Right from his Genesis Colors days, Jyoti Mohan Narula always wanted to start a line of men’s shoes, but he could not manage due to paucity of time. It was only last year that he founded JOE SHU with the primary focus on providing the discerning Indian male with an option of elegantly stylized shoes with impeccable quality at an affordable price. In a tete-a-tete with S&A, the MD said, the JOE SHU ideology remains ingrained in the concept of “bridge to luxury” which revolves around the principles of styling, quality, elegance, and comfort at a price that does not break the bank.
Joe Shu in the Market
In the early 90s, when I co-founded Genesis Colors, I witnessed a huge gap that was prevailing in the Indian market. Quality products at affordable prices were not accessible here. Genesis owed its initial success to the ahead-of-its-time iconic SATYA PAUL neck ties for men which came at the most opportune time to fill the existing market gap. In the current scenario, I feel that the footwear market in India is not so organised. Right from my Genesis Colors days, I have always wanted to start a line of men’s shoes, but I could not manage due to paucity of time. It was only last year that I founded JOE SHU with the primary focus on providing the discerning Indian male with an option of elegantly stylized shoes with impeccable quality at an affordable price.
The JOE SHU ideology remains ingrained in the concept of “bridge to luxury” which revolves around the principles of styling, quality, elegance, and comfort at a price that does not break the bank. JOE SHU’s offering is global styling aesthetics from Italy, Spain and Portugal specially designed for the modern Indian man.
DNA and evolution since Inception
JOE SHU as a brand proudly showcases the brilliant craftsmanship, fine materials, and intricate details. The brand is the result of years of hard work, dedication, foresight and understanding of men’s fashion. With a deep-rooted desire to make international trends accessible to the Indian audience, we bring an array of premium products combining style and comfort from across Europe. The brand aims to raise awareness of the latest footwear trends and bring out the distinctive style of a man.
Product line
Ditch the conservative styling and be more contemporary with JOE SHU’s latest formal shoes collection and the more exclusive“Hand Made In Italy” line which has stylish cap toes, single and double monk straps, and sleek slip-on shoes on offer. A more conventional man can choose from a wide range of derbys, oxfords, formal penny loafers and traditional brogues with a touch of class and comfort beyond comparison. While the need for modern and classic formal shoes are being taken care of, the “Smart Casual” and “Sportivo” collections have been keeping the younger generation surprised with a range of elegant and light weight sneakers, casual loafers. We also have a set of unique tassle-fringed casual slip-ons with a chunky outsole for the more adventurous you.
We understand the complexities of today’s world well and the related diverse commitments. The semi-formal collection at JOE SHU offers traditional slip-ons with a touch of quirkiness as we experiment with different materials including leather, suede and mock alligator, snake and croco prints. Now you won’t have to worry about changing your shoes as your leave for a Friday night party right after you end your day at work! This has been a very successful concept for us thus far.
Apart from the footwear category, we offer premium pocket squares in silk that help you make a statement: classic as well as quirky cufflinks, belts to match the shoe line in an assortment of colors; and fun bracelets to excite the metrosexual man. We will be adding a line of wallets and men’s portfolio bags as we go along.
Strategy to increase footprint
We have a retail outlet at The DLF Promenade Mall in Vasant Kunj, New Delhi currently which is one of the premium lifestyle destinations. We will be coming up with many more stores and expand to other markets as we go further. The metropolis of Delhi is the first territory for the brand. There are many premium malls with the appropriate target audiences. That is the initial territory for the brand to capture and subsequently the rest of India starting with the other major metropolises like Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. 
For the rest of India, till we get there with physical stores, we have a strong online presence in our own website www.joeshu.com as well as market places such as Amazon Fashion and Myntra with more pertinent online associations to follow.
JOE SHU customer
A fashion connoisseur with a sophisticated and suave taste is our ideal customer. He is not afraid to experiment. He is a lifestyle enthusiast who stays updated on the latest and international trends. A combination of perfect fit, comfort and style is his idea of luxury. He is also the one who welcomes this opportunity to not be a slave to major foreign brands that give good options but charge the sky.
JOE SHU men can be found in the tier I and II cities primarily but the need for quality products is now pan India.
Challenges
India is the second largest footwear manufacturing country in the world. The Indian footwear market is witnessing a great momentum and is likely to grow further in the coming years. But having said that, it is also very necessary to consider the fact that the Indian footwear market is largely unorganized. The organized segment caters to about one-third of the market while unorganized players fetch the remaining 70-75 percent market which is one of the biggest challenges here. 
Another challenge is the limited opportunities in the men’s footwear segment. Women’s footwear constitutes only a 30 percent market share currently, but the growth rate is double than that of the men’s segment. Brand awareness is another challenge but we are seasoned brand builders and look forward to the opportunity at hand.
Measures to ensure growth
So long as the Indian economy is robust and continues on its growth path there is enough and more demand for quality products. Additionally, with burgeoning rental costs the viability of physical stores can absorb the rentals only upto a point. So a rationalization of rentals is needed but that itself is subject to market forces.
JOE SHU in five years
Through this venture, JOE SHU intends to build a bridge to luxury men’s footwear and accessories segment in India. In the next 5 years, we see JOE SHU as a pan India brand with physical stores across the vast nation. The joy of buying a shoe is best experienced with the touch and feel of it. We would like to make this possible for our customers as far as possible. The online presence will also be bolstered with continued strategic partnerships.
