Imported Shoes
Chinese shoes are commonly known as imported shoes in India. But imported shoes in India originate from several countries, not just China. Other major importing nations include Vietnam, Indonesia, Germany and Italy.
In this article, we will focus on shoes imported from China and try to answer some key questions:
- Why are similar quality shoes not being manufactured in India?
- Are Chinese-imported shoes the best in terms of quality and value?
- Where should we buy these imported shoes?
- How can we purchase them online?
- Which websites should we use and what sizing options are available?
Why India Still Needs Chinese Shoe Imports?
According to 2020 data, China produced around 13 billion pairs of shoes, while India produced 2 billion pairs. This stark difference of 6-7 times highlights a major gap in shoe manufacturing between the two countries.
In 2020 alone, India imported over 250 million pairs of shoes valued at $1.6 billion – the majority originating from China.
What factors account for this huge discrepancy in shoe production volume between China and India? Let’s examine some key reasons behind China’s shoe manufacturing dominance:
- Scale of Production – China’s footwear factories are massive in size and leverage automation to produce shoes in extremely high volumes at low costs. Most Indian manufacturers are smaller in scale.
- Lower Labor Costs – China has a competitive advantage in terms of labor costs due to its disciplined workforce and investments in automation. Labor is more expensive in India.
- Sophisticated Technology – China has continuously updated shoe production technologies including computer-controlled cutting and laser-guided stitching for faster output. Many Indian factories use outdated systems.
- Raw Material Availability – China has a strong domestic supply chain for leather, rubber, and other shoe components. India still imports much of these materials.
- Industry Clusters – China has dedicated shoe manufacturing hubs, like Guangdong province, which allow companies to derive collective benefits. India lacks these concentrated industrial clusters.
- Supportive Ecosystem – Chinese shoe companies get greater financial support, tax incentives for exports, and integrated logistics infrastructure from the government.
- Economies of Scale – Larger production volumes in China help reduce per unit costs. Indian manufacturing lacks this scale currently.
- Global Competitiveness – Proximity to affluent export markets, aggressive pricing and savvy marketing have made China a shoe supplier of choice globally.
Could Chinese shoes be a smart purchase?
Whenever you go to buy imported shoes, now keep a minimum budget of Rs 1,300 to Rs 2,500. In this price range, you will get best quality, best design, best support, all these to some extent.
Do not think of buying ones that are too cheap. Then their quality will not be so good and mind you, these shoes are not imported but are of Indian make and made in Agra. I am talking about sports shoes.
In this price segment, you get to see a wide range and the finishing etc. will be so good that no one will be able to recognize that these are Chinese shoes.
And don’t fall into the trap of first copy etc., a lot of fraud is being done in the market in the name of first copy. Buy a shoe which looks good and feels good in the hand and is a little lightweight.
And imported shoes are not too expensive, so you will not have any problem in changing them in 2-3 months. If you are buying Chinese then you are not making any mistake, take whatever you like, don’t think so much.
Where to buy imported shoes?
If you are in Delhi or traveling to Delhi, there are a few key markets to find imported shoes. These include Sarojini Nagar Market, Janpath Market and Karol Bagh in Delhi.
Other top cities for imported shoes are Mumbai (Linking Road), as well as Tier 1 cities across India.
You can also find imported shoes in smaller local shops in Tier 2 and 3 cities. However, the selection may be more limited, usually ranging from 10-20 shoe options in these shops.
If you are unable to go out shopping and do not want to travel to stores, Instagram is a great option. I recommend following some shoe shopping accounts and channels. If possible, try joining their WhatsApp groups as well, since it is very easy to get regular updates about new arrivals through WhatsApp. This way you can conveniently discover a wide variety of new shoe styles and updates right from home.
Before you buy something on Instagram, make sure to check the seller’s profile carefully. Look for their contact details, like WhatsApp or phone numbers, and see if others have received their orders by reading comments.
Only place an order if everything seems okay and trustworthy.
If you can, choose the prepayment option over cash-on-delivery, especially if the seller is well-known and trusted. Many people run businesses on Instagram, so you can have faith in them for a good experience.
This way, you can enjoy your purchase without worrying about scams.
Where to buy imported shoes?
https://shoeseller.in/
https://stepstyle.in/
https://fashionfiver.in/
In addition to these 3 websites, I came across many other sites. Some are selling Indian shoes at very low prices, but the quality is quite poor, especially for sports shoes.
Indian shoes are typically better in other categories, which we’ll discuss later.
Imported shoes are being sold at very high prices on some websites.
Also, major sites like Myntra, Amazon, Flipkart and Ajio are not offering imported shoes currently.
