In an interview, Gaurav Kumaar Dua says that the company is expecting double-digit growth in women’s footwear, driven by post-pandemic shifts in mobility, work patterns
Relaxo Footwears is sharpening its focus on women and kids while expanding deeper into premium and lifestyle-led footwear categories as evolving fashion preferences, sneaker adoption and higher aspiration levels reshape consumer demand. The company is revamping its portfolio, retail formats and digital play to capture this shift, said Gaurav Kumaar Dua, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Whole-Time Director, Relaxo Footwears.
In an interview with BW Businessworld, Dua said Relaxo’s latest autumn-winter collection has placed greater emphasis on women and kids through dedicated offerings and sharper segmentation by age, style and price points. At the same time, the company is broadening its premium portfolio, expanding men’s footwear offerings up to Rs 2,800 from its traditional Rs 999 to 1,800 range. It is also targeting at least 100 new exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) this fiscal and accelerating its ecommerce and quick commerce presence through platforms such as Blinkit and Zepto.
Women, Kids Lead Product Refresh
“This time we have segregated and given more focus to women and kids because it is a growing category,” Dua added. The company has introduced collections such as ‘colour rush’ and ‘bling’ for women and ‘alpha zone’ for kids, with sharper segmentation based on age, price points and design preferences. “Lot of innovation has been done in terms of colour, style, what consumer is looking for,” he explained.
He pointed out that the company is also expecting double-digit growth in women’s footwear, driven by post-pandemic shifts in mobility and work patterns. “Women are mostly active and they are out of home, in offices and work,” Dua highlighted, as the company bets on categories beyond its traditional stronghold.
Relaxo’s renewed focus aligns with broader industry trends highlighted in the company’s investor presentation, which points to rising workforce participation among women and faster fashion cycles driving demand in the category, while athleisure and sports footwear continue to gain traction.
Chasing Trend-led Growth Amid Cost Pressures
Even as input cost pressures weigh on margins, Relaxo remains confident of outpacing industry growth by leaning into trend-led categories and faster product innovation. Dua acknowledged that rising petroleum-linked costs, wage inflation in Haryana and elevated raw material prices have made near-term margin visibility difficult, but maintained a positive outlook on growth.
“We are definitely positive,” he said, adding that while the footwear industry grew around 10 per cent last year, Relaxo aims to outperform it. The optimism comes as Relaxo sharpens its focus on sneakers and fashion-led footwear, categories increasingly driven by younger consumers and shorter replacement cycles. Backed by brands such as Sparx and Bahamas, the company is using consumer research to track rapidly changing fashion cues, from the shift away from chunky soles to flat soles and the continued demand for all-white sneakers. “Seeing what consumer looking for accordingly we innovate and provide the footwear,” Dua said.
The shift also comes at a time when Relaxo is seeing improving monetisation and recovery in profitability. The company reported Rs 2,706 crore in FY26 revenue, while earnings before interest and taxes rose to Rs 263 crore. Average realisation per pair has also steadily improved as the company pushes premium categories, while annual volumes remain robust at over 17 crore pairs sold. Net profit rose to Rs 179 crore in FY26, up from Rs 170 crore in FY25.
Even as its core remains anchored in affordable footwear, Relaxo is widening its premium playbook through sneakers and lifestyle-led offerings, aiming to improve product mix without losing mass relevance. The average realisation per pair was Rs 153 in FY26 as compared to Rs 156 in FY25. With manufacturing capacity of over 10.5 lakh pairs a day, the company is looking to combine scale with sharper consumer targeting to drive its next phase of growth.
Balancing Value With Premiumisation
Even as Relaxo pushes deeper into premium and lifestyle-led footwear, the company is retaining its focus on affordability, seeking to broaden its consumer base without moving away from its mass-market positioning. This comes as India’s footwear market is projected to grow at a 9.7 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2025 to 2034 to Rs 4,433 billion, with organised players expected to gain share amid rising incomes and stronger brand preference, the company added.
Dua said Relaxo has expanded its men’s footwear portfolio from its traditional Rs 999 to 1,800 band to products priced up to Rs 2,800 MRP, particularly in sneakers and lifestyle categories. “The mass is taken care of with the lower MRP which is Rs 999 and for the premium we are going till Rs 2,800,” he said.
However, the company’s core business continues to remain concentrated in the Rs 999 to 1,500 bracket, with premium and sneaker-led products still contributing a smaller share. “Premium and lifestyle is currently a little less compared to the mass segment,” Dua noted.
New-age Retail
Relaxo is pairing retail expansion with digital commerce as it looks to modernise consumer engagement and strengthen market reach. Backed by a distribution network of over 630 distributors and over 70,000 retailers and multi-brand outlets, the company is now focusing on more experience-led formats while deepening omnichannel access to stay relevant with younger, trend-conscious consumers.
Dua said that the company has introduced a new EBO concept, beginning with a redesigned store in Vasundhara featuring a more premium, international look and a dedicated sneaker studio. “We have just redefined and fully changed the look and feel of our new store… the look and feel is absolutely very international,” he said.
The company plans to open at least 100 outlets this financial year as part of its next growth phase. Alongside physical expansion, Relaxo has also entered quick commerce platforms such as Blinkit and Zepto, in addition to Amazon, over the last seven to eight months.
“We are getting very good response… ecommerce is still the fastest growing channel in India,” Dua said. He indicated that the omnichannel push signals the company’s attempt to stay relevant across both discovery-led online shopping and physical retail experiences.
