• When Sangeet first launched Superkicks in 2018, the aim was to become the most relatable and go-

to lifestyle brand in India and beyond. 5 years down the line, with 5 stores across India that generate
40 crores of business on average every year, Sangeet has revolutionized the sneaker scenario in
India. He attributes this success to the brand’s ability to reduce the gap between learning from
mistakes and rectifying them.
• With a Year-Over-Year growth average of 75% since the brand’s inception and a team of 50+ driven
individuals, Sangeet has successfully launched India’s largest multi-brand sneaker boutique and
signed international brands like Represent Clothing. After the brand’s recent milestones, Sangeet is
ready to enter the next phase with all his zeal, passion, and hunger to thrive. He is concentrating on
growing the brand digitally, extending its reach, and boosting its online consumer base as part of the
business’s next five-year strategy. He also plans on remodeling their current locations to better the
Superkicks experience.
• Referring to himself and his co-founder, Nisha Paryani, as “fixers,” his role is central to the brand’s position and
customer interaction. He has had to discover a new side of himself that’s forced him to be active, proactively
network, and hone the skills needed to nurture the brand to make Superkicks what it is today!
• With his vision and enthusiasm, it is nearly challenging to stop Superkicks from securing its position
in the sneaker industry in India and leading the same!
• About five years ago, I joined my father's business, Mayank Distributors Pvt Ltd, which is a wholesale and retail company for various footwear and apparel
brands in Rajasthan. Our business has always been in the category of footwear as our company is the master franchisee and distributor in Rajasthan for some
of the leading sportswear brands like Adidas, Reebok, etc. As part of my family business, we were supposed to attend trade shows of different brands that
showcase the sneakers that would be coming in the next season. These trade shows, especially those of Adidas, used to fascinate me a lot. It still does. It gives
me a different rush to see what's in store for next year from all these global brands. This with the fact that I have always been surrounded by shoes all my life-
my feelings towards sneakers was just a natural progression for me which pointed me towards opening Superkicks.
• Globally the market for sneakers is huge. What is the scope in India?
• The Indian consumer market has a lot of potential. Being home to a diverse audience there is something for everyone it has to offer. It's just the beginning for
India. Sneakers have always been looked as a commodity in India, but of late it has taken a leap as a statement product in one's closet. 

• The footwear industry in general is growing in India. Big brands like Adidas, Reebok, Nike, Puma and Asics are growing furthermore in an exponential way.
The reason behind this is people in India are now more brand conscious and there is a natural progression of shoes, moving away from just being a functional
commodity to a lifestyle product, an aspirational wearable product. People are ready to appreciate and pay a price for premium high-quality products that
appeal to them. Especially, the younger audience, who are confident and travel so often, is more aware of international sneaker trends. They pay attention to
the quality of products; they identify, understand and appreciate skill and craft. There has been a shift in the consumer mentality-from being restricted to only a
few types of footwear styles to demanding different types of contemporary footwear styles for different occasions. Thus, over the years, we have seen an
increase in consumer preferences in sneakers. You can pick the right pair for just any occasion, be it a casual outing, a formal dinner date or a quick run. They
are comfortable, stylish and perfect for varied occasions.
• How many brands do you house?
• We have 12 brands currently: Adidas, Reebok, Nike, Puma, Asics Tiger, New Balance, Vans, Fila, Converse, DC, K-Swiss and Ylati (an Italian sneaker brand
exclusively with us in India).
• Does your store offer shelf space to an unknown or relatively lesser known name but high on deliverables?
• Yes, especially local streetwear brands. We have a list of criteria to follow before shortlisting any shoe brand. The consumers today are more conscious and demanding about the latest trends. With the ever-
increasing technological development and social media penetration, Indian consumers are aware of the latest fashion developments around the globe-be it clothing, gadgets or footwear. We currently house
two Indian streetwear brands: Haute De Gamme and Strey.
• How many collections are available at the store from each brand?
• It differs for each brand, but Nike and Adidas currently form a big chunk of our collection.
• Tell us about the launch of K-Swiss at your store.
• K-Swiss as a brand has been in the industry for a number of years, but unfortunately never found its footing in India. Recently the K-Swiss global marketing campaign shifted its stance to target young
entrepreneurs. Being a young entrepreneur myself, these chic and spunky Gary Vee 003 kicks are really close to my heart. Those align with our motto of constantly engaging our consumers and offering
them the best kicks available. Also, these shoes are an inspiration to follow your dreams and conquer them. That's what we tried to incorporate in our launch, by launching a staple entrepreneurial shoe-
GaryVee x K- Swiss 003 at our store exclusively.
• Which are the best-selling sneaker brands? And price points?
• Nike and Adidas. The average selling price would be ₹10,000.
• Who is your target audience?
• The uninitiated ones-people who are curious about sneakers, and are on the fence. My ideal customer is this group of people in the world who call themselves 'The Sneakerheads'. They sort of automatically
become one of my ideal customers. Sneakerheads are that kind of people who are into sneakers, they collect sneakers, they live for sneakers. This is the first kind of customer that we would love to target
and who we would love to engage with in all the activities we plan to do. And the set of people that are also very important, unlike the sneakerheads, are the bunch of consumers in India who are ready to
explore something new in life and would love to have a pair of sneakers which has much more meaning than just style and comfort and colour. They are the ones looking for sneakers with a story behind it
which they can cherish forever.
• What are some of the criteria you consider before listing a brand?
• Among 1,500 shoes, Superkicks offers blockbuster shoes, trendsetters and contemporary designs that are aesthetically relevant such as Nike's Air Jordan, Adidas Ultraboost, Nike Vapormax and many more.
Currently, we have 12 brands under Superkicks. While selecting brands we look at rich history, special / exclusive offerings, and the range of options to choose from.
• What marketing strategies have you adopted or wish to adopt in future to increase footprint?
• Stick to your strengths. We are here to enhance the sneaker culture in India. We will intend to do that through our marketing strategy. It is the millennials we are targeting, and they have a language in which
they are talking. So, we are trying to communicate with them in the same manner and ensure we create enough hype. We are targeting various digital mediums and social media platforms, specifically
Instagram and Facebook. That's where most of our target audience visits. We are also connecting with the sneaker communities in Mumbai. In the near future, we will also be looking at cross-promotions
and influencer marketing to get the word out to the right audience.
• Sneakers, Kicks, Trainers, Slip-ons, call it whatever but there is definitely no stopping the category now. Once a symbol of athleticism, sneakers have today transformed to become a primary accessory that adds to
the overall look of today’s millennials who like to dress in style and have a distinct personality. From sportswear and street style to catwalk fashion, sneakers have made their mark as cultural commodities. India
is, in fact, the second-largest footwear market after China and in that, sneakers and running shoes have been performing impressively well, especially during the lockdown months in 2020.
• The market is thriving on the back of some of the hottest products and collaborations for which millennials and Gen Z are always ready to shell out big bucks. While the trend and hype started in the west, India
too is catching up now with consumers eagerly waiting for exclusive collections, collaborative editions, and drops from brands.
• While Yeezy’s first drop in India saw only about six people in the queue, times have changed for the better, and interest and demand have spiked. Sneakerheads queued for hours in January outside Olive, a New
Delhi restaurant, to shop a Reebok x Pyer Moss pop-up, which sold out soon after. Similarly, adidas’s recent high-end drop this month in India, the A + P Luna Rossa 21 trainers created in collaboration with Prada,
sold out on the day of its launch and the brand had maintained that key collaborations with global creators have been a big rage in India with most drops selling within minutes or hours.
• According to Statista, the total global sneakers market revenue was valued at approximately US$ 70 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach a value of US$ 102 billion by 2025. Furthermore, for the Indian market,
the revenue in the sneakers segment amounts to US$ 1,367 million in 2021 which is expected to grow annually at a CAGR of 24.7 percent.
• One such premium multi-brand sneaker destination is Superkicks that caters to the demands of sneaker enthusiasts across the country with its range of super cool sneakers from major brands, available in India.
Founded in 2018 by sneaker enthusiast Sangeet Paryani, Superkicks now has a strong presence pan India with three retail outlets in Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru and a dedicated e-commerce website. 
• Sangeet Paryani noticed a huge gap in the Indian sneaker market as there was limited availability of global sneaker drops and he launched the brand dedicated to bringing limited edition, heritage styles as well as
more contemporary silhouettes to India’s burgeoning streetwear and sneaker culture.
• Sangeet Paryani, Founder, Superkicks, asserts, “The sneaker culture in India is growing the fastest as compared to any other category even in the footwear industry simply because now people are looking at
ways to express themselves and they want to find different ways to do that. Also, the influence of Instagram and the global culture is seeping in now more than ever. People are getting to know about different
sneakers and the context/ story behind them and one can expect this to be growing exponentially in the coming years. Even as the sneaker community is still small in India, it has grown tremendously over the past
3 years. From having no-sneaker stores, to multi retail sneaker boutique powerhouses, sneaker resale stores, sneaker after products, sneaker care services, and more, we can indeed say the sneaker culture has
grown. We are now seeing the emergence of smaller sneaker festivals in India. More international brands are entering the market and bringing in new variants, collabs, and models.  We are seeing a rise in the
sneaker aftermarket with brands coming out with their own custom laces, socks, the introduction of international sneaker cleaning products - Sneaker Lab, Reshoevn8r, Jason Markk, as well as giving rise to
homegrown brands.”
• Stepping Up and How
• While this segment is continuously growing on the back of an increase in demand from the new age customer base from across the country, the pandemic did have its impact on the overall segment as also
Superkicks. However, the brand came out stronger and strategized to stay afloat during the crisis.
• “We saw a surge in online orders as soon as the first lockdown ended, however, in-store sales were still affected. Since then, things have been steady and growing for us. Our strategy to navigate through this
situation revolved around focusing on online sales because we didn't want to encourage people to step out of their houses during these tough times, so we continued building our online presence. In January 2021,
we also revamped our entire website and made it smoother and better from a UI/UX point of view. We tried to curate interesting and eye-catching creatives to lure people to our online store, and we were able to
do that with a better website and a better marketing strategy for our Instagram page. We plan to continue to focus on online sales and our e-commerce platform and make it much more robust. Improve the entire
experience bit by bit and make it better with every month. Also, now that things have opened up, we also want to focus on getting people to the store, keeping in mind all the guidelines and safety measures
shared by the authorities, and reactivate store sales as well, as we are known for our store activations, events, and engagements that we have done in the past,” explains Sangeet Paryani.
• The past few years have seen a huge shift in how sneakers are
worn. Today, enthusiasts are donning a pair even at their
workplaces or on more formal occasions. Superkicks is riding
on this trend and has been offering the best of sneakers from
the best of brands. Superkicks retail brands like Nike, Adidas
Originals, Puma, Vans, Fila, ASICS, and Crocs. It also has an
exclusive international brand partnership with the Italian
sneaker brand Ylati. The price points at Superkicks vary
between Rs 3,000 and Rs 25,000 while the average ticket size
is around Rs 9,000. Superkicks onboards a brand basis its story
and iconic collections it has to offer.
• We prefer high-streets because there is a freedom for us to express ourselves better as the entire property would be ours and we won't be placed in a big complex right next to our competitors and we also
don’t need to adhere to mall rules and guidelines. Another reason is again to touch upon the sense of discoverability. Malls are well known and a lot of people visit them on a daily basis, we want to create
an identity where we have people finding us and visiting our individual outlet. We also don’t want to be placed on the main shopping street, we want to create our own space for ourselves away from the
usual. Superkicks believes in this philosophy called the 'open box' philosophy, which is all about inclusivity and bringing in people to our store to give them an experience of this entire culture and
community. Here we are not trying to change the world, we are just trying to introduce this aspect of the world to the Indian consumer and we truly believe that our growth in the last few years is due to
our connection with our consumers at the community level, we bring in different aspects of this culture and tie them in with the perspectives of our customers,” avers Sangeet Paryani.
• In terms of what’s in demand, the consumers are gradually shifting their preference from daily hype sneakers to comfort and functionality with style as a factor. At Superkicks, Sangeet Paryani has seen a
shift towards silhouettes like Puma rider, Nike waffle one, adidas nite jogger; comfort wear like Nike sliders, adilettes, Crocs and Birkenstocks are seeing a great rise; classics or retro sneakers from adidas
Originals, Vans, Air Force 1, Superstars and Suede; running silhouettes from brands like ASICS which offer great collaborations, etc.
• The Right Steps
• What’s acting as the right enabler in the current times for brands across categories is the integration of the right kind of technology along with omnichannel retail, in order to make the shopping experience
for consumers seamless than ever before.
• Sangeet Paryani maintains, “We have an integrated raffle system and a raffle mechanism built into our website when we revamped and renovated our website in January 2020. The raffle is a mechanism we
use often to drop some of the hype sneakers because that's a fair way to conduct hype sneaker/ high heat launches, as they are in so much demand. One needs to still understand that India is a price-
conscious market. We are the first sneaker brand in India to offer EMI options to purchase sneakers on our website, which is integrated into our Superkicks e-commerce platform. We have recently changed
our ERP system to a much more robust ERP system by Genesis, and we have also got an omnichannel link - BROWNTAPE on board, to further ease the entire omnichannel experience for our consumers, so
that it becomes even more seamless to get the orders on time and to also handle the inventory in the most effective way possible, with minimum leakages. This has been just rolled out in the month of
September and one can see the difference starting November, once fully integrated with our system.”
• While brands across other categories are struggling to tap the changing consumer behavior, Superkicks is supercharged and is more than ever excited to see more people getting attuned to this culture and
understanding the nuances behind this and how things happen at the backend. Superkicks follows a mixed marketing approach wherein its primary marketing area lies in the digital marketing realm.
• “We utilize our social media presence to the max. We believe in engaging our audience via our social handles with engaging and relatable content. We further look at building brand awareness via offline
activations at our store - these vary from, curated sneaker launches, a Unique sneaker raffle, celebration of a cultural moment, these events help in engaging the community. Collaborations with local street
culture-related communities are also part of our marketing strategy.  We look from time to time to collaborate with brands associated with Superkicks for key marketing campaigns which further gives us the
mileage we need. We are also involved in influencer marketing and look at collaborating with the best content creators in the fashion and lifestyle space,” Sangeet Paryani elaborates.
• The Best Foot Forward
• The way in which sneakers have started to rule the zeitgeist of Indian consumers is, simply put, uncanny. In fact, the affinity and love for footwear have grown leaps and bounds recently. Superkicks too has
been riding on this trend and as compared to last year, the premium sneaker retailer is currently doing 2x the business while its target for every year is to at least touch 1.5x of the previous year's revenue.
• “While sales and increasing our revenue is definitely the primary target for Superkicks, we are also trying to focus on innovation, bringing in new products to the markets, doing better engagement and
activations with our consumers, and growing the community in the most effective way possible as these have been the most fruitful in the past and revenue was definitely a by-product of the same. So, this
is our main focus now. We also want to open more stores in the future to be able to serve our customers in the best way possible. We are currently talking to a couple of new brands to onboard them and
introduce them to our consumers. Additionally, among the brands that we already have, we always try to get more coveted global sneakers coming into India, and that hunt to find those sneakers is
constant.  It's only a matter of time before we see better products/drops coming in and that'll be a celebratory milestone for the entire community in the future,” says Sangeet Paryani.
• Calling All Sneakerheads!Superkicks is a multi-brand sneaker store in
Mumbai which houses leading international sneaker brands like
Adidas, Reebok, Nike, Puma, Asics Tiger, New Balance, Vans and
Fila, among others. Founder Sangeet Paryani talks about the market
for sneakers in India.
• When did you start Superkicks?
• The planning for Superkicks probably started about two years ago. We
launched the first store in Mumbai on April 6, 2018. The initial capital
was about ₹2 crore.
• As we always say, our sub culture is growing every single day in
INDIA and for that we need accessibility of our products which
ofcourse superkicks and veg non veg are doing but at the same time
they are imparting all of us with knowledge that needs to be there for
us to drive a healthy culture forward.
• Superkicks is now known for their sick events not just for their launch
or drops but also celebrating culture and giving a space to all the
enthusiasts to come together and live what we all love.