Footwear plays a crucial role in completing any ensemble, and a bunch of homegrown brands are doing some classy, superior-quality footwear. Here’s a quick rundown if you’re planning to bring in some new pairs.

PAADUKS BY ETHICO

What: Combines eco-fashion, comfort, and sustainability.

Why: Paaduks by Ethico has a collection of upcycled footwear made from materials such as old, discarded tyres and corks. The merger of Paaduks, the brand, with Ethico India is about producing fashionable and eco-friendly footwear.

CHAPPERS

What: Pop-coloured Kolhapuris.

Why: Founder Harshwardhan Patwardhan has always been fond of the good old Kolhapuris.

At Chappers, they want men to experiment with colours and designs. From neon green loafers, golden formal shoes to a turquoise blue Kolhapuri, the brand gives its consumers the best of all worlds.

LUXORO FORMELLO

What: Right from monk straps, laceups, to made-to-order shoes, Luxoro Formello caters to functionality in style. Apart from shoes, it offers accessories such as belts made from European leather, which are constructed to provide comfort and fashion at the same time.

Why: Luxoro Formello has Spain’s rich heritage reinforced by timeless qualities of craftsmanship, service, and style, dedicated to providing a meticulously handcrafted pair of fine leather shoes. Founder Arshdeep Chhatwal spent six months learning the art of shoe making in Spain, and eventually collaborated with shoe designers to bring the legacy and rich heritage of five decades to India by setting up a manufacturing base in New Delhi and a designing base in Valencia, Spain.

ARTIMEN

What: Colourful espadrilles, hand-stitched slippers, shiny lace-ups, and leather loafers.

Why: The name Artimen is derived from the brand’s mission of creating ‘Art for Men.’ Founded by Sukrit Khanna, the brand allows the customers to get a feel of being a designer of their own shoes. The buyer makes his selection in terms of the leather, shade, lining, sole, and even the mould. Apart from shoes, the brand will be introducing other accessories like wallets, belts, bags, and T-shirts, soon.

FUNKFEETS

What: Quirky designs inspired by various aspects such as travel, cartoons, and Indian pop-culture references.

Why: Started in 2017, Funkfeets’ idea is to create asymmetrical designs on a pair of shoes so that the buyer can connect with the elements printed on the footwear. Think old school, formal shoes, sports shoes, all jazzed up by adding prints and eccentric designs. The brand is all about creating sneakers that match the personality of the wearer.

SVED

What: Coloured leather and suede shoes.

Why: In 2017, Sved introduced a batch of suede sneakers to start off their line, which later expanded into a leather line. Founder Ved Dhadphale says that the idea behind the line was to combine high-quality leather with a robust shoe construction to bring out clean and minimalistic designs, and also to make shoes that become an integral part of the wearer’s personality.

JEETINDER SANDHU

What: Blingy loafers, metallic brogues, and vintage shoes.

Why: Jeetinder Sandhu’s journey started off as a menswear clothing line in 2013, later turning into a footwear brand by 2014. If you check the footwear line, you will find brogues in metallic colours such as purple, red, and blue, and loafers embellished with sequins, making it perfect for the wedding season.

SKO

What: Sneakers, espadrilles, mules, sandals, and loafers.

Why: Founded by Nishant Kanodia in 2018, Sko was launched with an objective to reduce the gap between the open footwear and festive wear market. The philosophy of the brand is to have clean cut designs with a play on colour. They have numerous styles in footwear in metallics, pastels, and earthy tones, which work for every occasion.