growth in the about ~3,000 segment, which is where a lot of our formals play,” he adds.

Venu Nair, MD & CEO, Shoppers Stop, noticed a similar trend. “In the last quarter, we saw what we have termed as a ‘wardrobe reboot’; so athleisure and innerwear were in demand. However, in the past few months, consumers have rebooted their wardrobes for a post-pandemic life, buying different categories of apparel,” he says, adding, “Formal shoes are a part of the wardrobe reboot as customers are starting to venture out and many have even started to go back to work, and that is where formalwear is starting to re-appear. It is seeing a resurgence.”

Nair is upbeat: “We expect the sale of formal shoes to get back to a steady level, probably on a slightly lower level than what we had seen pre-Covid but it will continue to be an important part of the wardrobe.”

On the front foot

India is the second largest producer and consumer of footwear in the world (China is the largest)

In 2019, the market size was estimated to be $10.6 billion and pegged to grow to $15.5 billion by 2024

Source: September 2020 report by Invest India