Tech-aided sports shoes gain in pace

Aspirational lifestyle is creating a great demand for casual footwear as against the traditional favourites, formal and functional footwear.

Sports footwear is proving to be an even bigger draw, and is the fastest moving footwear category growing at 30 per cent per annum. The overall Rs 14,000 crore shoe market is chugging along at a steady 15-20 per cent in India.



And consumers are now seeking sport shoes with hi-tech features for specific sporting activities — football, basketball, running a marathon, walking, trekking, for gym workouts.

"Sports shoes with hi-tech features, which are extremely popular worldwide, are now seeing significant uptake in all 16 of our pan-India stores," CEO of upmarket footwear specialty store Reliance Footprint G Sankar says.

"For instance, sports shoes with ‘impact guidance system’, which enhances the foot’s natural gait from heel-strike to toe-off; ‘biomorphic fit’ ones to reduce buckling and the potential for irritation and gel technology shoes for shock absorption, vibration isolation, cushioning, durability, and feel are moving off the shelves rapidly," he says.

The store retails over 50 footwear brands across multiple categories. This week, the company announced a partnership with ASICS Corporation Japan to distribute its iconic brands such as Gel Kayano, DS Trainer, GT 2000 and 1000 series from April 2010.

Selecting the right shoe-fit is not a mundane affair any longer and technology is playing a part here as well. "We will be introducing 3D foot measurement machines for the first time in India, which will analyse foot length, arch height, pronation of the feet and tell customers what is the best shoe-fit. Some of these machines are also attached to treadmills and customers will be recommended shoes to match their running styles. This is done routinely in many of our stores in Japan, Europe, and the US," marketing manager of ASICS Corporation’s Asia Pacific division Mike Adachi says.