Not too long ago, sneakers in India were largely confined to gym bags, dance floors or casual weekend outings. Today, they are everywhere. They accompany tailored trousers in boardrooms, complement ethnic wear at Diwali parties and weddings, and make for a common sight on the streets. What was once functional footwear is becoming a fashion statement, and increasingly, an expression of personal identity.
While global giants like Nike, Puma and adidas continue to hold a significant space in shopping carts and wardrobe shelves, a new revolution has been brewing in the Indian sneaker market for the past few years—homegrown brands are creating a special space by speaking directly to the country’s young consumers. Through locally-rooted narratives, culturally-relevant designs and community-driven marketing, brands like Gully Labs, Comet, Neeman’s, Banjaaran, Chnks and more are proving that in the sneaker business, what people wear is increasingly influenced by the stories they relate to and want to tell.
Their rise suggests that as India’s sneaker culture comes of age, the biggest winners may be those that treat culture as their biggest marketing currency. Dipshika Ravi, National Creative Director, Schbang, agrees. “Sneaker marketing has evolved from being purely aspirational to becoming a form of self-expression. Earlier, brands sold status; today, they sell identity and culture.”
She further emphasises that Gen Z has driven this shift, because they are looking for authenticity and personal relevance rather than simply following celebrity endorsements. Mayank Gaba, Creative Director, SW Network, backs this, saying, “Gen Z’s fashion sense is too vocal and loud to be ignored. It is because of them that we are getting to see the sneaker industry experiment and innovate.”
Homegrown brands have tapped into this sentiment with storytelling that feels authentic rather than manufactured. Utkarsh Gupta, Co-founder, Comet shares, “From the beginning, we have concentrated on creating products that combine strong design aesthetics with everyday comfort and functionality for Indian consumers. Alongside the product, we have invested significantly in building a distinct brand identity through storytelling, culture-led communication, collaborations and community engagement.”
Further highlighting how storytelling gives the brand a competitive edge, he says, “Every campaign, product launch and collaboration at Comet is approached with a strong narrative lens. We aim to create stories that feel emotionally engaging, culturally relevant and relatable to our audience. That emotional resonance helps build trust, aspiration, and recall, all of which naturally contribute to conversion over time.”
This culture and identity-led approach has become central to Indian sneaker brands’ marketing philosophy. Take Gully Labs, for instance, which is recognised for its culture-first thinking. “From naming their footwear to collaborating with regional Indian creators and brands, GullyLabs has been able to understand this game well. These collaborations have more to do with creating a vision within the community than just promoting footwear,” Gaba notes.
Experts believe that homegrown brands have an edge in this domain because they naturally understand local nuances, communities and cultural codes, which makes storytelling feel more authentic. However, global brands are also tailoring their strategy to cater to the local audiences. Ravi points out, “Global brands are increasingly embedding themselves into local culture through collaborations with Indian artists, athletes and creators. They are moving beyond localisation and becoming part of the cultural conversation.”
Take Adidas Originals, for instance, which unveiled its first India co-created sneaker with Ranveer Singh earlier this year. Or, the collaboration between PUMA India and Superkicks India to unveil Jamun-inspired sneakers, celebrating a fruit that finds immense resonance in Indian households.
Such collaborations and partnerships have become central to how sneakers are designed and marketed in the country. Nisha Lulla, Co-founder & CMO, Superkicks notes, “Collaborations bring together different perspectives, communities and creative ideas. For us, they are a way to create something unique and connect stories that feel real and culturally relevant to our audience.”
In fact, collaborations have come to define the identity of a lot of sneakers. Gaba elaborates, “Collaborations in the sneaker world are often either related to established personalities or some off the charts cultural phenomena. This helps the sneaker, which has probably not even launched yet, get its own fan base borrowed from the fame of the artist or culture.”
He stresses that this does not exist strongly in India yet, but globally, a lot of sports personalities and artists sign a long-term deal with sneaker brands to launch a pair in their name. However, what India does have—and what homegrown brands have capitalised on—is a strong community of sneaker enthusiasts. This makes community-building an indispensable part of sneaker brands’ marketing strategy. Gupta reveals, “A significant part of Comet’s growth has been driven by community. While advertising is important for building visibility and reaching new audiences, community is what creates long-term brand affinity and loyalty. From the outset, we focused on building conversations and connections rather than simply running campaigns.”
He further states that a large amount of brand growth has come organically through building a strong distribution channel via Instagram, where they have consistently focused on creating a distinct voice, visual identity and community-led conversations around the brand. “From there, creators, sneaker enthusiasts, word of mouth and online communities genuinely helped amplify Comet further because the brand naturally resonated with them.”
Ravi believes that this Internet culture is shaping trends in sneaker marketing more than traditional advertising could. “Consumers discover brands through communities and creators they trust, making these collaborations incredibly powerful. Creator collaborations today work best when they are genuine cultural partnerships rather than just influencer endorsements,” she says.
Besides cultural storytelling, collaborations and communities, another exciting shift in sneaker marketing is in how brands approach retail. Sneaker stores are not just shopping destinations anymore—they have become experiential content and social spaces. Lulla agrees, saying, “While the product remains at the centre, people want spaces that feel immersive and connected to the lifestyle around sneakers and fashion—whether that’s through events, conversations, installations, music or collaborations. We've always looked at our stores as spaces where people can experience and engage with the culture in a way that goes beyond just buying a pair of sneakers.”
These developments signal a shift not only in how sneakers are marketed, but also how they are perceived. While the early stage of sneaker culture in India was influenced by global hype and international trends, consumers today are developing a stronger sense of personal style and identity. Brands, thus, need to go beyond product launches and build ecosystems around music, sport, gaming, fashion and street culture. “The winners will be the brands that create a sense of belonging and become part of people’s identities, not just their wardrobes,” Ravi concludes.
