On the Rise: India's Burgeoning Sneaker Scene

India is known for its abundance of bright clothing and intricate textiles, but when it comes to sneakers, it’s a different story. Though the members of the budding sneaker scene only make up a fraction of India’s 1.3 billion people, they have recently been making international waves. Major cities Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bangalore are sneaker hotspots, and have become home to many sneakerheads, as well as India’s two major multi-brand sneaker stores: VegNonVeg and Superkicks.

As the community develops, the number of collaborations, brands, influencers and fanatics increases, yet gaping holes in the community have also become apparent. So, we’ve tracked down some of the founding members of the strong but powerful Indian sneaker scene to share their experiences, hopes, complaints, suggestions, habits, and more.

In addition to those previously mentioned, thanks to Atul Sharma, Gaurav Karki, Mayank Thappa, and Rajiv Raori for their help on this piece.