Bengaluru, India | October 15, 2026: Comfort is the leading consideration for festive footwear shoppers, according to a survey of 2,000 Indian shoppers conducted by PulseAI Research and commissioned by Paragon Footwear. The study found that 51.7% identified comfort as a key consideration, ahead of style, discounts and brand reputation, while 58.1% planned to spend below ₹2,000.
Titled “The Sole Story of Festive India,” the study examined festive footwear purchase intent, preferences, spending plans and shopping journeys. Nearly nine in ten high-intent footwear shoppers surveyed planned to shop during the festive season, but only 46.2% included footwear among their likely purchases.
Comfort and spending priorities
Comfort was also the most influential factor in the overall purchase decision, selected by 48.1% of respondents. Among those aged 26–30, 54.6% prioritised comfort and 27.9% looked for durability.
The ₹1,000–₹2,000 range attracted the largest share of planned spending. Tier 3 respondents were 1.7 times more likely than metro respondents to plan spending below ₹1,000.
Preferences vary across markets
Ethnic footwear led festive preferences at 30.3%, followed by heels and wedges at 25.1% and sandals at 15.8%.
Preference for ethnic footwear stood at 34.5% in metros, compared with 19.2% in Tier 3 markets. Sneakers showed the reverse pattern, attracting 11% of metro respondents and 21.5% of Tier 3 respondents.
Shopping spans online and offline channels
Overall, 57.6% of respondents expected online and offline channels to play an equal role in their festive footwear purchases. Tier 3 respondents were 1.3 times more likely than metro respondents to plan to shop exclusively online.
While 31.9% cited discounts and offers as their primary reason for festive shopping, channel selection depended more on the overall shopping experience: 33.5% prioritised experience, compared with 25.9% who prioritised better discounts.
Commenting on the findings, Sachin Joseph, Executive Vice President – Marketing & IT, Paragon Footwear, said, “Festive footwear has always been closely connected to tradition and celebration, but the way consumers approach these occasions is evolving. Today, shoppers want footwear that complements their festive look while also offering comfort, quality and value. These findings reinforce the importance of understanding how consumers are balancing traditional preferences with styles that feel relevant to their individual needs.”
Siddhartha Nangia, Co-Founder, Smytten & PulseAI Research, said, “What I found interesting through this research is how clearly we were able to decode that the festive shopper is asking brands to do more than before. They still want something that feels right for the occasion, but they are not willing to compromise on comfort, value or convenience to get it. Even tradition is being consumed differently. We see Metro shoppers leaning strongly into ethnic footwear, while smaller cities are showing greater openness to sneakers and online shopping. To me, that is a reminder that the Indian consumer cannot be put into neat boxes anymore. As businesses, the moment we start designing for assumptions instead of actual behaviour, we start losing relevance.”
Methodology
The Sole Story of Festive India was based on an online quantitative survey conducted among 2,000 Indian shoppers to understand festive footwear purchase intent, preferences, spending behaviour, shopping journeys and consumer priorities. The study covered respondents across multiple age groups, genders and city tiers.
About Paragon Footwear
Paragon was founded in 1975 and since then it has emerged as a marquee brand in the footwear industry, for its steadfast dedication to excellence, durability, and fashion. The brand offers a wide range of footwear products, including shoes, sandals, flip-flops, and slippers. Their product line caters to various age groups and demographics, from children to adults, making it a complete family brand. Paragon’s products are accessible through a vast network of multi-brand stores, both online and offline, making quality footwear available to all. Paragon’s distribution network spans 12 strategically located depots across India, facilitating efficient supply chain management.
About PulseAI Research
PulseAI Research is a next-generation consumer-intelligence and market-research platform built to help brands make faster, sharper decisions. It combines AI-powered research capabilities with access to one of India’s most high-intent consumer ecosystems, comprising 30 million+ shoppers. Designed for modern marketers and insights teams, PulseAI Research enables brands to decode real-time consumer sentiment, uncover behavioural drivers, validate concepts, track brand equity, and optimise communication strategies with speed and precision.
What sets it apart is its ability to go beyond stated responses to capture behaviour-led insights, helping brands understand not just what consumers say, but how they actually choose and act. Trusted by brands across FMCG, beauty, retail and emerging consumer categories, PulseAI Research powers product innovation, campaign effectiveness and growth strategy decisions.
