Top Shoe Brands In India

Top Shoe Brands In India are the ones that you inherently feel most comfortable in aligning with your lifestyle. In fact, the proportion of your life spent in shoes is weighty enough, that it’s logical to get them from one of the Best Shoe Brands In India.

But few things are quite as personal in menswear as the quest to find the Best Shoe Brands In India. With such a vast footwear marketplace it can become tiresome to find an option that works for you. Indeed, we can theorize each of ’em until you align yourself with some labels.

At BestShoe99, we recognize the value of a long read. But we also appreciate that attention spans aren’t quite what they use to be. So We decided to organize shoe brands in India into segments highlighting the characteristic facets of each and every one.

All you have to do is scroll down, enjoy and pick a side. Alternatively, why not fully wear off into the entire segment that you feel aligned with.

You could say there’s an art to selecting the perfect shoe brands in India—value is considered, plurality is always a plus, a blend of tech adds to the appeal, and it should absolutely embrace quality.

A few days into editing for the top shoe brands India 2022, we asked our editors to share which shoe brands in India they’ve been wearing to presentations, after-parties, weekends, and beyond.

Below, 7 editors will whet your appetite with just a small fraction but with the very best shoe brands in India in every category.

Top Shoe Brands In India

1. Nike
2. Asics
3. Reebok
4. Adidas
5. Neeman’s
6. Skechers
7. Pelle Santino
8. Bata
9. Bridlen
10. Woodland

Even when the defining lines between performance shoes, loungewear, and relaxed after-hours shoes have been blurred to soft smudges, Making high-quality sports shoes possible is an entire label dedicated to its production.

Gentlemen, if labels that provide you with a satisfying solution to your sporting needs are your “Top Shoe Brands In India”, here’re names that epitomize the running tally of delightfully useful brands making some of the best sports shoes.

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When you’ve got world-class athletes, drooling sneakerheads, and the general public alike all strutting around town wearing your shoes, you must be doing something right. In fact, whenever we got a sneak preview of Nike’s latest performance shoes, we were struck by just how perfectly executed it is, in all the right ways.

The opulent upper, the sharp sole unit, the immaculate build, and design. The fit, the look, the feel? NIKE, NIKE, NIKE. Frankly, we’re not sure that we could find any better name embracing modern life sports craving than this.

Indeed, there’s a lot of competition in this segment, so it wasn’t easy to win it. Nike, being so heavily focused on the athleisure market with their performance-first approach, has been one of the fastest to pick up on the new needs that the active lifestyle customers have.

Before Nike was a global superpower practically synonymous with sports, it all began with the University of Oregon’s former track star and his coach selling imported shoes from the back of his car. with one eventual mission: Design a better sports shoe.

Phil Knight started Blue Ribbon Sports in 1962 to sell Onitsuka (later known as Asics) shoes in the U.S., and by 1964 his former coach Bill Bowerman had joined him. The pair began experimenting with new running shoe designs, and that itch to push the envelope has been a Nike hallmark ever since. Now a global behemoth, Nike maintains its strong commitment to creating shoes that deliver athletes’ sporting needs.

Today, the Portland-based operation churns out athletic wear of all types, but sports shoes are still its bread and butter, and its running shoes work overtime to uphold that legacy.

We hear the term “innovation” everywhere and are made to believe in its importance. For many shoe brands in India, innovation means providing ideas out of the blue, leading to significant discoveries and achievements. 

For Nike, though, this is business as usual. Ever since the Oregon-based shoe company launched, it has been dedicated to delivering breakthroughs in the world of sports footwear, whether that’s in the form of technological achievements, such as the Air-Sole design (which featured an air-filled bag in the midsole to absorb shock)…

…or the ongoing evolution of the brand’s Flyknit upper construction, less-is-more visual language that has made shoes like Next% impeccably streamlined. The thoughtful innovation brought through research makes Nike a unique company. 

In fact, they have recently devoted 84,000 square feet to test all forms of sports – a theater of innovative dreams it takes to keep Nike on the leading edge of innovation.

The sportswear giant has maintained its relevancy is, indeed, a massive credit to its constant ability to innovate but they aren’t simply injecting their thought in the ward. Nike makes sure their expensive whacks are aimed where the buyers want ’em to be. 

Nike Consumer Experience (NCX), for instance, is Nike’s own direct-to-consumer network, as well as a vastly streamlined slate of wholesale distribution partners. It is through the NCX that the company is feeding its 2X Innovation and 2X Speed initiatives.

Nike gets valuable information about how customers are using its products through the Nike+ website – a place where athletes can upload, share data about their recent performances and see the history of their on maps. 

Finding out what the customer values isn’t easy. But Nike, through many routes, gains actionable insight into their (consumer) needs and as the results show, they don’t just listen, they react.

So as you know what your potential consumer sporting needs look like with the ability to spice up their feet innovatively but if you’re unable to translate that into problem-solving products – people will switch!

Suffice to say Nike didn’t become the biggest, baddest name in the sports footwear business by making an inferior product. Putting all this customer input together, and coming up with a product that meets their needs, enables Nike to deliver innovation consistent with what the consumer wants. 

Take Nike React Infinity Run, for instance, the shoe is soft yet responsive underfoot, which suits most types of on-road runs. And Nike Air Zoom SuperRep, funky kicks that’ll help you amp up the energy for any workout, whether you’re cross-training at home or at the gym.

The Swoosh earned its place at the top of the Best Shoe Brands In India list through sheer consistency, building out a deep roster of iconic sports shoes, it’s hard for any other brand to compete with.

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Cons

In the quest of finding the best shoe brands in India – you might haven’t expected the Japanese brand – Asics? But ever since the emergence of the rebellious Asics in the middle of the last century, this Japanese brand has closely followed the vanguard of American and European sports shoe brands…

…embracing accolades both from the sports segment and from the deepest pockets of subculture. The shoes of this Japanese giant can be boiled down to two things: an embrace of sportswear’s great heritage and open-minded creativity bringing new ideas into the industry.

In the past 20 years, however, Asics moved beyond the simple consumption of well-known designs/technology and have started to set the global standard for both quality and creativity in the performance shoe segment.

Asics got its start nearly 70 years ago when Kihachiro Onitsuka began making basketball shoes in his living room in Kobe, Japan. The OK Basketball Shoe was the start of it all for the brand as the very first ASICS product.

He soon expanded to running shoes, and his first pair, the Marathon Tabi, came out in 1953. The design was inspired by traditional Japanese indoor Tabi shoes.
The business grew, and in 1977, merged with two other companies and began selling sports footwear in the United States.

He also changed the company’s name to Asics, an acronym for the Latin phrase “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano” (a sound mind in a sound body). Since then, Asics has grown into one of the premier sports shoe companies.

The beauty of owning an ASICS pair is that you can stumble across a few details; the type of details that look the part on the surface but when sitting amongst countless others, all vying for conversations with buying teams from across the globe, can quickly be overlooked.

The detailing is refined, subtle, and understated, which speaks volumes for the brand as it goes about its business without a huge fanfare. ASICS centers its shoe design around its slogan, “Anima Sana In Corpore Sano” – a sound mind in a sound body.

ASICS shoe technology is born out of their Research Institute for Sports Science in Japan, where researchers break down the unique ways athletes move, fine-tune its designs, and tailor shoes to meet their needs. The result: sports shoes that deliver consistent comfort, support, and speed.

Details like its new GuideSole design, as well as one of its best-known innovations: Gel cushioning – You’ll find these in most of the company’s flagship shoes, but they surprisingly sink under without aspiring any peek. 

No matter your foot shape, pronation patterns, or personal needs, ASICS has a performance shoe for you. From their Impact Guidance System that provides lightweight stability to overpronators to their cutting edge FlyeFoam Lyte midsole foam, ASICS offers something for everyone.

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So you’ve seen one heavyweight of the sports shoemaking world – Nike – that frequently gives us something quite unexpected, under the guise of their most famous and immediately recognizable designs. 

But there’s no denying that you’re paying for both sports performance and the unmistakable Swoosh aesthetic when you lace up a pair of Nikes. But a label, which is announced to the world way before Nike, was broadly welcomed as making the time-tested sports shoes a bit more accessible for more people. 

The failsafe technologies are cased in classic designs; as expected from a heritage brand, something Reebok has been doing from time to time in the sports shoe line for years now. In the past, Reebok has given us all manner of high-end shoes, so maximalism is not something out of their capabilities, they just settled on elements that work and nothing extra.

The company’s status as a performance shoemaker was cemented at the 1924 Olympics, where British runners Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell brought home gold medals while wearing shoes made in the Olympic Works factory.

Acquired by Adidas in 2005, signing a 10-year deal with CrossFit – the history of Reebok, which deserves a dedicated article, is filled with events taking the sports footwear to the next level in terms of exposure and what they can do for the athletes. 

“If you’re looking for something to help you rock all those WODs (that’s Workout of the Day for you CrossFit newbies), this newest iteration of the beloved Nano is everything you need and more” – this is how Runner’s World theorizes Reebok Sports shoes. 

Our editors frequently competed in a partner WOD with athletes to put the shoe (and “the brand”) through its paces—so, naturally, we asked them about their favorite aspects of Reebok’s editions of sports shoes. Why are these brands so unusual, and what makes them stand out? Allow us to explain.

When your pals are foretelling a new experimental approach to performance shoes and apparel, and you’ve found yourself grabbing for the same tried-and-true essentials for even your “New” iterations! That’s Reebok, Gentleman.

Reebok, rather than feeling some enormous sense of guilt (old-style habits die hard!), embraces the fact that if it ain’t broke, why fix it? If certain pieces of technology really do you and your workout regime justice, then perhaps they were always meant to be integral components to the label’s shoes. That’s Reebok, Gentleman. 

Why reinvent the proverbial wheel when your classic Prebax-based foam or Re/Done Nano still does the trick? Besides, Reebok always adds new life to these perennial favorites by upgrading them with newer upper pieces or rethinking their designs.

The company’s Prebax-based Floatride Foam, for instance, launched in the spring of 2017 still backs shoes like the Floatride Energy 3 to be surprisingly light and responsive. One of the Top Shoe Brands in India that heightened the public’s sense of appreciation for basic shoes that put utility and comfort above all. 

A few thousand rupees doesn’t buy what it used to, especially when it comes to performance shoes. Shoes at this price are no longer the top-of-the-line models from many shoe brands in India, and their performance is often noticeably inferior to pricier alternatives.

There is no surprise that when athletes find a bargain they shout from the rooftops about it – and a lot of runners have been making a lot of noise about Reebok. After having a chance to test it, We’ve joined the chorus.

Reebok’s performance shoes are just as good, if not better, than many shoes that cost twice as much. It’s not perfect, but it is an excellent value and more than gets the job done.

A big portion of their lineup has very little to complain about when you consider their price. Shoes performed just as well as some much pricier shoe brands in India.

At this segment of Top Shoe Brands In India, sturdiness is less of a concern; more important is allowing the feet to breathe. Brands crafting standout pieces that will be guaranteed to give your wardrobe a bit of a refresh. Pairs for everyday use, something less show-stopping, and more, well, simple.

Sounds like your bag, you might want to consider Best Casual Shoe Brands In India. For an ardent casual shoe wearer or someone who spends a lot of time around footwear, these are three casual shoe brands you’ll appreciate more than any other name on this list.

Pros

Cons

The German sporting giant that made the sports shoes worn by US sprinter Mr. Jesse Owens during his legendary 1936 Olympic victory is not resting on its laurels (or yannies, if you’re that way inclined). True to form, it’s quick on its feet and sprinting ahead with a series of casual, bold new designs that embrace cutting-edge technology.

Dips into their massive archives and indulge at least one pair of casual trainers in your wardrobe because their classic, no-frills style is truly the best casual look for men. When it comes to tried-and-true classics that don’t skimp on style, look to their collaborations with iconic luxury houses.

Not only that, the company is revolutionizing the way the shoe manufacturing industry itself operates, with its fully automated Speedfactories in Ansbach in Germany, setting the template for even the best shoe brands in India. Their devotees are style-conscious individuals who don’t want to compromise on taste, prefer slow to fast fashion, and gravitate toward minimalism. 

It’s pretty well known that it all started as a family business when two brothers made shoes in their mother’s kitchen in a small town in Germany after world war 1. In fact, it was the split up that Rudi Dazzler went on to start the shoe company known today as PUMA.

This one is founded in 1924 by Mr. Adolf “Adi” Dassler, and first branded as Adidas 25 years later, the three-striped German sporting giant has a fair amount of baggage behind it, not to mention sneakers, tracksuits, and other kits. 

Focused on technical innovations and sponsorships, Adidas end up revolutionizing shoe designs for a variety of sports. Over time their fame trickled down from professional sports into everyday life.

In 2017 alone, the company produced 403 million pairs of shoes and 404 million units of sports apparel; last year, it was named the fourth biggest clothing label in the world.

The highest-selling Adidas sneakers of all time (of which 40 million pairs had been sold – as reported in 2014) is its Classic “Stan Smith” which was launched in the early ’70s. In many ways, they’re influenced by the 72 years legacy – But Adidas is not bound by it!

The German brand is the go-to for retro classics, terrace favorites, and hip-hop icons. In fact, it is tempting to lean on what made the brand great at that time — to use the same old bag of tricks. 

But what they’ve done goes much, much further than that. Its forward-thinking approach to design keeps the output fresh and interesting as opposed to just relying on the archives.

Moving forward to future-leaning product designs that push boundaries in the casual sneaker world – Adidas’ current thriving partnership with Pharrell is the modern reinterpretation of what worked so well for them in the 80s — plus a lot more.

Adidas checks even the most peculiar selling points for a casual shoe at any price range – but a selling point is – it’s Adidas!

For others, they typically need some standout features or something to give you a reason to buy it over the other label. But when you splurge on this label, you have pair of casual shoes – that’s an Adidas – and for many people… that’s enough!

The lure of Adidas is perfectly understandable. The extremely cushioned midsole, paper-thin upper, rich quality, the obvious logo, proclaim its expensive status without the owner having to do or say anything.

The memory, or feeling, of having bought genuine Adidas pair reinforces a sense of self in a way that isn’t possible elsewhere. Accept a pair from this century-old label in your closet and you’re wearing a phenomenal success story – It’s as simple as that!

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You might already be familiar with fashion-forward contemporary brands like Adidas, Nike, and Nanushka—but a new class of minimal, neutral palette–loving labels has emerged. In a segment dominated by fast fashion and overconsumption, Hyderabad-based Neeman’s is on a mission to redefine the way modern men dress.

Neeman’s burst onto the casual scene with an emphasis on simple, sustainable kicks. The brand incorporates materials like Merino Wool and material sourced from plastic bottles to craft a product that looks killer without killing the environment. 

And it’s got pretty good at it in the process. Occupying that often elusive sweet spot between quality and affordability, Neeman’s are finding success within the more approachable and price-conscious space they occupy in the minimalist category of the casual market.

You can have a brilliant designer (that’s able to envision a beautiful last) along with the most visually arresting materials to work with – but if it’s not made in a factory that’s able to respect those elements… You’ll never see it in the finished shoes.

Something we’ve seen startups doing very well is this flashy design. As they don’t have a hundred-year history of design heritage they have to respect.

Though it’s an open book for Neeman’s, they settle for sleek and elegant. It’s not exactly understated but also not too showy. They know what they’re saying which is not on your face.

It kind of blends in with the minimalist sneakers of today, But that design does not hinder your capability to mix and match. You can style them in your own way.

Pros

Cons

The idea of casual sneakers might sound awfully highfalutin, but it shouldn’t necessarily bring Balenciaga’s Triple S sneakers (currently sold out) to mind. If you are even remotely into casual shoes, you will have one for every day and one for the best. And the former is really the broadest definition of Skechers.

Though the label is still a baby of a company (relative to others) and its influence on the casual shoe market is even newer, But Skechers nails all the fundamentals of the top shoe brands in India. The company has made itself a contender in the race for casual shoe dominance.

Although they may have started with minimalist casual shoes and perfecting the basics, the footwear brand Skechers has cemented themselves among the sneaker giants with an array of hypebeast-enticing designs and colorways.

Skechers are sold in more than a hundred and twenty territories and countries. In fact, the company’s shoes are sold on every continent except for one: Antarctica. In addition, the distribution center in North America ships more than a hundred million pairs of shoes every year!

Consider Skechers if you refocus your wardrobes to meet the current times, basic pieces that both maximize comfort and keep us looking (and feeling!) polished for the day reign supreme. 

Quintessentially American, the High-top sneakers subculture is finding its way to India through the same inspirations as it did in the US: basketball and hip-hop. And we really want those “distinctive”, or better yet “maximalist” casual shoes to catch on – if that really is the future of how casual shoes could be!

But when there are myriad scenarios to plan for, I often find myself pushing past the clanking shoe trees in my closet that hold my loud, patterned sneakers until I find my go-to pieces, which include a sharp casual from Skechers. 

Thus, loud sneakers haven’t reached the point… Yet! For now, it’s safe to say that such simple, minimal shoes would epitomize “casual” in our country and aren’t going anywhere sooner. Skechers cares for playing it safe and it’s their simple ethos that makes them one of the top shoe brands in India. 

We just said about the simple ethos of the Skechers casual shoes, but the design is the only element kept simple! Unbeknown to many people, but Skechers pack some pretty complex technologies into a simple shell.

Skechers has been known primarily for its fashion and lifestyle shoes, it had the image of a fashion-setter, not a sweat-abettor. But in 2011, the company made its first venture into the athletic performance market, introducing models aimed at runners, walkers, and triathletes – the GOrun line.

The fact is that Skechers’s GOrun lineup has some of the buzziest performance shoe tech in the game—like the new HyperBurst foam—that continues to impress athletes.

That simple silhouette and same big “S” logo on the side doesn’t mean a regular EVA sole underneath your feet. Skechers cooked up the bouncy HyperBurst midsole by exposing EVA to liquified carbon dioxide until it forms irregular pockets, making the material springier, lighter, and more durable than regular EVA.

We’ve thought about a lot of things this past year. Will formal shoes (and shoemakers) would ever regain quite the same appeal they once had? What does dressing for work mean in the age of Zoom? 

Surprisingly, formal shoemakers have never looked better. In fact, they did not omit them from the seasonal menswear cycle while their Oxfords, Derbies, monk straps and loafers have well and truly returned to their rightful place at the top of the footwear podium. 

Gentleman, if shoes, for you, have to be worn for the reason that dress shoes have typically been worn for the last 100 or so years – to connote and to gain respect – then it’s best to opt for these brands.

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Cons

Assuming that you’re ready to buy a so-called “proper” dress shoe – something that endures, but might also be the first step to building a classic collection – that’s accomplishing what Pelle Santino set out to do!

Epitomizing the best formal shoe brands with just two names is a subjective… subject! Rather, we are confident that with Pelle Sanitno you’ll get all the features, you pine for in your formal shoes, and nothing else extra (at least that’s what our editors say).

So if you run out to chase every new designer trend and abstract runway creation through our list of best shoe brands in India – skip this one as the craftsmanship is still there, sure, but the fussiness? Not so much.

Hailing from Gurugram, Haryana, founder Mr. Mikhil Mehra started Pelle Santino out of frustration. They were frustrated with the formal shoe options available on the market. Formal shoes pretty much fell under two categories in India. Either you buy super expensive or overpriced formal shoes with a big logo.

And on the flip side, go for a super cheap alternative – where it is like glue on soles that didn’t hold on. They wanted to bridge the gap, So Mr. Mikhil Mehra comes up with Pelle Santino in 2016 to change the scenario.

Their shoes are ethically crafted in a small workshop from full-grain leather using Goodyear welt construction. Vended through the direct-to-consumer model, which allows them to dump off the markup added by the wholesaler and retailer.

Just like you, gentlemen, we also can’t resist the appeal of more affordable Welted shoe options that it’s easy to overlook anything beneath (or beyond) that tag! We can’t reflect on several new labels, but Pelle Santino isn’t dedicated to affordable prices entirely.

For concluding the craving to set an unbeknown price, Pelle Santino refuses to compromise at any stage of the production process. Each pair is muscular enough to stand up to the wear of Mumbai’s unforgiving streets and which are most in sync with your personal style.

What is expensive (and “affordable”) really depends on, well, you. You define it on your own terms. But it is not on price or how much to spend, in fact, what will that get you is the pith. Pelle Santino prices cluster too close to their actual functional value.

By far, it is safe to assume that this Indian brand is fulfilling the obvious practical purpose of a Welted pair. But while the best Goodyear Welted Shoes In India have a reputation for having a high price tag, Pelle Santino has given the covetable piece a more approachable price point, starting at ₹6k.

Embracing such a time-honored method isn’t alone marking it out as unique among its Indian neighbors: but it’s the initial outlay to own ’em! While brands, generally, dither to open up – when asked about such quirky distinctions, Pelle Santino gives us the longest and most complicated response. Their direct-to-consumer model is, indeed, a silver lining in the mix… 

…meaning their collections will only be available on their website! Dodging expenses allied with gliding those beautiful pairs from their shelves to yours. Keep the good vibes going with the pairs having only what we need. No excess. No clutter. Just the essentials.

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Cons

So far, You’ve got Goodyear Brands sorted. Despite their fringe benefit – finding room in your heart for shoes that cost well over ₹8k is a tough ask. In our list of Top Shoe Brands In India – we’ve something that definitely fits the bill!

Bata is for classy men who have made a conscious decision to eschew all the Goodyear out there and stick exclusively to affordable options but still expect some sophistication. With rich and complex history, gathering streams of data about a wide range of consumer habits along the way…

…Bata has become so fine-tuned that any formal shoes have never been more on point. It means whether you’re wearing them to your first in-person meeting in two years or your first in-person date in nearly as long, they won’t steer you wrong.

Established as T. & A. Baťa Shoe Company on 24 August 1894 in the Moravian town of Zlín, Czech Republic. There wasn’t a quantum leap until the company started making shoes from canvas instead of leather to overcome financial difficulties.

Since the beginning, Bata was primarily focused on mass production. As in 1904, Tomas Bata (Founder) introduced mechanized production techniques after a six months visit from America to understand their system of mass production. With this step, the Baťa Shoe Company become one of the first mass producers of shoes in Europe.

It checked in to India in the 1930s when Bata founder Tomas Bata–a ninth-generation Czech shoemaker–visited India and saw barefoot Indians and realized there was a huge market in the subcontinent, too. He vowed to make affordable footwear for the masses.

Currently, it has five factories located at Batanagar, (West Bengal), Bataganj, (Bihar), Faridabad (Haryana), Peenya (Karnataka), and Hosur (Tamil Nadu). Today Bata commands around 35 percent of the market share in India. The company’s 98 percent revenue comes from domestic operation through its 1250 stores and over 30,000 dealers spread across India.

While in our list of best shoe brands in India – we do have names that’s using one of the best materials held by the most promising methods. But all these labels lack is the know-how. Bata know when to leverage the complete resources and where holding ’em would be just fine.

You might have grown up with them, perhaps – worn their shoes to school as a callow youth, or taken them on dates, pub lunches, and nights out over the years. In fact, If anyone can pack unbridled amounts of heritage into an item of formal wear, it’s Bata.

The connection between a buyer and a brand is never more tangible than in the case of Bata. Bata was courting the national clientele long before any other name in our list of best shoe brands in India and such existence has brought a lot of data to learn from and to get better at it.

Certain sartorial nuances have filtered down through the years that we do still wear today. They know how to keep it contemporary while ensuring that we’re wearing a piece of history on your back. So this is the biggest advantage of being a century-old company.

We’ve all seen how hard a factory is to set up, and this name has set records for the world’s largest shoe manufacturer and retailer – sold more than 14 billion pairs of shoes. They haven’t done this by standing still, right?

Every brand sets out to make a great collection, and they do it with different audiences in mind; different budgets, different tastes, and different priorities. But few, even in our list of best formal shoe brands in India, are big enough to cover all the possible bases – and Bata is from that sliver demographics.

Having choices (no matter what you’re looking for) and a massive range is super important. It gives us (as consumers) a better selection – a more diverse choice. Bata built one out like no other… for real, nothing is even close. And they’re adding to it every month.

Either you are looking for something traditional to avoid a red card, or you are challenging yourselves with a bold style choice, rather than sticking to a safe one – Bata will serve you!

We went past two brands plying their trade, crafting shoes for the themes which leave no room for a variety of interpretations. Indeed, you might didn’t know which one you would sort of like, after all, those footwear helps its wearer stand tall and confidently conquer the board meeting…

…why don’t you align your wandering eye with some of the other key considerations when buying formal shoes? In fact, it took us four years, in order to compile such an informative guide, to find the right shoe brands in India to suit your individual needs.

Find out more at BestShoe99’s Formal Shoes Brands Guide

Before there were shoes, there were boots – just watch the movie Gladiator if you don’t believe me. In timeless silhouettes, neutral hues, leathers, and suedes, a classic boot is one you’ll live in all season long—no matter your sartorial preference. 

Not every year but most, the arrival of autumn might mean shopping for a great new pair of classic boots for fall. From dressier updates to the flat Chelsea to a plethora of cleated boots, there is no shortage of brands when choosing your go-to boot for the season. 

For almost all purposes, men have worn boots from these brands, and although we can now get by with mere shoes thanks to the fact that modern life involves so little ordure, there are still good reasons to wear them – you might want to consider shifting your focus.

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Cons

If “out of this world” is what you’re going for, then Bridlen is the label to turn to – not that you can expect anything flashy or ostentatious from the brand. The Japanese genesis brand believes you can do more with less. There Founders Line, respectively, epitomize Bridlen’s clean-lined, considered aesthetic.

Initially, Bridlen boots seem to be luxury pieces with tuning price tags. But if you learn to shop savvy, you can find a pair of sartorially-sound boots that are smart enough for the office and solid enough for the worst weather. For men who appreciate the difference, though, it’s a price worth paying.

Their lace-up Derby boots, for instance, are crafted from calf leather and have a Goodyear construction to keep your feet protected from the elements. The rubber sole will see you safely across any ice — and the handy pull-on tabs will guarantee you get them on as quickly as your existing work shoes.

Founded by Mr. Hasan and Mr. Kiyotaka Watanabe of Japan in 1986, Bridlen is courting an international clientele long before entering the Indian market in late 2018. Without taking you on too long a journey down memory lane. 

Under Bridlen, it takes the synergy between Mr. Hasan’s material eye and Mr. Watanabe’s knowledge of the bespoke shoemaking process to create pieces you’ll pass along not just to your kids, but to theirs.

Unlike any other brand in our list of top shoe brands in India, the label has known the world over for its distinctive simple aesthetic: it’s rooted in the best traditions of bootmaking (that have existed since the factories of Northampton, England first kicked into action hundreds of years ago).

You won’t find busy, cluttered designs at Bridlen. Indeed, over the few years, the brand has developed ranges that present its full technical and creative resources (anything beyond donning formals) to its boots which are entirely different from what you see at even the best shoe brands in India.

Invest in a pair of boots from Bridlen and your feet will always be under gorgeous skin. Even the top shoe brands in India recruit Leather buyers, pinning their hopes on ’em to buy the most expensive element of their shoes. It has not always been like this, however. Not in Bridlen, at all! 

Its Founding father, Mr. Hasan, has long been recognized as a leatherman. Perfecting the leather became an obsession following visits to the best tanneries, which has an apparent impact on the brand. 

He knows in what and with whom to deal – sourcing the best materials for them to work with. All the patterns are clicked by hand which allows the clicker to work around the growth marks, visible veins, or hair follicles – ensuring only the best area of that skin will please your feet. 

Pros

Cons

“You get what you pay for” is a pretty good mantra to live by – especially where your wardrobe is concerned. Take boots, for example. If you’re tight with your money, you’ll be met with cheap leather (or worse, synthetic), flimsy soles, and low-standard construction.

Ultimately, that equates to footwear that won’t stand a chance against the harsh winter elements, will fall apart in a short space of time, and need to be replaced at further expense… except they are from Woodland!

If you’ve got a penchant for industrial workman style with little dough (or ambition), Woodlan has some of the best boots for you. Many of their classic styles took inspiration from the military, front line wearing high and heavy leather boots. With that in mind, Woodland: the bootmakers worth knowing!

Undoubtedly, Woodland is the most iconic Boot Brand in India. But it all started in 1992, after the breakup of the USSR into independent states, Aero Club which is the parent company of Woodland could not ship its products to Russia anymore.

After starting in Quebec, Canada as a winter boots manufacturer – the label introduced outdoor shoes for Indian customers under the brand label ‘Woodland’.

The first hand-stitched leather shoe was launched, which took the entire shoe market by storm. Woodland was launched in 3 small stores in New Delhi at South Extension-2 and Connaught Place.

It is still strange to know the fact that Woodland captured the men’s casual shoe market in India with its range of boots. It was not until the late 90’s that the brand started to originally manufacture casual shoes.

The label is known to offer all the comfort and practicality of a traditional leather boot, but in a package that wouldn’t look out of place with a smart-casual outfit, or even relaxed tailoring at a push. They’re sturdy and rugged, but also elegant and refined. 

Whether you’re in the city or have been spending more time in the country this year, Woodland practical boots are a great choice that stands up to rough terrain. They certainly offer durability, as these pairs don’t lack the quintessential (and necessary) lug and rubber soles…

…which is an important factor when faced with wet or rough terrain. They don’t skimp on quality, either. Indeed, their boots are a little out of the ordinary and command attention, so don’t let anything else steal the limelight. Raw denim, neutral knitwear, and a simple overshirt layered underneath a winter coat should do the trick.

Without moving away from its practical roots, the label secures something for someone who’s wardrobe is stuffed with country wear — despite the fact that they rarely step out of the city. But, never one to judge, Woodland suggest an alternative shoe to fit this lifestyle.

Indeed, those expensive boots set the tone for any outfit – but for most of us, wearing a Goodyear Welted Calfskin boot day in, day out just isn’t financially warranted or practical. Donning a boot like a gentleman on a budget is no mean feat. 

It’s not impossible, however, when you know where to look for those killer boots that won’t break the bank. The answer? Woodland – an option that becomes far more financially realistic when you’re talking about off-the-peg.

Boots make up a huge percentage of your potential footwear options and there’s no excuse with this one: every gentleman should own a few for the more robust occasions in his life, and sorting out this section of your wardrobe can be very easily done on a budget with Woodland.

Their massive range, most likely enclaving exactly what you want (or indeed need), makes it more straightforward to achieve your sartorial sophistication. The best part of all? These masculine boots all ring in at under ₹6k.

Bridlen’s sleek city-style boots and Woodland’s rugged boots promise this season’s best boots for men. But there are many of the most recognizable names in the Boots segment that you, probably, haven’t heard before.  

The Royale Peacock is having a moment in the spotlight, too, and it’s surprisingly versatile – So, if you still haven’t invested in a pair of boots, align your wandering eye with some of the other key considerations when buying boots. 

Best Boots Brands