More Indians design right shoe fit online amid pandemic

ToeSmith offers a 3D interactive design tool that allows people to customise different parts of a shoe individually.

New Delhi: As more and more Indians buy customised, made-to-order and well-fitting apparel online in the pandemic, the same trend has been observed in the accessories segment where people are now spending on customised shoes and other items in these social distancing times.

Ashish Prakash and Aayush Jindal who graduated from IIT Delhi started Toesmith in 2019 that allows customers to not only customise different parts of the shoe but also edit and upload their own design online. Based in Gurugram, Toesmith ships their products — mostly in the range of Rs 1,000-Rs 3,000 — across Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai and Kolkata.

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ToeSmith offers a 3D interactive design tool that allows people to customise different parts of a shoe individually. The customer can easily change five aspects of a shoe – the vamp (the front part of the shoe), the quarters (sides), the heel counter (backside), the binding (inner part), and the collar lining via the 3D design.

“There was a strong need for affordable customisable shoes. So, we thought let us give the consumer the option to customise and order their own shoes and that’s how we started ToeSmith,” Aayush said in recent media reports.

At Lusso Lifestyle, which is India’s first shoe brand for men with a vegan-luxury concept, its founder Bhaveen Doshi is busy devising new ways to help customise the shoes as per the client’s needs and choices. “We make the customer’s experience hassle-free by having a walk-in store plus an online website that provides our entire collection which makes it convenient for the customers to choose the right pair for themselves. We also provide free exchanges and returns,” Doshi said.

“We also have WhatsApp services available where our designers help the client choose the right pair, suggest to them what will suit their attire and their comfort,” he informed.

Mumbai-based Tiesta provides custom-made luxury footwear which can be ordered from the comfort of your home. “Make your pair as unique as you are! You choose your leather, your colour, your sole and your details. We’ll handcraft your desired pair as per your specifications using the finest materials and bespoke workmanship,” according to the company.