You’ve heard the old saying, “A man’s shoe speaks a lot about his personality,” right? It’s absolutely true. In our modern Fashion Era, shoes aren’t just a necessity—they are the exclamation point of your wardrobe! Because a shoe is such a massive slice of your individuality and can instantly level up the appeal of any outfit, it’s only natural that you desire to wear nothing but the greatest shoe brands.
Whether you are stepping into a boardroom or hitting the running track, the right footwear empowers you. In this blog, we are going to take a thrilling deep dive into the top shoe brands in India. These aren’t just labels; they are the trendsetters. These branded shoes for men and women have captured hearts worldwide and right here in India. Are you ready to find your perfect pair? Let’s walk through this list together!
1. Bata
| Founder | Tomáš Baťa |
| Founded | Zlín, Czech Republic |
| Year of Establishment | 1894 |
| Popular Shoes | Baťovka shoe, Bata Bullets, Bata Comfit |
| Interesting Fact | In 2001, the firm built the Tomas Bata University in the Czech Republic that enrolls 9000 students each year and offers courses in technology, economics, art, and humanities. That is impressive! |
Does any brand scream ‘India’ more than Bata? Surprisingly, the Bata Corporation is actually headquartered in Zlin, Czech Republic! As a worldwide footwear and fashion accessory producer and retailer, this giant has firmly planted its roots with over 5300 retail outlets in over 70 countries.
What makes Bata a household favorite? This firm excels at providing shoes and footwear in a variety of pricing ranges for men, women, and children of all classes. In India, the brand is legendary for its low-cost, high-quality items. If you are seeking a company that offers high-quality items at a reasonable price, Bata is, without a doubt, a great option for your family.
2. Nike
| Founder | Phil Knight, Bill Bowerman |
| Founded | Eugene, Oregon |
| Year of Establishment | 1964 |
| Popular Shoes | Nike Air Force 1, Air Jordan series |
| Interesting Fact | When the company first started, it was called Blue Ribbon Sports. In 1971, the name was changed to Nike. Can you imagine calling them anything else? |
Just do it! Nike is a global sports shoe and clothing manufacturer that needs no introduction. They offer a diverse selection of shoes in terms of quality, design, sports, casual, and price range. It all started when Bill Bowerman created Blue Ribbon Sports in 1964 with his former student Phil Knight at the University of Oregon.
Today, it is a global sports shoe company that makes footwear for running, cricket, golf, snowboarding, basketball, football, tennis, and other outdoor activities. But it doesn’t stop there! It also features a large selection of casual shoes to go with your casual look. Nike sneakers are known for their high quality, comfort, and long-lasting performance, and they are quite popular among Indians who value premium gear.
3. Adidas
| Founder | Adolf Dassler |
| Founded | Herzogenaurach, Germany |
| Year of Establishment | 1949 |
| Popular Shoes | Adidas Superstar, Adidas Stan Smith |
| Interesting Fact | The brand’s stripes, which are probably the most easily recognizable aspect of the brand, were originally placed on the sneakers for stability reasons, not design. Form following function! |
The three stripes are iconic! On August 18, 1949, the Dassler brothers – Adi and Rudolph – launched an international corporation based in Germany. Since then, Adidas has been providing sports products and is undoubtedly one of the world’s top and most popular sportswear manufacturers.
When it comes to shoes, this brand is renowned for its high-quality products, exceptional performance, and comfort. They produce sports shoes, casual shoes, sneakers, outdoor shoes, tracking shoes, and hiking shoes for men, women, and children of all ages. It’s fascinating to see that Adidas sneakers are today worn by individuals from many walks of life, not only athletes.
4. Reebok
| Founder | Joseph William Foster, Jeff Foster |
| Founded | Boston, United Kingdom |
| Year of Establishment | 1958 |
| Popular Shoes | Reebok Zig Kinetica, Instapump Fury |
| Interesting Fact | When choosing a name for their company in 1958, brothers Jeff and Joe Foster originally settled on Mercury Sports Footwear. |
Reebok, founded in 1895 in England, is one of the most admired brands in both the athletic world and modern history. Did you know that since 2005, it has been a component of Adidas’s even better product? This brand combines numerous options: it provides strength and grip, which is necessary for lifting weights, it gives you greater freedom to move around and even run a short distance, and it gives you a trendy appearance.
Wearing a pair offers a flexible, breathable, and soft feeling, similar to that of wearing socks. Plus, there is enough strength for a thorough exercise, which is fantastic for fitness enthusiasts!
5. Woodland
| Founder | Mr. Avtar Singh |
| Founded | Quebec, Canada |
| Year of Establishment | 1992 |
| Popular Shoes | G-0092, Mammoth |
| Interesting Fact | Woodland captured the men’s casual shoe market in India solely with its range of boots. It was not until the late 90’s that the brand started to manufacture casual shoes. |
If you love the outdoors, you love Woodland. Woodland’s parent business, Aero Group, has been a well-known name in the shoe sector since the early 1950s. It joined the Indian market in 1992 after being founded in Quebec, Canada. Before this, the Aero Group mostly exported leather shoes to Russia.
Woodland is a shoe company aimed at young people that sells footwear, clothes, and leather accessories such as belts, wallets, and purses. If you’re searching for robust and durable shoes for difficult weather and terrain, Woodland is the brand to look for. You can easily find their brand outlets in all of India’s major cities.
6. Puma
| Founder | Rudolf Dassler |
| Founded | Herzogenaurach, Germany |
| Year of Establishment | 1948 |
| Popular Shoes | Puma Suede, Puma Clyde |
| Interesting Fact | PUMA’s earliest logo consisted of a square and a beast jumping through a D, which was registered, along with the company’s name. |
The leaping cat represents pure agility. Puma is a worldwide recognized footwear and clothing business that was founded in 2005 (in its current global structure) and offers its products in India through online retailers as well as retail establishments. It stands tall as one of the top five sports shoe and clothing brands in the world.
Fans love that Puma sneakers are long-lasting and comfortable, and they look great with Puma polo t-shirts and blue jeans. Puma’s running shoes are the most popular, with a high level of elegance and utility. The evoPower football shoes and the evoSpeed cricket shoes are their best-selling sports shoes.
7. Lee Cooper
| Founder | Morris Cooper and Louis Maister |
| Founded | London, England |
| Year of Establishment | 1908 |
| Popular Shoes | L9519 boots, LC1323 |
| Interesting Fact | Lee Cooper caused a degree of moral outrage in 1953 by introducing the zip-front to women’s jeans. Talk about being a trendsetter! |
With a heritage dating back to 1908 in London, United Kingdom, Lee Cooper is well-known in over 70 countries for its stunning collection of garments, accessories, and shoes. They feature a large selection of formal leather shoes, casual shoes, and flip-flops that provide consumers with comfort and style.
Lee Cooper provides something for everyone, whether you’re a man, a woman, or a child. Aside from shoes, they also offer a clothing collection that is quite contemporary and up-to-date. It is a classic choice for the modern individual!
8. Liberty
| Founder | Dharam Pal Gupta, Purshotam Das Gupta, and Rajkumar Bansal |
| Founded | Karnal, Haryana |
| Year of Establishment | 1954 |
| Popular Shoes | OSLO, Liberty Warrior Jungle Boot |
| Interesting Fact | In the wake of Independence, a shoe company set up by Jawaharlal Nehru called Pal Boot House was not very successful and was facing closure until the founders of Liberty took over. A historic turnaround! |
This is a story of Indian pride. Liberty Shoes, founded in 1954 in Karnal, Haryana, is one of India’s major shoe firms and one of the world’s top five leather footwear makers. The scale of their operation is mind-blowing; the firm manufactures 50,000 pairs of footwear each day through its six production sites! They have created a global presence, with annual revenue of more than Rs 5 billion.
9. Red Tape
| Founders | Irshad Mirza and Rashid Mirza |
| Founded | Magarwara, Uttar Pradesh |
| Year of Establishment | 1996 |
| Popular Shoes | Red Tape Sneakers, Bond Street |
| Interesting Fact | As the global shoe market looked to outsource leather footwear, Mirza took advantage of this opportunity and diversified the small tannery by manufacturing shoes. |
Classy and sophisticated—that’s Red Tape for you. Red Tape is a major footwear company in India that has established a global presence over the years. Based in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Red Tape specializes in men’s casual leather shoes, formal shoes, and sneakers.
What sets them apart is that the Red Tape footwear collection is created in its in-house design studios in the UK and Italy, and is manufactured to International quality and material standards. Red Tape goods are also offered internationally because of the company’s vast global distribution.
10. Action
| Founder | Action group |
| Founded | Delhi, India |
| Year of Establishment | 1972 |
| Popular Shoes | School Time, Campus |
| Interesting Fact | Action Shoes is the highest shoe producer in the country, with more than 100,000 pairs every day and revenues in excess of 100 million dollars. |
Ah, the nostalgia! In India, Action is one of the most well-known brands. Since its inception in 1972, the footwear brand has grown to become one of India’s most popular. It was a fixture in the life of 90s youngsters, who will recall the iconic “school time” melody from one of its commercials. You can practically hear the tune right now, can’t you?
Action’s well-known subdivisions include Flotter, Campus, Easy Line, and others, catering to every need.
11. Sparx
| Founder | Mukand Lal Dua, Ramesh Kumar Dua |
| Founded | New Gujarat, India |
| Year of Establishment | 1976 |
| Popular Shoes | SparxSD0323G, SparxSM-162 |
| Interesting Fact | Sparx is recognized as one of the most trusted brands in the footwear category by the Brand Trust Report of India. |
For those who want style without breaking the bank, there is Sparx. Sparx is a Delhi-based footwear firm that sells footwear items like shoes, sandals, and constructed slippers at an accessible price range. It is a sub-brand of the famous Relaxo footwear company.
Sparx is a clever sportswear company that has long provided a diverse range of sports shoes, casual shoes, canvas shoes, lifestyle shoes, sandals, and slippers in a variety of patterns, colors, and price ranges for men, women, and children. The company has become one of the finest shoe companies in India due to mid-range items with excellent build quality, outstanding comfort, and fashionable, trendy design.
12. Fila
| Founder | Ettore and Giansevero Fila |
| Founded | Biella, Italy |
| Year of Establishment | 1911 |
| Popular Shoes | Fila F-13, Headway 6 |
| Interesting Fact | Fila gained recognition through skier Alberto Tomba, who won the gold medal in the 1994 World Cup. |
Fila brings a touch of Italian heritage mixed with modern Korean innovation. Fila is a South Korean sports shoe and clothing manufacturing firm that was founded in 1911 by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in Italy. Later, in 2007, it was acquired by a South Korean businessman, and it is now officially functioning as one of South Korea’s major sports manufacturing enterprises.
It is also one of the most famous and prominent sports shoe manufacturers in India, with shoes that Indians like. Fila shoes are well-known among athletes and fashionistas for their outstanding build quality, long-lasting performance, and exceptional comfort.
13. Hush Puppies
| Founder | Wolverine World Wide |
| Founded | Rockford, Michigan |
| Year of Establishment | 1958 |
| Popular Shoes | Glen, Sienna |
| Interesting Fact | Hush Puppies earned an unintentional promotion when actor Tom Hanks wore them in “Forrest Gump,” a 1995 film set in the 1960s. That is super cool! |
If comfort is your king, Hush Puppies is your castle. Hush Puppies is an American company that makes formal and casual leather shoes for ladies, men, and children. It is one of the world’s most well-known shoe companies. The brand is sold in over 160 countries worldwide, including India.
Hush Puppies is a shoe brand in India that caters to the informal lifestyle. Hush Puppy brand shoes are available online in India by major retailers like Amazon and Flipkart, making it super easy to get that cloud-like feeling for your feet.
14. Paragon
| Founder | P.V. Abraham, K.U. Thomas & K.U. Scaria |
| Founded | Kottayam, Kerala |
| Year of Establishment | 1975 |
| Popular Shoes | Paragon Max, Paralite |
| Interesting Fact | With a starting manufacturing capacity of 1500 pairs of footwear per day in 1975, Paragon recorded a production capacity of over 400,000 pairs of plastic and rubber footwear in the year 2016. |
A true giant of the South! Founded in 1975 in Kerala, Paragon Footwears is one of India’s major footwear producers. Today, Paragon’s entire in-house manufacturing capacity is 400,000 pairs per day. That number is staggering! In addition to in-house manufacturing, Paragon has outsourced footwear manufacturing in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kottayam, Calcutta, and other regions of the country. Each year, around 14,00,00,000 pairs are sold.
15. Skechers
| Founder | Robert Greenberg, Michael Greenberg |
| Founded | Manhattan Beach, California |
| Year of Establishment | 1992 |
| Popular Shoes | GOrun series, Pureflex |
| Interesting Fact | Skechers and the Friendship Foundation host an annual walk to raise money for a nonprofit that helps connect special-needs students with their peers. A brand with a heart! |
Last but certainly not least, we have the comfort innovators. Skechers is a footwear brand based in Manhattan, California, that was founded in 1992 and offers a variety of sports, casual, and fashionable footwear for men, women, and children. The company is well-known for its high-quality goods and long-lasting functionality.
Skechers offers a large assortment of shoes for men, women, and children that are specifically developed to meet their demands and provide exceptional cushioning, comfort, support, and long-lasting performance. Furthermore, due to the ease with which this brand’s shoes are available on internet retailers and local outlets, it is regarded as one of the top shoe brands in India.
My Opinion
We have traversed through an incredible list of the top shoe brands in India, and honestly, the variety is breathtaking. As an expert in the footwear domain, I believe that while brand names carry weight, the ‘best’ shoe is deeply personal. It’s about the marriage of form and function. Are you a marathon runner needing the energy return of a Nike or Adidas? Or are you a corporate professional seeking the understated elegance of Red Tape or Hush Puppies?
The Indian market is unique because it values durability just as much as style—something brands like Woodland and Liberty understand perfectly. My advice? Don’t just buy a logo. Look for the technology inside the sole and the quality of the stitching. Your feet carry you through life; they deserve the best protection and comfort these top-tier brands can provide.
Do you know someone struggling to find the perfect pair of kicks? Be a good friend and share this blog with them! Let’s help everyone step out in style.
Simran Khan
FAQs
1. Which brand is best for rough and tough use in India?
Woodland is widely considered the best for rough usage due to its durable leather build and sturdy soles designed for difficult terrain.
2. Which is the most affordable, reliable shoe brand in India?
Bata and Sparx are excellent choices for affordability. They offer high-quality, durable footwear at price points that are very friendly to the Indian middle class.
3. Are international brands like Nike and Adidas manufactured in India?
Yes, many international giants like Nike, Adidas, and Reebok manufacture a significant portion of their products in India to cater to the local market efficiently.
4. Which brand is best for school shoes?
Action Shoes has been the dominant leader in this category for decades, with their ‘School Time’ range being a staple for Indian students.
5. Can I find formal shoes among these sports brands?
Absolutely. Brands like Red Tape, Lee Cooper, Hush Puppies, and Bata specialize in formal leather shoes that are perfect for office wear and special occasions.
