Best Foot forward

‘Cuero – Handcrafted Luxury’ was born out of Naman Shah’s desire to change the way Indian men look at a pair of shoes

What first brought shoes to your notice?

NS: As kids, my brother and I were never allowed to wear flip-flops; we were always made to wear leather sandals, shoes or sports shoes. My vacations were spent going with my father to work, attending business meetings, and just sitting quietly, listening to what was going on – and of course, I had to be well dressed. This experience made me a good observer; I would notice people, their clothes, and the way they spoke. My father was my role model - he would never leave the house without wearing matching watch strap, belt and shoes. As I grew up I developed a taste for leather as a material and I would be drawn to anything that was made in leather. I noticed that the older generation would give a lot of importance to a good pair of shoes; it seemed important for the image of man to wear a fine pair of shoes! In time I heard these men complain about the lack of good shoes in India. My love for shoes began then.

While in college (studying commerce), everyone was wearing Converse shoes but no one was able to maintain them, especially the white rubber soles. I hated dirty shoes and so I started a small business – for Rs. 100 I would clean the shoes and give the customer new shoelaces. The business picked up and I made decent money which took care of my expenses.

How does a banking and finance major find his way into the shoe business?