India’s coolest women sneakerheads take us into the shoe closets

Meet the stylish women from across India who share their love for sneakers

If you think that sneakers are coveted by just one gender, then you’re mistaken as women are changing the narrative within this subculture in India. While there is no denying that women are, more often than not, sidelined–from a lack of smaller sizes to fewer female creatives working behind the scenes in this subculture, there is a growing community of women who share their love for a good pair of sneakers. With Beyoncé’s collaboration with Adidas and Cardi B’s collaboration with Reebok, it’s safe to say that women are here to run this world too. We speak to four women who are thriving in this community of sneakerheads in India.

Simran Chanta

Shimla-born Simran Chanta believes that she is not into the hype culture but has always been fascinated by a good pair of shoes since childhood. It was the pandemic, however, that reignited her love for sneakers. “Living through the pandemic just made that spark come back and since then, I have been on this journey of collecting shoes. I don’t think my obsession with sneakers is ever going to end,” says Chanta, who currently has 32 pairs of sneakers in her collection, with Nike Air Jordan 1 High Bred Toe being the most expensive ones, that she copped for ₹60,000. Now based in Chandigarh and working as a customer service trainer and a content creator, Chanta believes that the sneaker culture in India has been on the rise during the last few years. “There actually are a good amount of women sneakerheads in the community. And unlike a lot of other subcultures, women do get almost equal amounts of exposure in the community and that’s why I love being a part of it. There are connections that you make with other community members, irrespective of your gender. While everybody appreciates a good sneaker, getting your favourite pair in your size sometimes is a problem,” says Chanta, who is currently eyeing Nike Air Jordan 4 Black Canvas to add to her growing collection.

Manpreet Kaur

Bengaluru-based Manpreet Kaur doesn’t have an exact number of sneakers she owns but she claims it’s close to 60-70 pairs. “I sold a few which I wasn’t wearing for a while and didn’t feel like holding on to them, especially knowing that someone else could give them a new home and could probably pull them off better than I do,” she says. As a stylist and art director who is originally from Lucknow, Kaur’s style leans towards comfort, especially if she’s on shoots all day. Hence, sneakers to her felt more practical to wear with everything else. “I would be on Nike’s site and see what they are launching next. But I never really got into the hype as I could never wear something just because everyone is wearing it,” Kaur explains, who believes that the sneaker culture is only going to get bigger, thanks to the multiple collaborations helmed by brands and celebrities. “However, despite there being new drops and new collaborations almost every day, a lot of the time we don’t have access to particular sneakers because they aren’t available in smaller sizes,” she says. The most expensive pair she’s copped so far are the Gucci Basket shoes, which she styled with a denim mini-dress on Instagram. While Kaur has a list of kicks she is eyeing for her next purchase, she’s most excited to get her hands on a pair of Ganni sneakers.

Jayshree Vinay

Jayshree Vinay began collecting sneakers only a year ago and has already amassed a collection of 20 pairs so far. “My boyfriend introduced me to this insane world and I’m in love,” says Vinay, who started her collection with a pair of crisp white Nike Air Force 1s. Her collection has now expanded to Nike Air Jordan 1s, Nike SB Dunk Low x Sean Cliver and Nike SB Low Dunk Strangelove, which is the most expensive pair in her collection, costing her a little over two lakhs. “There has been a huge rise in the number of streetwear brands in the last couple of years. I think a lot more people are into streetwear and sneakers now,” says Chennai-based Vinay, who is not only a fashion, beauty and lifestyle influencer, but also runs her own cloud kitchen called Pretty Baked Jay, apart from having a full-time job with Amazon. Next on her list of sneakers to cop are Nike Air Jordan 1 Low Travis Scott x Fragments, Nike Dunk High x Ambush in 'Cosmis Fuchsia’ and Off-White x Nike Low Dunk in Pine Green. When asked about how women are perceived within the subculture of sneakerheads in India, she believes that it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or a woman. “Mutual love for sneakers trumps everything else. I love that you’re appreciated for your collection, regardless of your gender,” she explains.

Haya Rukiya

Growing up in Saudi Arabia and being an athlete, Haya Rukiya always had a thing for sneakers as it was a part of her uniform. Her first pair of sneakers that she copped with her own money was an all-white Adidas Superstar with snakeskin tab on the back. Now based in Bengaluru and heading content for Capsul—a store that retails international streetwear brands in India—Rukiya has amassed 50 pairs of sneakers in her closet. “India is a fairly new market when it comes to sneakers and streetwear, but is definitely growing at a much faster pace than it did a few years ago. With stores like Capsul, VegNonVeg and Superkicks building and growing the culture and creating noise around it in India, we've been drawing more and more of the world's attention,” says Rukiya, who also believes that the sneaker community has welcomed women sneakerheads with open arms. “I think the only barrier that exists is the lack of availability of sizes for women when it comes to coveted drops.” Her most expensive pair of sneakers remain the Adidas HU NMD ones, although her most frequently worn pair are Stussy X Nike Blazer Low.

Also Read: Meet 5 sneaker enthusiasts from Northeast India

Also Read: Meet India’s coolest sneakerheads

Also Read: A round-up of the best sneaker resellers in India