INDIA TO HAVE ITS OWN “FOOTWEAR SIZING SYSTEM” FOR THE FIRST TIME: A CSIR-CLRI LED EFFORT FOR A PERFECT FIT AND FOOT HEALTH

Design of footwear is a complex, multi-disciplinary task spanning many fields of Science and Engineering. Comfort of a shoe and proper foot health is ensured by a proper footwear size. In the absence of a ‘Footwear Sizing System’ in India, it is imperative that an ‘Indian Footwear Sizing system’ be developed based on the Foot Dimensions of the Indian feet. CSIR-CLRI under the aegis of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India, Ministry of Commerce to conduct a nationwide survey for reliable data on foot dimensions of the Indian population using 3D Digital Imaging technique to establish the Indian Footwear Sizing System. Dr KJ Sreeram, Director, CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute

How the indigenous sizing metrics is likely to influence it?

India is the second-largest footwear producer after China with an annual production 2257 million pairs. It has a huge domestic retail market: 2021 million pairs are sold in domestic market. Footwear (leather and non-leather) export accounts for about 43.5% share in India’s total leather & leather products export. The Footwear products are a mixture of; Gents 58%, Ladies 30%, Children 9% and others 3% Footwear for the domestic market is predominantly produced in the small sectors or sometimes cottage sector.

For very long, India has been following the British Shoe Sizing System with equivalents to the European and American sizes.

The Indian consumer is getting increasingly aware about Foot Comfort and Foot Health. Not always do the English sizes fit the shoe. Design of footwear is a complex, multidisciplinary task spanning many fields of Science and Engineering. Comfort of a shoe and proper foot health is ensured by a proper footwear size.

In the absence of a ‘Footwear Sizing System’ in India, it is imperative that an ‘Indian Footwear Sizing system’ be developed based on the Foot Dimensions of the Indian feet.

CSIR-CLRI, under the aegis of Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Gvt of India, MoC, is to conduct a nationwide survey for reliable data on foot dimensions of the Indian population using 3D Digital Imaging technique to establish the Indian Footwear Sizing System.

Preamble