Taran Chabra thought, why do I need a different shoe for each activity? Why don’t I have one shoe for all day? He looked but couldn’t find. It resulted in a struggle to find a perfect shoe designed for all day comfort. By N Bobo Meitei
The culmination was the launch of Neeman’s with focus on creating truly comfortable shoes and also helps preserve the environment.
During a trip to Spain two years ago, Taran Chabra almost missed a train due to overpacking. The reason: he was travelling with five pairs of shoes. He recalls, he “needed” running shoes, casual shoes, lounging shoes and an extra pair, just in case. He thought, why do I need a different shoe for each activity? Why don’t I have one shoe for all day? He looked but couldn’t find. It resulted in a struggle to find a perfect shoe designed for all day comfort. Soon he started looking at what goes in making a shoe, and was surprised to see all synthetic fibers which are widely used, despite the fact that they are bad for the environment. The culmination was the launch of Neeman’s with focus on creating truly comfortable shoes and also helps preserve the environment
Taran explains that Neeman’s is India’s first shoe brand to use a natural, renewable and sustainable fiber in its shoes–Merino Wool. Merino Wool is one of the most revolutionary natural fibers, which is a very different from the traditional wool as its fibers are much softer, and any fabrics made with it can be worn in any season. It is also highly breathable, odor-resistant, lightweight and flexible.
Conceptualized in America, Neeman’s shoes are, the founder claims, leading a culture of sustainability and comfort in the footwear space in India. The shoes have received accolades for using the fibre.
With the eco-friendly shoes, Neeman’s is targeting customer of all ages, those seeking truly comfortable footwear. “So our market is quite wide. However, we have seen a lot of interest from especially from men between 26-35 years. And they are from Delhi,Mumbai, Bangalore , Chandigarh and Pune,” elaborates Taran.
Its product line comprises of jogger, sneaker and loafer. According to the founder, all the styles are designed to deliver super comfort round the clock, and the brand’s focus has been on reinventing designs with a modern and classic twist. Currently, Neeman’s shoes are retailed online, and it is planning to set up pop-up stores across the country, a few next year so that it can give the touch-and-feel.
Taran asserts, “The India footwear space is around 50,000 crores and this can grow by 100% in the next 7 years or so. India is currently the second largest producer and the third largest consumers of footwear.It is slowly inching towards being the 2nd in consumption which is a great sign for us.
People have now started looking at how the shoes are being made and what are they truly looking for from the shoe brand they love. We operate in the premium footwear space which is around 50% of the overall market space. We have launched with men’s which is around 60% of the overall market.”
