After a first quarter powered by school-reopening demand, summer collections and channel restocking, footwear brands are entering the monsoon quarter with cautious optimism as they prepare for the festive season. Across the industry, companies reported sustained demand for casual, athleisure and comfort-led footwear, while monsoon is driving sales of lightweight, durable and weather-friendly products.
As competition intensifies across value and premium segments, brands are increasingly relying on product innovation, comfort-led portfolios and premium offerings rather than deep discounting to protect margins. While festive pipeline building is expected to support demand in the coming months, companies remain watchful of raw material costs, shifting consumer sentiment and broader macroeconomic conditions.
“Q1 continued to be supported by seasonal demand drivers such as school reopening and summer-led purchases. More broadly, we are seeing sustained momentum in sports-inspired and athleisure footwear as consumers increasingly seek products that combine comfort, style and versatility. Footwear is also becoming more lifestyle-led, with younger consumers looking for products that can seamlessly move across different occasions,” Gaurav Sharma, Chief Marketing Officer, Campus Activewear, told BW Retail World.
Comfort-led Categories Take Centre Stage
Beyond seasonal demand, brands are seeing structural shifts in consumer preferences, with casual, athleisure and sports-inspired footwear emerging as the strongest growth drivers. Comfort has become the defining purchase criterion across price points, while consumers are increasingly opting for versatile products that transition seamlessly between work, travel and everyday wear. Women's open footwear, sandals, slides, clogs and other easy-to-wear categories have also witnessed healthy traction.
“Comfort remains one of the strongest purchase drivers today, particularly among younger consumers. With the average age of a customer now around 32 years, we are seeing increasing demand for products that combine aesthetics, versatility and comfort,” stated Ankur Rastogi, Senior Vice President and Head - Regional Design and Development Hub, Bata India.
Several brands indicated that lifestyle-led consumption, rather than purely occasion-based buying, is now influencing product development and merchandising strategies. Rastogi added that one major growth driver was women's footwear. The company’s summer collection, rolled out earlier this year, saw encouraging traction across flats, sandals and open footwear.
Monsoon Demand And Festivals In Sight
With the onset of the monsoon, brands are witnessing a shift towards functional footwear, as consumers increasingly opt for products that are lightweight, water-friendly and easy to maintain. Categories such as clogs, slides, sandals and slippers are seeing stronger traction, while waterproof and weather-resistant footwear is also gaining ground. Companies said replacement purchases typically rise during this period, creating opportunities beyond discretionary buying.
To tap this demand, brands are expanding monsoon-focused portfolios with differentiated offerings. Bata, for instance, is betting on Floatz, its fast-growing range of slippers, slides, mules and clogs featuring anti-skid soles and its proprietary FloFoam technology, while premium players are seeing healthy demand for waterproof sneakers and all-weather footwear that combine functionality with style. The emphasis, executives said, is increasingly on multi-use footwears that remain relevant well beyond a single season.
"As we enter Q2, we are preparing for the festive season while closely tracking evolving consumer sentiment and discretionary spending patterns. Premiumisation continues to present meaningful opportunities, with consumers increasingly willing to invest in products that deliver superior comfort, quality and design," said Anupam Bansal, Executive Director, Liberty Shoes, adding that the company remains focused on maintaining a strong product pipeline, expanding its retail reach. He added that new store openings remain part of the Q2 plan and deepening engagement through Step Up Club, its loyalty programme.
Liberty, however, said heavy rainfall can temporarily affect footfalls in physical retail markets. At the same time, companies have begun building inventories and product pipelines for the festive season, with premiumisation expected to remain a key growth lever. Rather than designing collections solely around traditional occasions, brands are increasingly introducing contemporary styles that can be paired across both ethnic and western wear, reflecting changing consumer preferences for versatile, occasion-fluid footwear.
Premiumisation Holds, Input Costs Stay On Watch
Even as competitive intensity rises, companies are resisting deep discounting and instead strengthening premium offerings, betting that consumers are increasingly willing to pay for better comfort, quality and durability. While premiumisation remains a common theme across the industry, brands said they are simultaneously keeping a close watch on raw material costs, currency movements and broader consumer sentiment as they navigate the second quarter.
Sumeet Lohia, Country Manager, India, Ecco, said, "As we move into Q2, we remain optimistic about the continued growth of the premium footwear segment in India. One of the key demand drivers is the ongoing premiumisation trend, with consumers increasingly prioritising quality, comfort and longevity over frequent replacement purchases. While macroeconomic factors such as raw material costs, currency fluctuations, and evolving consumer sentiment remain areas we continue to monitor, Ecco is well-positioned due to our vertically integrated business model."
The broader industry is adopting a similar approach. Rather than responding to cost pressures through frequent price hikes or aggressive promotions, companies said they are leveraging product innovation, differentiated portfolios, operational efficiencies and long-term sourcing partnerships to maintain pricing discipline.
The industry's outlook for Q2 remains measured but positive. While monsoon demand and festive pipeline building are expected to support sales, companies expect differentiated offerings rather than price-led competition to drive growth through the remainder of the first half, even as input costs and consumer sentiment remain under close watch. |
