PAIO: MAKER OF CONSCIOUS FOOTWEAR WITH STRONG DESIGN ELEMENTS

A completely made in India brand, using locally sourced materials, PAIO's ethos is based on the idea that fashion need not come at the cost of a precious life. Shweta Nimkar founded the cruelty-free and vegan footwear brand in 2015 with one simple agenda - to create conscious footwear with strong design elements inspired by everything around us, while making sure each product is comfortable.

- Surabhi Khosla

Sustainable, cruelty-free and cruelty-free, raw and comfortable vegan footwear brand PAIO Every product is carefully handcrafted was founded in 2015 by Shweta by traditional karigars (craftsmen) who Nimkar with one simple have inherited and perfected their craft agenda - to create conscious footwear with strong design elements inspired by everything around us, while making sure each product is comfortable.

A completely made in India brand, using locally sourced materials, PAIO's ethos is based on the idea that fashion need not come at the cost of a precious life. In keeping with this philosophy, craftsmen at PAIO work with vegan leathers along with a variety of materials like faux-leather, hemp, cotton, jute, faux-silks all sustainably sourced, for generations in an effort to support the broader community and keep the craft alive.

"Our embroidery is done through local craftsmen in the city who hail from various parts of the country. This is an art that is passed down through generations in their family which is now a dying art as the new generation is no longer choosing the same path," explains PAIO Founder, Shweta Nimkar.

Shweta Nimkar.

Founder, PAIO

"Our embroidery is done through local craftsmen in the city who hail from various parts of the country. This is an art that is passed down through generations in their family which is now a dying art as the new generation is no longer choosing the same path."

"I have personally scouted and found most of the vendors we work with. We do not have our own manufacturing unit but choose to work with multiple contract manufacturers across the country. We have identified their individualistic skill-set and get different types of shoes manufactured by different vendors. We work mainly with vendors in Mumbai and Agra," she adds.