At 8 a.m. on August 2, 2025, more than 200 people stood in line outside Comet’s store in Indiranagar, Bengaluru. They were waiting for a limited-edition Comet × Naru Noodle Bar release, a sneaker drop that sold out.
This is a scene that has become increasingly common in India’s $3.88 billion sneaker market, signalling a structural shift in who controls consumer desire.
For today's Indian consumer doesn’t care about “looking global” the way earlier generations did. They want brands that feel like them; brands that understand their cities, their humour, their music, their streets.
The result? A a new cohort of homegrown brands that are effectively dismantling the entry-level premium market once promised to Nike and Adidas.
But why now? For years, Indian street culture was an imitation the Bronx and the swagger of the NBA. But today’s young consumers, raised on Instagram and shaped by the rise of Desi Hip-Hop, have finally found an identity that celebrates the “underdog” Indian spirit.
The opportunity is economic as much as cultural. While the Indian footwear market is projected to reach $4.5 billion by 2030 (IMARC), global brands have rarely touched the critical ₹4,000-₹6,000 ($45-$70) price bracket. Gully Labs and Comet moved quickly to fill the gap, building digital-first brands anchored in local storytelling and scarcity-driven drops.
However, there is a flip side to this euphoria. On Instagram you’ll see only praise, but on Reddit people are calling out issues with finishing and durability.
To get a clearer picture of the disparity, we analyzed engagement patterns for our top five homegrown sneaker brands across Instagram and Reddit.
Instagram: We tracked high-intent signals such as users begging for "City Tours", viral validation of brand storytelling (e.g., "S-Tier marketing"), and community defense of brand missions. High scores indicate a strong emotional connection to the brand's lifestyle promise.
Reddit: We aggregated unfiltered feedback from enthusiast communities including r/SneakersIndia, r/IndianFashionAddicts, and more. The score penalizes technical failures, specifically isolating recurring keywords such as "bleeding colors", "paper-like soles", and "creasing", while rewarding brands for value-for-money and mission integrity.
Note: This report is based on a qualitative sentiment analysis of user-generated content tracked between July 2025 and December 2025. We analyzed engagement patterns on Instagram and Reddit to quantify the disparity between digital marketing narratives and physical product experiences.
By all technical metrics, the Indian sneaker is an "unfinished" product.
Now, let’s be honest about the economics. Nike spent over $4 Billion (approx ₹33,000 Crores) on demand creation alone last year. To expect a Mumbai or Bangalore-based startup, operating on a Seed round of ₹8-10 Crores, to immediately replicate 50 years of R&D is mathematically impossible.
Investors, however, remain bullish, betting that manufacturing flaws are fixable, but cultural relevance is rare. Here is a snapshot of the current investment landscape for India’s top homegrown sneaker brands, comparing valuations and recent deals.
Right now, these brands are being valued on Brand Heat, their ability to generate hype, not on Product Equity, which comes from real technical performance. As early adopters shift from collecting to actually wearing the shoes, that gap becomes dangerous. If the product doesn’t live up to the buzz, churn is inevitable.
"The consumer is currently forgiving because they are buying a collectible, not a daily driver," notes Nikhil, investor and a sneakerhead. "But you cannot build a $100 million revenue business on collectibles. If these brands don't pivot from marketing-led to product-led innovation, the churn will be brutal."
The young consumer knows these sneakers aren't as comfortable as a Nike. Not yet. But they wear them anyway, because homegrown kicks are finally cool.
The clock, however, is ticking. These brands are currently running on a fuel of emotional loyalty. They must pivot from marketing-led hype to product-led innovation by 2026. If the pride wears off before the blisters heal, the churn will be brutal.